AGENDA

Saturday, October 4, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.)
Registration Required

Before the Workshop
Registered participants will receive access to a series of short, engaging videos (20-30 minutes each) covering essential genealogy skills.

Topics Covered
• Preparing for a Research Trip
• Creating an Effective Research Plan
• Navigating Key Resources: Census Records, Vital Records, Probate Files and Historical Newspapers

During the Workshop
Gain practical, hands-on experience as you sharpen your skills, explore new techniques, and tackle real-world research challenges.

Who Should Attend
This event is ideal for those with some prior genealogy experience, but motivated beginners are welcome and will find plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

Note: All participants must have a FamilySearch.org account before the event.

Saturday, October 4, 2025
10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.)
Registration Required

The following sessions are offered after the welcome and introduction at 9:45 a.m.

Session 1: Connecting the Records: Community Collaboration for Genealogical Research in Thomasville
10 - 11:30 a.m.
Panelists: Lillian Wingate, Executive Director, Thomasville Genealogical Library; Nancy Tinker, Executive Director, Thomasville Landmarks; Daniel Pittman, Executive Director, Jack Hadley Black History Museum; Whitney White, Executive Director, Pebble Hill Plantation; Austin Bell, Executive Director, Thomasville History Center

Collaboration among archives, libraries, and museums gives genealogists a fuller, more connected view of the people and places in their communities. This session opens with brief overviews of five Thomasville partners: Thomasville Genealogical Library, a research library with family files, local histories, and county records; Thomasville Landmarks, a nonprofit that preserves historic places and maintains related documentation; Jack Hadley Black History Museum, a museum preserving African American history in Thomasville and southwest Georgia through archives, photographs, and artifacts; Pebble Hill Plantation, a historic site interpreting plantation and estate-era history with family papers, photographs, and plantation records; and the Thomasville History Center, an institution that collects, preserves, and interprets community history. A moderated panel will follow to discuss how linking collections across repositories reduces dead ends and helps researchers find relevant records faster.

Session 2: The Mystery of W. F. Gann
1 - 2 p.m.
By David Owings, Associate Dean of Libraries and Head of Archives and Special Collections, Columbus State University

Follow the search for W. F. Gann, a 1920s Columbus doctor who challenged Prohibition in a 1925 newspaper column. With only a name and the decade as a starting point, Owings pieced together Gann’s story and uncovered his true identity using resources at the Columbus State University Archives. Learn the research steps he followed and how you can apply the same approach to your own genealogical research.

Session 3: Georgia Public Library Service – The Finding Aids @ Georgia Public Libraries Portal
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
By Joshua Kitchens and Lauren LeDesma

Explore a growing statewide resource for genealogy research in public libraries. The GPLS’s Finding Aids @ Georgia Public Libraries Portal offers access to over 300 collection inventories from 16 participating libraries, with more added regularly. This session will introduce researchers to the portal, highlight the types of collections it includes, and explain how libraries can get involved.