2026 Genealogy Webinar Series – Your Roots Pursuits
The Your Roots Pursuits live virtual presentations are free and open to the public. Recordings of the presentations are available to GSNJ Members Only as a member benefit for a limited time.
Schedule
Each webinar is scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard or Daylight Savings time (depending on the date) for approximately one hour.
All 2026 webinars will have the ability for attendees to utilize Zoom’s Closed Captioning feature. The webinar host will explain how to select this option at the beginning of each monthly webinar.
January 21 – Aimee Fernandez, American Revolutions: Rev 250 @ EPL — Discovering Ancestors Through Local History
In 2026, the Elizabeth Public Library (Elizabeth, NJ) commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary with American Revolutions: Rev 250 @ EPL, a yearlong series designed especially for genealogists, family historians, and history enthusiasts seeking deeper connections to the past. This innovative program series highlights how local history informs family history, offering engaging presentations that illuminate the people, places, and events that shaped Elizabethtown and surrounding communities during the Revolutionary era and beyond. Participants will explore how broader historical moments influenced the lives of ancestors—both named and unnamed—and how community memory preserves those stories today. Featured topics include Lenape history, Elizabethtown’s role in the American Revolution, marine archaeology and New Jersey shipwrecks, and cultural identity through the history of tattoos—all presented with an eye toward genealogical research, context building, and source discovery. Complementary hands-on activities and music programs further enrich the learning experience, making history tangible and personal for researchers of all levels. Whether you are tracing Revolutionary-era ancestors, researching Indigenous and early settler communities, or seeking social and cultural context to strengthen your family narratives, American Revolutions: Rev 250 @ EPL invites you to explore the past through a genealogical lens and discover how history lives on in our families today.
February 18 – TBD
March 18 – TBD
April 15 – TBD
May 20 – TBD
June 17 – TBD
July 15 – TBD
August 19 – TBD
September 16 – TBD
October 21 – TBD
November 18 – TBD
December 16 – TBD
Note: The schedule and speakers are subject to change.
Registration and System Requirements
The Zoom platform will be used for the webinars. A working internet connection is required to access the webinars.
Click on the Click Here to Register button for each webinar to register. You may register for each webinar until the webinar ends.
Each attendee will receive an email with the webinar link. A reminder will be sent prior to the webinar. To cancel, click on the cancellation link provided in the email received at the time of registration.
Handouts
The handout for each webinar will be provided during the webinar.
Speaker Biographies
Aimee Fernandez-Puente is an experienced library professional with over two decades of service in diverse roles across public and academic libraries. Currently serving as the manager for Local History and Special Collections at the Free Public Library of Elizabeth, she oversees the management, reorganization, and preservation of the Local History Collection, while also providing in-depth genealogical and research assistance to patrons. Aimee brings a strong background in customer service, project management, and digital literacy education, having worked extensively across various departments. She holds a Bachelors in Liberal Arts from Thomas Edison State College and is currently working towards her Masters in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Library Management and Archives at Valdosta State University. She has presented on the topics of Local History Collection creation and genealogical resources at NJLA Conferences and through outreach to various organizations. Aimee is dedicated to fostering access to community heritage and enhancing the library experience through thoughtful service and innovative outreach.
Contact
If you have questions, please contact GSNJ at programs@gsnj.org.
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