Genealogy Club Meets at Glen Cove Library

The genealogy club met for their monthly meeting in the Robert R. Coles History Room, at Glen

Cove Library, on Jan. 22. The club attracts residents of Glen Cove and surrounding towns who share a common interest in discovering their own genealogy and unearthing local history. Lydia Wen, an archivist and librarian at Glen Cove Library founded and runs the group, which started two years ago and has about 15 members. People at any stage of their genealogy search or level of research expertise are welcome to join.

“This club gave me the courage to find my family,” said Katrina Csillag, a group member. Katrina never knew her father and admitted to fear in finding out who he was. “You can't unknow what you know.” Through the support of the group, Katrina submitted DNA to ancestry.com and ultimately connected with a brother she never knew she had.

Members revealed how they conducted their own searches. They discussed tips on obtaining public records, the importance of accurately documenting everything and how to properly archive material. “I spend two hours a day talking to dead people,” said Bob Nelson, tongue-in-cheek. He was referring to the time he spends daily on researching and contemplating his lineage.

Koorosh Leibowitz, 26, pulled out a pewter cup trophy that he found at a local “junk store.” It was awarded to Mabel Duryea, in 1916, for first prize in a speaking contest at Glen Cove High School. The name Duryea raised eyebrows. Duryea Starch Works, incorporated in 1855 was the largest factory in Glen Cove, spanning at one time, thirty acres and employing over 700 workers. “When I collect things, I collect peoples’ souls,” said Koorosh.

Dave Nieri, 73, described old family bibles he found in his basement with names written inside. He knew that one of his relatives was a minister. “You document everything, and you have holes, and when something comes up (like discovering the bibles) you fill in the holes,” said Dave.

The history room is filled with genealogy books from the founding families of Glen Cove. Old-time city maps, photographs, artwork, artifacts and memorabilia dating back to the 1700s adorn the space. The most assuming piece of furniture is a large mahogany bookcase belonging to the American novelist, Washington Irving and donated to the library in 1958. According to an article in the LIherald, in Aug. 2023, the genealogy club formed from the Genealogy Collective, a project led by Ms. Wen to link local libraries and offer genealogy education to a wider audience. Glen Cove Library is both an affiliate member of FamilySearch, the largest genealogy organization in the world and is a subscriber to Ancestry In-Library Edition, which holds billions of searchable records. Members can access both databases for free at the library.

The next club meeting will be held on Monday, February 26, 2024 at 7 pm

For more information:

Contact Lydia Wen (516) 676-2130 ext 132 or LWEN@Glencovelibrary.org at the Glen Cove
Public Library, 4 Glen Cove Ave, Glen Cove, NY 11542