A recording of Portsmouth's Buried History: A Who's Who of Notables Resting in Our Historic Cemeteries, a Local History Talk given by Sue Sterry. Presented for the Portsmouth Public Library (NH) on May 22, 2024. Portsmouth's past isn't confined to dusty books. It's literally underfoot! Explore our historic cemeteries, dating back to 1620, and meet the fascinating residents who helped build our city and nation. Local researcher and Cemetery Committee Co-Chair, Sue Sterry, leads us through Portsmouth’s historic cemeteries from the comfort of the library’s Levenson Room.

A recording of Before the Music Hall: A Conversation with Dr. Bill Stuart, Proprietor of The Kearsarge House. Presented for the Portsmouth Public Library (NH) on July 2, 2024. In the mid 1970s, Portsmouth was undergoing a restoration project that laid the groundwork for the historical charm the city is known for today. At that time The Kearsarge House, which now serves as the Music Hall's Members Lounge, was crumbling and the Music Hall, itself, was permanently closed. But, in 1976, Dr. Bill Stuart bought the building and led a gut renovation that restored the historic bow front to its original glory. He then opened a jazz and blues club that, for the first time, brought national touring acts to Portsmouth. As local blues musician TJ Wheeler said, "There [has] never before or after been such a club that combined live music of regional and national acts five nights a week." In this recording, Dr. Bill Stuart is joined by City of Portsmouth Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Monte Bohanan, in a spirited conversation about how The Kearsarge House, under Stuart's leadership, ushered in the era of high-quality restoration and nationally recognized musical acts for which Portsmouth is now famous.

A recording of GPS: A Tool to Help Keep Your Research on the Right Track, a workshop by Dave Robison of Old Bones Genealogy of New England, presented at the Portsmouth Public Library (NH) on June 20, 2024. Building a strong family tree relies on casting a wide net with reliable sources. That's where the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) comes in. It's a roadmap to sift through the information overload, ensuring you build a tree based on evidence, not guesswork. In this talk, Dave walks us through the core tenets of the GPS. By following a few simple elements, you can become a master researcher, efficiently uncovering your family's true story, one record at a time. Thanks to our co-sponsor, The Ranger Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)! Dave Robison has served on the boards of several genealogical societies, most notably as chairman of the New England Regional Genealogical Society (NERGC) and president of Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society. He can be found at Old Bones Genealogy of New England https://oldbones.co/.

A recording of Are You Getting the Most From Your DNA: An Introduction, a workshop by Lana Leggett-Kealey, presented at the Portsmouth Public Library (NH) on March 17, 2024. You tested your DNA at the popular site Ancestry.com. Your ethnicity results don’t surprise you, or maybe they do! Now what? How is your ethnicity relevant to your genealogy? What about all those matches? How are they related to you and why does it matter? How many of your DNA cousins do you know? We’ll talk about how to get the “mother lode” of information out of your DNA results! Thanks to our co-sponsor, The Ranger Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)! Lana Leggett-Kealey, Ph.D., CG, has been certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists "BCG" since 2019 and works with clients from all over the world.