The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library's Grosvenor Room (Special Collections Department) and Explore & More - the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum have partnered to create dynamic genealogy programs for children and families of diverse backgrounds. This collaboration bridges the gap between library resources and play-based learning, inviting participants to connect across generations, explore their heritage, learn about their local library, and engage in hands-on, family-centered fun.
Program attendees will learn how two community institutions combined expertise and creativity to make genealogy accessible, inclusive, and inspiring for all ages.
Attendees will explore how to leverage cross-institutional partnerships to combine library expertise and play-based learning: design culturally responsive, family-centered genealogy programs; make library special collections materials accessible to young learnings; and use evaluation data to assess impact and refine programming. We will also share lessons learned, challenges, and transferable strategies so participants can adapt this model to their own communities.