With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up soon, you will probably visit with some family members you rarely see. It is the perfect time to collect family stories and histories, or video family gatherings. Genealogy, the study of family history, is an exciting way to learn about your ancestors. The Bossier Parish Historical Center can help you get started.
In house, they have an extensive collection of newspapers, photos, yearbooks, and oral histories. To make your search easier there are several computers available where you can go online to the History Center’s website at www.bossierlibrary.org. Click on Collections Databases under the menu tab Genealogy Tools. There you can search for photos, records, people, archives, and more.
Other genealogy tools that are free to the public through any BPL branch include Ancestry.com and Fold3. Ancestry.com is the most familiar website to patrons. Fold3 is new to our databases. It provides access to military related records.
Heritage Quest is another well known genealogy website. The great thing about Heritage Quest is that patrons can access it from home using their library card and pin number, which is the last 4 digits of the card number.
The Name and Place Index is for searching the Bossier Banner newspaper from 1859 through 1985. Search results are citations only, not the actual article. Patrons are invited to come by the History Center or contact them for a copy of an article. Ten articles at a time may be emailed to patrons upon request.
To find out more about what is happening at the History Center, under the menu News & Events you can click on the History Center Newsletter.
Remember, our Library is a gateway to the past and a bridge to the future.
Make a note:
- Join in the fun at the Library Fall Festivals:
- Wednesday, October 29, Bossier Central from 11 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 30, Haughton Library from 3:30 p.m. — 5 p.m.
- Friday, October 31, Aulds Library from 11 a.m. — 5 p.m.
- Do you need a guest speaker for a club meeting or other occasion? Contact Pam Carlisle at the Bossier Parish Historical Center for a list of historical presentations for all ages. (318) 746-7717.
New Books
Fiction
“Cut and Thrust (CD)” by Stuart Woods
“Gideon’s Sword (CD)” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
“The Language of Flowers (CD)” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
“Temptation (CD)” by Nora Roberts
“The Night Circus (CD)” by Erin Morgenstern
“Dragons: Riders of Berk, Part 1 [DVD videorecording]” by Cartoon Network
“Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness [DVD videorecording]” by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation [DVD videorecording]” by Paramount Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
“LEGO Batman, the Movie [DVD videorecording]” by Warner Premiere
“Ring of Fire [DVD videorecording]” by Lifetime Pictures
Nonfiction
“A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the O.S.S. (CD)” by Jannet Conant
“Through My Eyes (CD)” by Tim Tebow
“In the Garden of Beasts (CD)” by Erik Larson
“The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood (CD)” by James Gleick
“Bossy Pants (CD)” by Tina Fey
“Grand Plantations [DVD recording]” Produced by Cinetel Productions in association with A & E Television Network
“The Human Body Collection [DVD videorecording]” produced by Windfall Films
“Wrestlemania XXIX [DVD videorecording]” by World Wrestling Entertainment
“Lennon Revealed [DVD videorecording]” by Larry Kane; Running Press
“Passport to Europe England, Ireland & Scotland with Samantha Brown [DVD videorecording].” by Image Entertainment
Vickie Hardin is Associate Director of Public Relations for the Bossier Parish Library. She can be reached at vhardin@bossierlibrary.org
