BEGINNING AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY
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Finding Your Roots
Saturday, February 8, 2003
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Texana/Genealogy Department
Central Library |
Beginning African American Genealogy: Finding Your Roots is designed
for people who are curious about their ancestors and who are interested in
studying relationships between people, specifically African Americans. The
seminar will show how to begin searching for and recording African
American family history. It will feature instructors from the African
American Genealogical and Historical Society of San Antonio, who will tell
how they became interested in looking for their ancestral roots, where the
exploration led them, the things they found out about their people, and
what they learned about themselves. As Ira Lott, president of the Society
said, "African American genealogy is interesting because of the peculiar
and unique experience of Africans in the Americas. But getting started
tracing roots can be a problem when we don’t know what first to do and
where to look for information or how to go about finding the available
documentary resources."
In his historical novel, "Roots," Alex Haley used both oral history and
recorded documentation to tell a compelling story about his family. Some parts
of the story had been passed down from generation to generation by members in
his family and this led him to look for authenticating information in libraries,
archives and for other supportive documents in local, county, and state records.
Beginning African American Genealogy will stress the importance of using
such an approach, with the inclusion of oral history tradition in the African
American community.
Tracing one’s roots can be relatively simple or quite involved. It can cost a
few dollars or thousands, and it can be a momentary pastime or a lifelong hobby.
Patient, disciplined research can be quite rewarding even though it may never
lead to discovery of direct African lineage but rather a deeper appreciation of
ones American roots. And this, perhaps, may have been the most important of Alex
Haley’s achievements.
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CELEBRATING SENIORS SERIES
 Would you like to know how to Xeriscape? How about learning Tai Chi Chih?
Have you always wanted to play Bridge but didn’t know where to begin? Are you
interested in learning about email? What do you like to do in your spare time?
What are your hobbies? What hobbies would you like to learn more about?
Westfall’s monthly series called Celebrating Seniors is scheduled
every second Thursday of the month at 1:00 p.m. Topics range from gardening, to
finance, to hobbies such as opera, Bridge, and crocheting.
According to the 2000 Census, San Antonians 65 years and over make up 10% of
the population, and in the last ten years this age group in Texas has increased
by 20%. Our goal is to offer this portion of our population interesting things
to learn and read about. If you have any suggestions on programs please feel
free to email me and let me know your interests:
aflores@sanantonio.gov.
Future Activities:
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Container Gardening with Master Gardener Anita
Hill
February 13 @ 1:00 p.m.
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Opera: Mozart and the Marriage of Figaro
(Opera Guild)
March 13 @ 1:00 p.m.
Introduction to Bridge with Diane Olson
April 10 @ 1:00 p.m.
Introduction to Crochet with Cheryl Holmes
(Crochet Guild)
May 8 @ 1:00 p.m.
All classes listed are held on the 2nd Thursday of the month at
the Westfall Public Library located at 6111 Rosedale Court on the corner of IH-10
and Vance Jackson. Please call in advance to reserve your seat: (210) 344-2373
Directions: IH-10 and Vance Jackson. Proceeding north on IH-10, take Vance
Jackson exit, stay on access road to Rosedale Ct., approximately 1/2 block. Turn
right on Rosedale Ct. Library is on the immediate left.
(Note: All ages are welcome to these activities)
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GOODBYE IN 2002
 Here
is a list of famous people who died in 2002, along with a book title by or about
that person. Please check the catalog or call 207-2500 for the location and
availability of each title.
