Learn About Online Resources at Balch Library

Leesburg’s will present a seminar about the library’s online genealogical resources from 10 a.m. until noon on Thursday, February 2.

Elizabeth Preston and Laura Christiansen of the library’s staff will lead the seminar, which is free of charge and open to the public.

Preston said that the seminar would give an overview of the online genealogical resources that are available at the library, with a focus on subscription services such as AncestryLibrary, HeritageQuest, and GenealogyBank.

“These services are free of charge to patrons while they are in the library to use the library subscriptions,” Preston said.

She said that the subscription costs, which typically range from $250 to $1,000 annually, are paid by the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library or the Town of Leesburg.

Mary Fishback, a certified genealogist who is on the library staff, said that many people use the online resources at the library “to find out obscure things about their families.”

“The library’s online resources are excellent,” she said. “[The seminar leaders] will teach how to use them, and shortcuts for using them at home if you have a home subscription.”

According to the library’s website, more than 15 online subscription services are available at the library.

“The AncestryLibrary edition is very popular because it covers such a wide area, and all the Censuses through 1930,” Fishback said, adding that it will also cover the 1940 Census when it comes out in April. Other popular resources include GenealogyBank and Fold3, she said.

The library also recently added two databases for history and genealogy – African American Heritage and the ProQuest Obituaries.

Thomas Balch Library, owned and operated by the , is located at 208 West Market Street in downtown Leesburg.