24th Annual Genealogy Lock-In

Registration for the 24^th Annual Genealogy Lock-In is now open through our PPL Events Calendar. People may attend in person or watch the pre-recorded sessions online. The sessions are only accessible to view on Friday, October 17, 2025, for those who want to watch online, but they will still need to register in order to receive web links to the sessions. In-Person attendees are encouraged to bring snacks, drinks (with lids), and a sack lunch to the Genealogy Program Room at Haggard Library.

Attending in-person? Stop by the CCGS table, we’d love to see you!

The event schedule and sessions are as follows: (We will have the PPL branded event schedule available soon.) 

• 9:00 – 9:50: From Names to Narratives: a simple guide to writing – Hannah Kubacak, Librarian from the Waco-McLennan County Library’s Genealogy Center – Learn the art of biographical writing by weaving historical context, personal anecdotes, and family lore into your ancestors’ stories. Review tips on maintaining accuracy while crafting a compelling narrative to preserve and share your family history. Join us and be inspired to transform your genealogy research into captivating biographical sketches cherished by future generations.
• 10:00 – 10:50: Following a Civil Case Through Documents File in Court – J. Mark Lowe, FUGA, Ky-Tn Research Associates Researcher – Learn the basics of the legal system. Understand the process of following a case through court including dockets, orders, depositions, etc. Fine the key to solving a problem using these records.
• 11:00 – 11:50: Jakten – Research Your Scandinavian Ancestors – Carl Smith, Manager of the Family History Research Center at the Clayton Library Campus – Do you have ancestors who emigrated from Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? These countries each did an amazing job of recording and preserving their church and government records from early-modern history until the present; many of which are accessible online. Review record sources and strategies for researchers ready to uncover their Scandinavian family roots.
• 11:50 – 12:30: Lunch Break (Attendees in person are encouraged to bring their own sack lunch.)
• 12:30 – 1:50: The Stories of Our Lives: beginning your family history – Curt Witcher, Director of Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library – Discover (or review) straightforward steps to take when starting your family history. Easy steps for comfortably gathering as much information as possible will be shared along with how to organize that information to lead one to next steps and new discoveries.
• 2:00 – 2:50: Research Road Trips: Productive for You, Fun for Family – Jessica Home Collins, President of the Clayton Library Friends – Uncover your family’s past with a balance of research and family fun. Learn how to prepare yourself for research trips to libraries, courthouses, archives, and other repositories. Explore ways to take completed and in-progress research and craft a road trip that showcases your family history to loaved ones of all ages.
• 3:00 – 3:50: Resources for New Orleans Area Genealogical Research – Stephen Stuart, President of the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans – Family historians can access a wealth of libraries, archives, and other resources to learn more about their roots in Southwest Louisiana. This presentation provides an overview of those resources – both prominent and not so well known – and key features of their collections. Participants will also receive contact information to get started.
• 4:00 – 4:50: Family Trees Get Smart: AI as your genealogy assistant – Sherri Taggart Ahmadzadeh, Chief Genealogist at Family Tree Tracer, LLC – Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we discover, analyze, and connect family history records. Join us to explore the emerging ways AI tools are revolutionizing genealogical research from document analysis to pattern recognition to breakthrough research techniques. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just getting started with digital research, this presentation will help you harness AI’s potential in uncovering your family’s story.
• 5:00 – 5:50: All in the Family: using collateral research to build your family tree – Sandra Crowley, Director of Development for the Texas State Genealogical Society – Collateral research is a powerful genealogical method that extends beyond direct ancestors to investigate the broader family network. Explore strategies to find additional records, reconstruct family dynamics, and navigate challenges posed by missing direct ancestor documentation. This approach is useful when primary records are scarce, offering contextual cluses, migration patterns, and unexpected biographical details. Learn to transform fragmented family history into a rich and comprehensive narrative.

If there are any questions, please feel free to ask the Genealogy Team or email us — [email protected]