- Mildred Wirt Benson – Journalist/Writer
The Nancy Drew Scrapbook
Karen Plunkett Powell, 1993
813.52 PLUNKETT POWELL
Lionel Hampton – Musician
Hamp: An Autobiography
Lionel Hampton, 1989
786.843 HAMPTON
Ann Landers – Advice Columnist
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: Advice, Wisdom, and Uncommon Good Sense
Ann Landers, 1996
070.4 LANDERS
Princess Margaret of England – Royalty
Royal Sisters: Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret
Anne Edwards, 1990
941.085 EDWARDS
Bill Peet – Cartoonist
Bill Peet: An Autobiography
Bill Peet, 1989
JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY PEET
Chaim Potok – Author
My Name is Asher Lev
Chaim Potok, 1996
FICTION POTOK
Queen Elizabeth of England, the Queen Mother – Royalty
Without Equal: H. M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Ann Morrow, 2002
941.084 ELIZABETH
Sam Snead – Golfer
The Lessons I’ve Learned: Better Golf the Sam Snead Way
Sam Snead, 1989
796.3525 SNEAD
Billy Wilder – Director
Nobody’s Perfect: Billy Wilder, A Personal Biography
Charlotte Chandler, 2002
791.43023 WILDER
Ted Williams – Baseball Player
Ted Williams: A Portrait in Words and Pictures
Dick Johnson, ed., 1991
796.357 TED
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FREE TAX HELP
 Available between February 1 st and April 15th,
volunteers from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP) can help answer your basic tax-related
questions.
This service is especially for persons with low incomes and
senior citizens needing help with the basic 1040 and 1040EZ tax form, and is on
a first come, first served basis. See below for times and locations.
*Branches with asterisks have electronic filing available. If you have any
questions please call 207-2500.
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LIBRARY EVENTS |
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ADULT ACTIVITIES
Consumer Health Information Online.
The University of Texas Health Science Center demonstrates how to find
reliable consumer health information on the web. Free and open to the
public. No registration required. Wednesday, February 5, 10:00 – 11:30
a.m. Central Library
Auditorium. For more information, call the Electronic Resources Department
@ (210) 207-2530.
Raisin in the Sun. The Hornsby
entertainment Theatre Organization will perform a scene from Lorraine
Hansberry’s award winning classic, "Raisin in the Sun," an epic
story of the Younger family, struggling to realize the dream by escaping
ghetto life. Friday, February 7, 7:00 p.m.
Carver
Branch Library.
Buffalo Soldiers. Discussion of the
regiments’ role in American history with artifacts and film. Saturday,
February 15, 10:00 a.m.
San Pedro
Branch Library.
Black History Month Film Screening.
Join KLRN-TV, the San Antonio Public
Library, the San Antonio Public Library
Foundation, and the Carver
Community Cultural Center for a very special Black History Month
Program: you’ll have the opportunity to view The Girl in Room 20
and Juke Joint, two films shot in Texas in the 1940s by black
actor, writer and director Spencer Williams. Williams may be known to some
as Andy Brown from the old Amos ‘n’ Andy television program, but he
also had an extensive career in vaudeville, musical theater, recording and
film. Don’t miss this chance to see these rarely-viewed movies. Thursday,
February 20, 7:00 p.m., 226 North Hackberry. Free and open to the public.
Please see our website calendar for more Black History Month programs.
YOUNG ADULT ACTIVITIES
Westfall Teen Council’s 2nd Annual Chocolate Festival. Teens
(grades 6+) eat, play and learn about chocolate. Saturday, February 8,
1:00 p.m.
Westfall Branch Library.
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FEATURED
ITEM
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San Antonio Public Library Cookbooks
Fiction Fondue? Library Card Lentils? No not really, but there are close to
200 fabulous recipes in Treasured Recipes, the San Antonio Public
Library’s employee cookbook. Available to the public for only $8.00, you can
purchase this book and get recipes like Volunteer Services Coordinator Liz Arevalos’ "Spaghetti Sauce for 35 or 1 Fire Station." A firefighter by
profession, Liz’s dad was stationed in Italy during WWII and brought back this
recipe which quickly became a favorite at the fire station. There is also Library
Assistant Theresa Terrell’s "Christmas Meatloaf." This recipe was born when
Theresa found out last minute that in addition to her entire family; all of the
in-laws were coming over.
Treasured Recipes was put together as a fundraiser for both the 2002
United Way Campaign and for the Library's 2003 Centennial Celebration. And while the
United Way campaign is over we are still busily trying to support the
Centennial. For $8.00 you can help contribute to our 100th
anniversary and get some great new recipes!
Please call 207-2649 to order or for more information.
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Book Discussions
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Computer Classes
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Holiday Closings
We urge you to call your library before heading out for a special
program. Although we verify all information, cancellations do
occasionally occur. |
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