Fox Footprints Blog Feed

Incredible India

Diana — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 13:37:27 +0000

Thu, Aug 4, 2016

Experience the culture of India with photos and narration, make a craft and get a henna tattoo*. Watch traditional dancers, then learn to dance Bollywood style. There will be food to taste and art to view. Come learn more about this amazing country on Saturday, August 20 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in lower level meeting room A/B/C.

Incredible India is a joint program by Appleton Public Library and IndUS of Fox Valley, with support from Bemis. All ages are welcome!

*Children under 18 will need a permission slip signed by their parent for application of henna. Forms are available in the Information Desk at the library. Temporary tattoos will also be available.

India

diversity

Family reunions and your family history

Diana — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 20:10:08 +0000

Thu, Aug 4, 2016

Summer is a good time for family reunions. If your family has one, it probably makes you wonder about where your family originated and how they lived. If you’d like to find out, you can find a lot of information at the library.

We have books telling how to research your family or describing other countries and events from history. There are maps that show where they lived or how the boundaries of counties and countries changed over time. Sometimes there are local history books that mention your family or even have a picture. Some of these materials have been scanned and can be viewed on your computer—explore our Digital Images Collections!

You can search Heritage Quest or World Vital Records for census listings, history books from other areas and images of original documents like passenger lists and World War draft registration cards by using your library card to log in. Access old newspapers at Newspaper Archive. Search for an local area obituary in our index (we have the Appleton newspapers on microfilm back to 1853).

If you are able to come to the library we have even more resources - use Ancestry Library Edition for free or view unique books and maps that are not available online. If you are new to genealogy, we have booklists that explain how to use the tools and where to start; or sign up for a 1:1 session to learn about library resources that may provide answers.

What a thrill to know more about your ancestors’ lives!

P.S. Check the events calendar for genealogy speakers starting in November, for the third season of Find Your Ancestors.

genealogy

databases

Mini Comic Con Saturday, April 23

Diana — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:08:41 +0000

Mon, Apr 18, 2016

Attention science fiction and comic book fans! Next Saturday, April 23, we will have a Mini Comic Con as part of the Fox Cities Book Festival, with two speakers.

John Jackson Miller is an award-winning author who, besides writing his own original books and graphic novels, writes books in the Star Trek and Star Wars universes. This year several books will be released, including his first in the Halo universe: Tales from Slipspace; Star Trek: Prey; and Star Wars: The Rise of the Empire. He will speak at 1:00 with a book signing afterwards.

Our other guest speaker is Zachariah Wilson, owner of Power House Comics. He is very knowledgeable about the history of comics and has a wonderful collection. At 2:30 he will talk about EC Comics and the beginning of the Comics Code Authority.

Throughout the event there will be “Create your own” comic panel booklets and comics coloring pages available. We hope to see you there!

Fox Cities Book Festival

Mini Comic Con

Making sense of complicated family trees

Diana — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 14:01:14 +0000

Thu, Feb 25, 2016

Local historian, Lawrence University Music Librarian and Associate Professor Antoinette Powell will guide us through Untangling the Spaghetti--Making Sense of Complicated Family Trees. This presentation takes us through the process of researching related families in the Fox Cities. Learn more about local sources and how to follow families through generations.

Join us March 12 from 2:00-3:30 in Lower Level Meeting Room C for the latest program in the Find Your Ancestors series.

Free and open to the public. Funded by Friends of Appleton Public Library.

genealogy

Find Your Military Ancestors

Diana — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 14:45:09 +0000

Mon, Feb 8, 2016

Many of us have military ancestors, but we often don’t know much about their service. Russ Horton, archivist at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison will explain how to find their service records and what sort of personal information might be available in them. Join us Saturday, February 13 from 2:00-3:30 in Lower Level Meeting Room D.

Free and open to the public. Support provided by Friends of Appleton Public Library.

genealogy

Find your military ancestors

Diana — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 21:56:14 +0000

Sun, Jan 17, 2016

Researching a Wisconsin ancestor who is a veteran? Russell Horton of the Wisconsin Veteran’s Museum will explain what types of military records are available and how to access them Saturday, February 13 from 2:00-3:30 pm. Learn more about the museum here.

Thanks to the Friends of Appleton Public Library for sponsoring this program.

genealogy

Find Your Ancestors

Learn About Polish Genealogy

Diana — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 16:05:41 +0000

Sun, Jan 3, 2016

Steve Szabados, author of ten genealogy books, genealogy columnist for the Polish American Journal and lecturer on Polish genealogy will appear at the Appleton Public Library on Saturday, January 9 at 2:00 pm in Lower Level Meeting Room C. Learn ways to research your Polish family tree, how Polish history and border changes affected your ancestors and where to find records. The program is free and open to the public; no registration is required.

The Find Your Ancestors series of genealogy programs, funded by the Friends of Appleton Public Library, take place in Lower Level Meeting Room C, from 2:00-3:30 pm on the second Saturday of each month from November to April. February 13 will feature Russell Horton, Reference & Outreach Archivist at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, with a class called Find Your Military Ancestors.

genealogy

Using Court Records to Find Ancestors

Diana — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:01:16 +0000

Tue, Dec 1, 2015

Do you have a “black sheep” ancestor or hard feelings in the family stemming from someone’s will?

After exhausting vital records, the census and newspapers, resourceful genealogists turn to less-used historical records to develop their family histories. UW Oshkosh archivist Joshua Ranger will talk specifically about the American civil, probate and criminal court records that may still exist and how they might help you learn more about your ancestors.

Saturday, December 12, from 2:00-3:30 in Lower Level Meeting Room C. Free and open to the public.

Part of the Find Your Ancestors series of genealogy programs, funded by Friends of the Appleton Public Library.

genealogy

Step-by-Step - Back to Your Norwegian Ancestors

Diana — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 19:32:37 +0000

Sun, Nov 1, 2015

Wisconsin was a primary destination for immigrants from Norway. In 1900, one quarter of Norwegians who had immigrated to America lived in the state of Wisconsin. If your ancestors came from this Scandinavian country, please join us for the first Find Your Ancestors program of the year.

Experienced Norwegian researcher Mary Ellen Petersen will present Step-by-Step - Back to Your Norwegian Ancestors on Saturday, November 14, from 2:00-3:30 pm in Meeting Room C.

Funded by the Friends of Appleton Public Library.

genealogy

Steampunk Saturday is October 10

Diana — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 00:32:42 +0000

Wed, Sep 23, 2015

Ladies and gentlemen, rogues and explorers - mark your calendar for Saturday, October 10! That is the day steampunk comes to the library, with presentations by Cassie & Jerry Beyer, steampunks of style and discernment. You will have a chance to talk with role-playing game designer/author, Ken Vinson. Be present for our first tea dueling demo and learn about the importance of tea in the world of steampunk.

Dress in your best retro-futuristic style if desired; the costume contest (for all ages) begins at 2:00, or you may pose for a souvenir Victorian-style photo. We will have plenty of steampunk crafts and prizes, so bring your friends! We hope to see you then.

Steampunk