Survivors! Family History Online

Family connections have a special significance for us at the moment, and I’ve been thinking about my great grandmother’s story espeicially. Born in the middle of a cholera epidemic, she went on to survive the long uncertain absences of her sailor husband, the death of several of her children and two world wars. Our ancestors were survivors!

If you have a little extra time on your hands, why not try and find out a bit more about your family heroes, or indeed your black sheep? You can begin to put some flesh to the bones of your family stories using the free online resources available to any member of Dublin City Libraries.

Borrowbox

Why not start by soaking up inspiration from other people’s family histories? There are some fascinating memoirs, biographies and family sagas available as ebooks or e-audio books on Borrowbox. You could try A Bold and Dangerous Family: The Rossellis and the Fight Against Mussolini by Caroline Moorhead, the story of one family’s couragous fight against fascism. Or Robert Tickner’s Ten Doors Down: The Story of an Extraordinary Adoption Reunion, a deeply moving memoir that describes the author’s search for his birth mother who was forced to give him up for adoption.

Watch our how-to video on Borrowbox. Access eBooks/eAudiobooks on your phone, tablet or reader. Once you have installed the app, search for Dublin in the ‘Library’ field provided and then sign in using your library membership card number and PIN. Members of other library authorities will need to access BorrowBox using a different link.

The Great Courses Plus

You might prefer to begin your family history journey by taking a self-paced course in genealogy. The Great Courses Plus offers online lectures by experts on all sorts of subjects, including 15 hours worth of tuition on Discovering Your Roots:  An Introduction to Genealogy. Alternatively, check out Genealogy 101 on Universal Class where you can choose to work towards a certificate or just follow the classes for fun.