Find Your Ancestors

Since 2014, the Find Your Ancestors series has provided genealogy education to over 5,000 attendees. Shifting to a virtual format in fall 2020, the series now reaches an average of over 150 national and international attendees each month. Presentations are free and open to the public.

We encourage proposals on a wide range of genealogy topics geared toward an audience of genealogists of all skill levels. Ideally, presentations should include content for all levels. Here is a list of recent topics covered.  

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Please submit your proposal here no later than Friday, September 1, 2023. 

FORMAT

Presentations are conducted via Zoom Webinar during the school year (September to May) on the second Saturday of every month at 2 p.m. CST; and during the summer (June to August) on the second Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. CST. 

Live webinars are free and open to any attendee who registers via Zoom. Webinars are scheduled for up to 2 hours, with a brief introduction by library staff, 45-75 minutes devoted to the lecture, and a Q&A session facilitated by library staff. Presentations longer than 45-75 minutes will be considered on an individual basis, and estimated length should be noted in presentation proposal.  

Presentations should be illustrated using a slide presentation program such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi or Keynote. Presenters should be prepared to use their own computer, webcam and microphone, and make sure equipment is working properly prior to the start of the program. 

HANDOUT

Selected presenters should be prepared to provide a handout for attendees. Handouts could be a simple outline, listing of resources referred to, and/or a copy of the slide deck. 

RECORDING

If the speaker allows, presentations are recorded and archived on our YouTube channel for later viewing. 

Recording preferences are negotiable and can be discussed further with selected presenters. 

COMPENSATION

We offer an honorarium to presenters (or their affiliate organization) to be paid after successful completion of the program. Honorariums are provided by the Friends of the Appleton Public Library. Payment will be made via check mailed to indicated postal address. 

SELECTION

Presentations will be selected in accordance with our budget and programming policy.

Library staff will review proposals in September and contact selected speakers via email. Presenters will be required to electronically sign a performance contract and provide a completed W9 form. Letters of regret will not be sent out until all invited speakers have responded.

QUESTIONS

Please direct any questions about the series or call for presentations to Katie Stilp, Local History Librarian, via the General Contact Form or call 920-832-6173.

We are committed to offering a diverse and inclusive learning environment and welcome potential speakers of all skill levels to submit a proposal. We strive to offer a wide variety of genealogical topics. More information about the library can be found at apl.org.

Thank you for your interest in providing a presentation to our community.