Excess history and genealogy books available for a small donation. More books added monthly. Click 'More' for list and instructions.

Genealogy Techniques examines different strategies and tools for effective genealogy. Each month, we do a deep dive into a one topic and learn how to add this tool or process into our personal genealogy toolbox. Examples of past classes include city directories, newspaper research, reading between the lines to get the most out of records, property research, finding record images, and case studies on a variety of topics. Most classes are recorded and archived in the members‐only area of the SCCHGS website. This is not a beginner course, but genealogists of all levels should find something in each session that will help advance their research.

Filoli is a vibrant landscape of the Bay Area, situated on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone, in Woodside, California. The estate boasts 654 acres of beauty nestled along the slopes of California's coastal range. Originally built as a private residence in 1917, Filoli was opened to the public in 1975 as a nonprofit organization and a designated site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This presentation will cover the beginnings of Filoli, its two families, and the location's history since its opening for public access.

You have identified who you want to know more about, but where do you look and what records should you be collecting? This session will help give you a basic toolbox of resources online and locally. Do you know what records you should be researching? We will cover some of the basic record types you will need to gather while researching your ancestors. Learn what sites are available locally to research. Receive hints on how to search online resources for the best results. Learn new Google search techniques and how to use wildcards in your searches. We will also show you how to identify what records are available using the Family Search Wiki. This class will give you a kick start for finding those hidden secrets and supply you with new places to look.

Our Writing SIG is a discussion group that meets to share writing and get feedback from other writers. If you would like a small support group to help or share your writing on family history or local history, this may be the group for you. This is not a class but working writing group.

Having trouble navigating Ancestry.com? If so, this is the class for you. Come and explore this robust database that has millions of records for you to search. Come to this hands-on class and learn to create your own free Ancestry.com account. Start your family tree, learn about basic searches, and how to use (and not use) Ancestry.com leafy hints, suggested records, and member trees. If possible, bring your own laptop or iPAD. Let us know if you will need to borrow or share a laptop for the class.

Genealogy Techniques examines different strategies and tools for effective genealogy. Each month, we do a deep dive into a one topic and learn how to add this tool or process into our personal genealogy toolbox. Examples of past classes include city directories, newspaper research, reading between the lines to get the most out of records, property research, finding record images, and case studies on a variety of topics. Most classes are recorded and archived in the members‐only area of the SCCHGS website. This is not a beginner course, but genealogists of all levels should find something in each session that will help advance their research.

Discover the incredible story of how a group of visionary environmental activists, many from Santa Clara County, saved the Big Basin redwood forest from 19th-century timber harvesting. These valiant men and women fought against the odds to preserve the primeval forest, setting a precedent for the entire state park system. Drawing from her acclaimed book, “Big Basin Redwood Forest: California’s Oldest State Park,” the first accurate history of the park’s founding, award-winning Emerita Professor Traci Bliss will provide fascinating insights into this pivotal moment in environmental conservation.

How do you organize your genealogy information? Learn different organization methods for both hardcopy and digital. This session will share tips on how to organize and prepare for a research trip. You will get a chance to view binders from seasoned genealogists on how they save their information. Don't know which computer genealogy program is right for you? Learn how to determine your needs to correctly match to a genealogy program. We will dig deeper on how to document your sources by looking at the components of the sources and their citations. You will walk away from this class with new ideas and a better understanding of how to organize your information.

Our DNA SIG is a discussion group that meets to share information and learn from each other. If you have done a DNA test with Ancestry, FTDNA, MyHeritage or 23andMe and would like to learn more about what your results might tell you about your family tree, you are welcome to join us. This is not a class but rather a sharing forum. We combine our genealogy with a pinch of DNA to learn more about how to build our own family trees.