James Memorial Public Library will be celebrating Family History Month throughout March, with a focus on local history and genealogy. 

A display on top of the library’s bookcases will feature historical photos discovered by staff in the library’s attic. Many of the people in the images are unidentified. Visitors are encouraged to view the photos and notify a staff member if they recognize someone they know.

When staff found the photos, they also discovered plenty of duplicates. These photos are in a box labeled “free photos,” and visitors are welcome to take any pictures from the box home with them.

The library is also looking to add to its green book collection, which was first created in the 1960s and serves as a database of family history in the area. Visitors can search for a family member’s name in the indexes and potentially locate photos and information that the library has preserved.

As more information became digitized in the 1980s, less and less was added into the green books. The library would like to change that. Community members are encouraged to either bring in or email their written family histories and historical photos so the library can continue to expand its collection.

Volunteer board member Linda Bland wants the community to know that they don’t need to be from St. James in order to share their family history with the library. 

“Family histories are not just for locals,” Bland said. “We want any family histories, because you never know if you have a cousin in Canada. So we want it all.”

The library is working to add all of the family history it has preserved into the Rolla and Springfield Research Centers’ database. Any photos or written histories brought in by the community will also be included.

Katie Seals, the research centers’ coordinator, will be presenting a free genealogy workshop from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 at the library. Participants will learn how to research their family’s history.

“It will be basics for beginners and tips for the experienced researcher,” Bland said.

The library is also hoping to eventually reprint the “History of St. James” book (also known as the Blue Book) from 1976, which is full of local history, and make it available to the public.

James Memorial Public Library has been offering genealogy assistance to the public since the 1960s, and Bland said it’s the only one in the area that does so.

“Genealogy has always been a passion of mine,” Bland said.

In addition to Family History Month, the library has a full calendar of events for March.

Morning Brew is at 10:30 a.m. and Evening Brew is at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

Iced Tea Social is at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

Dinosaur Bones is at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 7 and will feature real dinosaur bones for kids to learn about.

Astronomy: What is out there? is at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 14 and will feature a program about moon mapping for kids.

Bible study will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 17.

Board Game Matrix is at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 21 and will aim to show kids the fun of board games instead of electronics. 

Aurora’s Book Club will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Fridays and is led by a local student. The group is for all ages and will be reading “Because of Winn-Dixie.”

Storytime will continue to be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Storytime on March 11 will feature special guest Jill Hollowell.

Puppet shows will continue to be at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Chelsea’s Kids Time will continue to be at 11 a.m. on Thursdays and features storytime with hands-on activities.