GSBC Meetings + Presentations GSBC Meetings are held every 4th Monday of the month (except holidays and December). General Meetings include a brief business meeting. Meetings start promptly at 7pm in the Ridgewood Public Library Auditorium, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ. Phone (201) 670-5600 (see map, above), unless otherwise noted. Your membership dues directly supports this programming and allows us to host speakers on a wide variety of topics — thank you! GSBC Seminar + Special Event The GSBC holds several special events, including our day-long Seminar and late-night GSBC-Ridgewood Public Library Lock-In—where genealogists can attend talks on a variety of subjects, collaborate on problems, socialize over a light supper, and receive one-on-one research assistance. Additional event fee may apply. Discount for GSBC members.
GSBC Classes + Genealogy Courses at Bergen Community College The Bolger Heritage Center at the Ridgewood Public Library holds events on local history and genealogy-focused computer classes. Ridgewood residents and GSBC members receive a discount on these events. Included in the calendar below are RPL classes of interest to genealogists and local researchers. Please check the full RPL calendar for class information, fees, registration, cancellations, and for classes on other topics. All registration is through the Ridgewood Public Library calendar or by calling (201) 670-5600.
Additionally, the GSBC holds in-depth courses, for those 55 and older, at Bergen Community College, Institute for Learning and Retirement (BCC-ILR). Please check our calendar for registration dates, visit the BCC-ILR website, or contact BCC-ILR at 201-447-7156.
Below is our complete calendar showing all Meetings, Events, Seminars. Library Programs and Classes. Use the Category filter below to hide the events in a specific category.
Specialties:
AncestryLE
Canadian Records (French and English)
State and Federal Census
Advanced Research
New York City Research
City Directories
For July 2018: by appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
Ridgewood Public Library Program
Local Author Talk with Anthony Cavo (Virtual)
Tuesday, 7 February 2023 @ 7pm Eastern
Online and open to all!
Registration required: http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=5615&EventID=474667
Anthony Cavo will speak about his most recent publication "Love Immortal: Antique Photographs and Stories of Dogs and Their People". An artfully designed compendium of 200 antiquarian photographs, all published here for the first time—including daguerrotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cartes de visite, and sepia and black-and-white images—culled from the private collection of longtime antiques collector, dealer, and appraiser Anthony Cavo, accompanied by an entertaining mix of historical anecdotes, true stories, excerpts from literature, letters, quotes, and fun facts.
If you would like to purchase a signed copy of the book to be picked up at the Library, please contact Sarah Kiefer at 201-670-5600 x135 or email at skiefer@ridgewoodlibrary.org
Specialties:
Ancestry
Census
Ireland
Immigration
New York City and New Jersey
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
GSBC Extra!
Missing: Reward! Locating Widows, Spinsters, and Bachelors
Presentation by Sara Cochran
Monday, 13 Feb 2023 @ 2pm Eastern
Online and open to all!
Registration required.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8064239818142667790
Have some of the folks on your family tree disappeared? Pick up some new ideas on how to find widows and unmarried children and then watch these techniques in action in three short case studies.
Sara Cochran says: "Every person that starts researching their family history does so for a different reason. For some, they feel disconnected from themselves or seek understanding about modern issues from the past. For others, the genealogy “bug” bites when a family member asks them for some help with research. For me, it was a desire to learn about the people I came from, all these marvelous looking people in my Grandma’s photo albums." theskeletonwhisperer.com
Specialties:
AncestryLE
Internet Research
Advanced Research
Netherlands
Available by Appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
Specialties:
All computer applications
Advanced Research
Local History
Bergen County
Available by Appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
GSBC General Meeting
Make Those Skeletons Dance: Exploring Your Family’s Dark Side
Presentation by Lisa Alzo, MFA (virtually)
Monday, 27 Feb 2023 @ 7pm Eastern
In-person @Ridgewood Public Library and
Online and open to all, but space is limited. Registration is required for online.
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6635168272980614743
How well do you really know your ancestors? The horse thief, the philanderer, the murderer! Oh my! Genealogy is one of the most unpredictable activities you’ll undertake, and when you start digging into your family’s past, “You never know what you’re gonna get.” If you suspect a few black sheep lurking in your family tree, this session will show you, with examples, how to hunt them down, bust through the speculation, and tell the real stories.
Lisa Ann Alzo, M.F.A., grew up in Duquesne , Pennsylvania , and currently resides in Ithaca , New York . She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1987 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997. An avid genealogist for 26 years, Lisa currently teaches online genealogy courses for Family Tree University and the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. She is the recipient of the 2002 Mary Zirin Prize given by the Association for Women in Slavic Studies to recognize the achievements of independent scholars, and is a frequently invited speaker for national conferences, genealogical and historical societies.
Specialties:
AncestryLE
Canadian Records (French and English)
State and Federal Census
Advanced Research
New York City Research
City Directories
For July 2018: by appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
Specialties:
Ancestry
Census
Ireland
Immigration
New York City and New Jersey
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
GSBC Extra! — Online
Researching Your New Jersey Revolutionary War Ancestors
Presentation by Michelle D. Novak, MI (Online)
Monday, 13 Mar 2023 @ 2pm Eastern
Online and open to all, but space is limited!
