Genealogy expertise honed at Braswell Memorial Library

Seven students embarked on a journey of discovery Tuesday at Braswell Memorial Library that required a bit of reflective detective work.

The gumshoes were at the downtown Rocky Mount library to find out more about their ancestors. Some found new and exciting information about family members they’ve never met.

Traci Thompson, Braswell Memorial’s local history and genealogy librarian, said there are tools available at the library to get one started on tracing their roots. For those with roots that run deep in North Carolina, the library has extensive documentation that may provide researchers with glimpses of the past and a context to the experiences of their ancestors.

When asked what the library has to offer researchers, Thompson said it has a free version of ancestry.com and an extensive collection of local and state history.

“If they don’t subscribe to it (ancestry.com), they can access it for free here in the library,” Thompson said of the subscription-based genealogy website.

“We do have our Kornegay Local History Room, which mainly has books about North Carolina and our area. We have a good collection of published genealogy materials,” Thompson said, adding that the library’s collection of local newspapers can also aid researchers.

Another free resource researchers can find at the library free of charge is expertise. Thompson said she and library volunteer Lashann Lunnon are there to advise those who ask for help.

“We have help. There’s me and Miss Lashann volunteers from time to time. We both help people with their genealogy. You can look up stuff all day. But if you don’t know what you’re looking at or how to interpret it, it won’t help you,” Thompson noted.

Thompson said the best way to ensure that she is available to help with a research project is to make an appointment with her by calling the library at (252) 442-1951, ext. 247, which is the main reference desk, and asking to speak to her.

During her presentation to the group Tuesday, Lunnon told the eager researchers that genealogy is built on oral history, documentation and now DNA. Lunnon said genetics testing is now more affordable and offers people a look into the racial identities of their ancestors and where they were from.

“If you start reading a book, you want to finish it. Our genealogy can’t just stand on oral history. It can’t just stand on documentation. It needs to be finished with DNA,” Lunnon said.

Thompson said there are companies out there offering DNA testing that aren’t reputable. During Tuesday’s event, several attendees said they paid for DNA reports that thought were total falsehoods. Others said they were pressured into spending more money to obtain further information.

Of the DNA-testing companies she recommends, Ancestry.com was at the top of her list. She also endorsed FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe and MyHeritage.

“I would go with one of those four. I would not use anybody else that wasn’t with those four,” Thompson said.

The library also has more genealogy events planned like the one held Tuesday. To keep up with programs being offered at Braswell Memorial, Thompson suggested joining the library and getting on its email list.