Valorie Zimmerman fan chart from Ancestry.com Sometimes we want to take a break from researching, or our budget tells us  that we need to do so.  How will you handle this? We know that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" but you are reading this post, so you still want to learn more. What to do? Will  exploring a new (free) website  be enough? Everything—every search, every record, every download—on FamilySearch is free and available every day, all year long * . The same is true at the Library of Congress , the National Archives , Archive.org , all the US state archives, and state digital newspaper collections, your own public library system, and often neighboring systems as well! King County Washington residents have access not only to KCLS , but also Pierce County , Snohomish County , and Seattle Public Libraries as well. Don't overlook local college and university libraries, county and city archives and many large and some smaller museums. Sometimes gett...

COLLABORATION 2023 will be the Year of Collaboration for me, as President of this society. Everything we do will serve to foster collaboration, as we share resources, encourage and even give helpful criticism of work products as we work together for our mutual goals. The South King County Genealogical Society was described as "primarily educational" in our  Articles of Incorporation . Our mission is to Stimulate interest in genealogy and aid individual members in compiling their family records Seek genealogical and historical knowledge Preserve and perpetuate the records of our ancestors Promote the preservation of public and private genealogical materials So, we meet! And we write, and talk and listen, and help one another. EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS AND RESOURCES We've had monthly meetings since our founding, although early records are sparse. Within a few years, we began amassing a lending library (now housed at Auburn KCLS  and the Kent FHC ), hosting special interest and u...