Online, registration required: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6098638483250243086
Explore resources (online and off) to get to know more about your Revolutionary War ancestors—whether they were soldiers or civilians. (And if they were from New Jersey, you may be in for some pleasant research surprises!) Michelle D. Novak will share her favorite collections and sites for researching records including Fold3/Ancestry, the New Jersey State Archives, the U.S. National Archives and their digitization partners, and the DAR Library in Washington DC, among others; as well as share some examples from her personal research files.
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Michelle D. Novak, MI, is a brand-designer (mnd.nyc), historian, genealogist, and teacher. She holds a Masters of Information degree in Archives and Preservation from Rutgers University, a BFA from RISD, a Certificate of Genealogical Research from Boston University’s CE program, and certificates from Gen-Fed and GRIP. Novak is a Trustee for the Genealogical Society of Bergen County (GSBC), New JerseyJ, and a former Trustee of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey (GSNJ). She also served as Grant Administrator for the GSNJ New Jersey Early Land Records Project at the New Jersey State Archives; as editor of the GSBC’s national award-winning newsletter, “The Archivist;” as Chair of the Society of American Archivists Students and New Archival Professionals section; and is involved with numerous transcription, indexing, publicity, and digitization projects.
Specialties:
AncestryLE
Internet Research
Advanced Research
Netherlands
Available by Appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
Meet authors Bob Nesoff and Howard Joseph Cohn, as they talk about their recently published book "A History Lovers Guide to Bergen County". Travel through various historic sites dating back to pre-Revoluntionary times all the way up to the modern day with the Teterboro Air Museum and Hall of Fame. The authors will talk about their favorite sites such as the Old '76 House (originally in Bergen County) which was a tavern, but also known for the location where British spy Benedict Arnold and co-conspiritor Major John Andre were held before their trial. Q&A to follow their talk, and you'll have an opportunity to purchase a signed copy of the book. Book talk will be held in the Library auditorium from 7-8pm. Register here: http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=5615&EventID=482869&PK=. Questions? Contact Sarah Kiefer at 201-670-5600 x135 or skiefer@ridgewoodlibrary.org
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
Specialties:
All computer applications
Advanced Research
Local History
Bergen County
Available by Appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
GSBC General Meeting
Utilizing Ancestry’s Databases: Beyond Search
Presentation by Cari Taplin, CG (virtually)
Monday, 27 Mar 2023 @ 7pm Eastern
In-person @Ridgewood Public Library and
Online and open to all, but space is limited. Registration is required.
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8855675985809373783
Many Ancestry.com users rarely search the hidden resources found beyond the initial “Search” feature. Cari will delve into how to extract treasure from some of the lesser-used databases available to all subscribers.
Cari A. Taplin is related to Roy Rogers. Or at least that’s what her family told her. As a result, finding her true heritage has been her focus since the year 2000. She is a native of Wood County, Ohio but now lives in Longmont, Colorado. Cari holds the Certified Genealogist® credential and has served in a wide variety of volunteer and leadership positions for state, local, and national societies. As the owner of GenealogyPANTS, she provides speaking services. she also lends help and shares her expertise as an administrator on the highly popular Facebook Group “The Genealogy Squad.” Cari currently works for Ancestry ProGenealogists. Cari’s personal research focuses on midwestern and Great Lakes states. When she’s not working on her genealogy, she is a wife, and a mother of two young adults.
Specialties:
AncestryLE
Canadian Records (French and English)
State and Federal Census
Advanced Research
New York City Research
City Directories
For July 2018: by appointment
On-Site GSBC Genealogy Consultations at the Ridgewood Public Library (RPL)
GSBC Members and others receive complimentary on-site consultation with our Genealogy Consultants at the Bolger Heritage Center. All our consultants can help beginners through experienced researchers, guide you in the use of the Genealogy and Local History Reference collections at the Bolger Heritage Center, and help you break through your brick-walls. If you need assistance with a specific area not listed, contact us and we will match you as best we can with an expert in that area.
To make an appointment, email contact@njgsbc.org to reserve your consultation window.
GSBC Extra! - Online
Telling Your Family’s Story with Google Earth
Presentation by Tamara Hallo (virtually)
Monday, 10 Apr 2023 @ 2pm Eastern
Online and open to all, but space is limited! Registration required.
Google Earth is free computer program for your desktop as well as for smartphones and tablets.
Use the documents, pictures and stories you gather to create and share a visual representation of your family’s story using Google Earth.
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Tamara Hallo is an educator, librarian, and genealogist. She has over 25 years of experience as an educator and holds a Master in Library Science degree. Genealogy is her passion and a perfect complement to her repertoire. She has earned a certificate of genealogical research from Boston University and has completed ProGen, an 18-month professional genealogy study program.
In addition to client work, Tamara presents on genealogical topics to both in-person and virtual audiences and regularly teaches genealogy classes through her website, www.hallogenealogyservices.com, and in-person throughout the tri-county area of South Florida.
A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and the National Genealogical Society (NGS), she specializes in Southern United States and Miami, Florida research and is passionate about sharing genealogy with the community.
