Staten Islanders Invited To Learn About Preserving Family History, Genealogy Programming To New Yorkers Of All Backgrounds

March 17, 2026 New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) 0 American Culture, Events, History, Staten Island Families, Staten Island News, Staten Islander Exclusive

Editor’s note: During the pandemic, the New York Public Library partnered with Ancestry.com to allow patrons to search their own family’s history and lineage for free as part of this temporary program, which has always been available in person in Manhattan. They also offered free tutoring services virtually to help kids keep up with their schoolwork during the pause.

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) is partnering with community organizations throughout the New York City boroughs to bring free genealogy programming and family history preservation to New Yorkers of all backgrounds—including free programming on Staten Island.

The NYG&B has launched an expansion of its free Preserving Your New York Story series, now featuring new community partner-hosted events at organizations citywide—making family history preservation support and beginner-friendly programming more accessible and bringing it closer to where New Yorkers live and gather.

These in-person programs feature practical guidance on getting started on family history, culturally relevant research insights from guest speakers, and live Q&A—along with opportunities for New Yorkers to digitally preserve their own personal family documents on-site.

More details and upcoming programming (including an April 11 event at the Alice Austen House Museum on Staten Island) are in the press release below.

The NYG&B Expands “Preserving Your New York Story” Series with Community Events Across All Five Boroughs of New York City

Free programs bring genealogy basics and hands-on family history document preservation to New Yorkers of all backgrounds at organizations citywide

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) has launched an expansion of its free Preserving Your New York Story series , featuring new community partner-hosted events at organizations throughout the New York City boroughs—making family history preservation support and beginner-friendly programming more accessible and bringing it closer to where New Yorkers live and gather.

Preserving Your New York Story is a free series that helps participants begin (or refresh) their genealogy journey, connect with their past, and preserve and share family stories and records. Programs feature practical guidance on getting started, culturally relevant research insights from guest speakers, and live Q&A—along with opportunities for New Yorkers to digitally preserve their own personal family documents on-site.

“Every person has a unique family history story, and we want to give people the tools to discover and protect these stories for generations to come as well as strengthen our shared history.” said D. Joshua Taylor, President and CEO of the NYG&B. “This series is about making it easier for New Yorkers in every borough to take the first step—whether that’s learning how to research their ancestors or safeguarding the documents and photos that tell their family’s story.”

NYG&B’s expanded model now includes working with local organizations on-site in all five boroughs, pairing NYG&B expertise, support, and tools with community partners to create welcoming entry points for New Yorkers of all backgrounds to do family history research and preservation. This includes New Yorkers who have been historically overlooked; those who have had limited time and resources for conducting family history research: and other underserved populations such as seniors and low-income housing residents.

Newly launched in-person community partner events debuting are:

Bronx: “Researching African American Family Histories in the Bronx” with Stacey Bell.(Saturday, March 14, 2026, 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.) at the Museum of Bronx History, Valentine-Varian House, 3266 Bainbridge Ave, Bronx, NY 10467.
Brooklyn: “Investigating Jewish Genealogy in Brooklyn” with Chaya Sara Herman.(Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 6:30 p.m.–7:45 p.m.) at the Center for Brooklyn History,128 Pierrepont St, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Staten Island: “Immigration and Quarantine at Hoffman & Swinburne Islands” with Grace Felder.(Saturday, April 11, 2026, 12:00 p.m.–1:15 p.m.) at the Alice Austen House Museum, 2 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305.
Queens: “Recording Family Histories with Care” with Ambar Wortham. (Thursday, May 7, 2026, 6:00 p.m.–7:15 p.m.) at Queens Memory Project, Ravenswood Community Learning Center, Queens Public Library, 35-32 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11106.

These in-person events also include 30-minute sessions for participants to digitally preserve their own family history documents (e.g., birth certificates, family religious records, or photographs), in which NYG&B staff will scan these documents on-site and give participants Dropbox access to their stored digitized records.

All Preserving Your New York Story programs are free, but registration is required. To learn more and register for these events and other upcoming programs, visit: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/preserving-your-new-york-story-series.

This series is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Founded in 1869, the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) is a nonprofit organization that preserves, documents, and shares family history and stories from across New York State. As the second-oldest genealogical society in the United States, NYG&B serves members both nationally and internationally through its extensive records and resources; educational programming; and landmark publications, including its scholarly journal the NYG&B Record, quarterly issues of the New York Researcher, and the award-winning New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer. Its comprehensive records and collections encompass genealogical and historical materials from all 62 counties in New York State. Learn more at www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org.

Banner Image: Ellis Island – [Visit by President Wilson.] (1913). Image Credit – NYPL