Blog

The California Genealogical Society opened its doors in March 2007 at our newest location in the historic Breuner Building in Uptown Oakland at 2201 Broadway at 22nd. The move was one of a series that our genealogy library has made over its 109-year history and lands CGS at its second Oakland address, after a century in San Francisco.

Annalee Allen, Oakland Tribune landmark columnist and Oakland Walking Tours program coordinator, featured CGS and the Breuner Building in her April 22, 2007 column: Historical building to house society.

Photographs courtesy of Jane Lindsey.

I often find myself looking back and retracing my steps to remember exactly how I got to where I am. It’s something I do when researching my family genealogy and what I am doing now as I write this first blog entry. For me, the journey into the blogosphere started with a special report in the July 2007 Family Tree Magazine about shrinking membership in genealogical societies by Diane Haddad. Diane quoted Jasia, a “marketing expert who blogged at CreativeGene about societies after hers shrunk by half in three years.” Off I went to learn from the master and to read her series of 17 posts: “Declining Membership in Genealogical Societies.” Then I attended the 2007 FGS Annual Conference Meeting at the Crossroads of America in Fort Wayne, Indiana with a group from CGS. The keynote address was Societies Going Virtual by David E. Rencher and his conclusion was “Go Virtual or Perish!” I figured it was time to give this a try.

Welcome to the California Genealogical Society and Library Blog – a Web log for and about the society – its members, programs and events.

I’m Kathryn Doyle and I am the writer and editor of this blog and of the California Genealogical Society and Library electronic newsletter – the CGSL eNews.

I am a great believer in genealogical society membership. I belong to three county societies in Pennsylvania where my forebears lived (Blair, Indiana and Huntingdon) and to the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, Northern Ireland – my Doyles left County Tyrone at the time of the famine. I also hold membership in the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS), host of the annual Jamboree, in the National Genealogical Society (NGS) and in CGS, my local society here in Oakland, California.

Membership in the California Genealogical Society has given me more than just the “genealogical” benefits I had expected. Since I don’t have California ancestry, I originally joined CGS for the surprisingly large Pennsylvania collection at the library. As I met other members I learned how much more you get from a local society. The volunteers at CGS are an amazing group of smart, talented, giving individuals and I value their friendship. The camaraderie is infectious – as I hope you will learn reading the California Genealogical Society and Library blog.

I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Feel free to email me or leave a comment at the end of any post.

Updated 10/18/2009 for the 82nd Carnival of Genealogy.