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Thomas Balch Library Hosting Virtual Genealogy Presentation

26 Sep 2025 2:30 PM | Anonymous
Joseph RobyThe Thomas Balch Library (of Leesburg, Virginia)  will host Joseph Roby for a virtual presentation on “Moving Beyond Tree Hints: Using the Ancestry & FamilySearch Catalogs” on Thursday, October 2, beginning at 7 p.m. 

Do you use tree hints on websites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org? Roby, a professional genealogist with deep Loudoun County roots, will demonstrate how to use the Ancestry and FamilySearch catalogs, a more calculated genealogical strategy. These catalogs are gateways to millions of records you may miss if you only use tree hints. Records will be easier to locate using the tools and skills learned in this session. Understanding how to use the catalogs will also make it much easier to take your research to libraries, archives, and other repositories. This presentation is primarily for beginner and intermediate level researchers, but every attendee will likely learn at least one new skill or tidbit of information.

Roby is a professional genealogist and member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). He has served as Chapter Representative and Program Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of APG, and is also a past board member of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Roby is currently a member of the Black History Committee of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, as well as a member of the Howe House Historians, part of the Friends of the Howe House in Montclair, New Jersey. He has spent hundreds of hours researching on-site in Virginia. Besides Virginia, Roby specializes in African American and slavery-era research. His current research focuses on the people his Dulany ancestors enslaved at Oakley, a farm outside of Upperville, Fauquier County. Roby lives in Stow, Massachusetts.

Pre-registration is required for this virtual event. Please call 703-737-7195, email balchlib@leesburgva.gov, or register online.

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