Jamboree, the annual convention of the Southern California Genealogy Society, is coming soon, June 8-10!
Keep up at the official Jamboree blog
It's time to consider making your visit a real genealogy research trip! Here are some great places nearby (or what passes for nearby in Greater LA County) and links to their websites:
Given the local importance of the convention itself, I strongly recommend that you call each location and inquire about their hours around the time of the convention.
SCGS Library -- 2.4 miles from the convention
Very good library: especially strong for New England, Germany, and Southern California. Good online catalog. Obviously worth a visit!
Immigrant Genealogical Society Library -- 3 miles from the convention
Especially strong in German areas. Very nice people; I've made some great finds of otherwise obscure info here.
Sons of the Revolution: American Heritage Library and Museum -- 8 miles from the convention
From their website: "The Library specializes in genealogical and early American history resources with emphasis on the Colonial and Revolutionary War period. It also has a fine collection of 18th and 19th century vital records, family histories, American military history and English genealogy." Good online catalog; otherwise, the website is a bit tricky.
The convention won't affect these sites, but still check their hours....
Los Angeles Public Library -- 15 miles from the convention
OK, y'a gotta go to downtown LA, but this is a super genealogy collection in the basement of the Central Library. And, contrary to popular opinion, there is public transportation in LA: you can get there. Excellent online catalog, but note that their holdings are NOT in WorldCat. Excellent periodical holdings, huge collection of county histories, and lots, lots more. Gary Boyd Roberts of NEHGS once told me that he always goes here when he come to LA because they have many items not in Boston!
Los Angeles Family History Library -- 20 miles from the convention
I don't know if it's still true after the remodeling, but this used to be the largest FHC in the West (outside of SLC, of course). Especially strong in UK; special collections for, among others, Polish, Latin America, and Jewish. Easy to check their holdings from online.
Department of Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Specifically, the office at 12400 Imperial Highway in Norwalk -- 28 miles from the convention
It is still possible to go to this office to search for and see birth, marriage, and death records for Los Angeles County on the spot. Neither photocopies, photographs, nor scans are permitted, but you can extract anything you want from "allowed" records at no cost. You don't want official copies, you just want to go to the basement and view records. Once in the basement office, you will have to fill out forms: Have the names/dates you are going to search and your ID ready.
Many of the local community libraries also have genealogy rooms/holdings. Pasadena, Pomona, and Huntington Beach are some of the largest. Whittier College Library holds the Whittier Area Genealogy Society collection.
Have a great trip! See you at Jamboree!
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