'Sitting Up with the Dead'

GAINESVILLE - Have you ever dreamed of being locked in the library? Have you wanted to research genealogy "to your heart's content"? On Friday, April 13, genealogists will have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams by "Sitting Up with the Dead" at the downtown Gainesville branch library.

Participants begin arriving at noon, pick up their name tags and acquaint themselves with the Sybil Wood McRay Genealogy & Local History Collection. At 5:00, the library will be closed to the public. No registrants are admitted after 6:00. The second floor will remain open until midnight for genealogists.

This event is not for beginners or the faint of heart. However, library staff will be available to help out. The Sybil Wood McRay Genealogy & Local History Collection offers full online access to the Ancestry Plus database; Heritage Quest Online; microfilm of Georgia Censuses from 1820-1940 (excluding 1890) and accompanying paper indexes or microfilm soundexes; some paper indexes for North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, and Tennessee censuses; microfilm of local Hall County newspapers starting in the late 1800's through current day (sporadically); a strong collection of Georgia records, cemeteries, and histories; a Civil War collection; a Native American collection; an African American collection; and much more.

The cost is $12 per person for a boxed dinner, beverages, and a late night snack. Registration forms can be found online at www.hallcountylibrary.org or at any library branch. Checks and registration forms must be received by Monday, April 9. For more information, call 770-532-3311 ext. 116.