The popular Summer Lecture Series will return to the Indiana State Library this year with programs on DNA, medical history and probate records. The presentations will take place on the second Saturday of June, July and August.
On Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., the Indiana State Library will present "Unlock Your Family’s DNA Story," a DNA workshop. Professional genealogist Angela Guntz will help attendees understand their DNA results, break through DNA mysteries and connect the dots in their family history. Sessions include "Understanding the DNA Testing Landscape," "Solving Mystery Matches You Can’t Easily Place" and "Breaking Through Brick Walls: A DNA Case Study." Click here to read more and to register.
On Saturday, July 11, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., author Chris Flook will present "A Famine of Cadavers: Inside Indy’s 1902 Graverobbing Syndicate." Flook will examine a prolific graverobbing ring operating across central Indiana in the fall of 1902 when "ghouls" robbed graves for cadavers needed by the city’s medical colleges. Flook is a public historian from Muncie who has published books of public history, including "Ghost of Old Muncie" and "Lost Towns of Delaware County." In 2016, he co-authored and edited "Beech Grove Cemetery Comes to Life." Click here to read more and to register.
On Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., John Barr, owner of Old Northwest Genealogy, will present "Combining Land and Probate Records to Get the Full Story." Barr, an active member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists, will explore a case study of the Hoffman family using probate records that led to land records citing unindexed probate records. He will also discuss types of probate indexes and records and types of deed indexes and deeds. Click here to read more and to register.
All sessions are eligible for LEUs for Indiana library staff. Registration is required for each program. An option to attend virtually is available for each program.