Christine holds a Master's degree in
Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archival
Studies and a Bachelor's degree with a dual major of Art History and
Legal Studies. She is a Certified Genealogist(sm) and a contracted
genealogical researcher for ProGenealogists in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Christine is the Head of Readers' Services at the Chelmsford Public
Library, and a Christian Fiction Columnist for Library Journal.
Christine enjoys painting, running, yoga and being with her family.
When did you start doing family history research?
I am the 5th generation female to inherit the family history. I learned at my grandmother's knee as they say, way back in 1983.
What inspired you to get into genealogy?
I love history. My first set of books were children's encyclopedias and I pored over them for hours soaking up info like a sponge. Inquisitive by nature, I spent many hours listening to the stories in my family and writing them down. When I was older, I began to try and prove what I had heard.
You have been doing family research for many years, do you have any words of wisdom to the beginner genealogist?
Talk to your family. Records will be there, but family die and their memories go with them. The other thing is not to be afraid or intimidated. Genealogists love to talk about family history, try going up to someone and starting a chat. I did that with Tony Burroughs a few NERGC's back and learned a ton about African American history. He even introduced me to Sonia Bontemps who became a friend until her death about two years later. Her father-in-law and Langston Hughes were very close. So, as you can imagine, we had much to talk about - he's my favorite writer ever.
As a librarian working with children, how do you encourage them to spend more time reading and less time playing games on their electronic devices?
I think it all comes down to balance. The thing that electronic games provide is fun. Kids are lectured all day at school, more lecturing out of school is really not what they want to do. You need to bring history home to them. For example, I have colonial relatives in North Carolina. Am I going to bring my kids in telling them about how it was settled or the crops they produced? Nope. Snooze-a-roo. Instead, I tell them that our ancestors lived at the time of Blackbeard the pirate! He lived and sailed right near where the family resided. Show them a picture of him with his smoking hat and long beard. They're hooked.
As
far as the librarian piece, working in a public library, it is not
my job to tell them what they can and cannot do. Unlike
schools, public libraries are not in loco parentis. However, I
may suggest some books on the strategy of Minecraft, or perhaps
adventure stories for those children who love a good adventure show.
You would be surprised how many books are of interest to children.
Many mirror shows on TV, movies, games, etc. Pretty soon,
they're learning all sorts of things.
Can you give us one idea that would inspire younger generations to become more involved with family history?
If
the parents are involved, the kids will be involved. If the
parents are excited about something , usually it piques the kids
interest. I believe that family can really have an impact on
what is passed on to children. For example, I have Rev War
ancestors, when we attend the parade in Arlington, MA (formerly
Menotomy) and the reenactment on Lexington Green and the Jason
Russell House, I tell the kids that our family was THERE...and they
lived to tell about it! Imagine the stories! What do you
think they thought? Etc. It puts a whole different spin
on things.