Second Saturday Reading Room Workshop Series
Second Saturdays have been canceled due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). Our workshop content continues to be made available online. Please use the links below.
You can become research-ready in twenty minutes! Attend our short Saturday morning orientation sessions to learn about a library resource that can help with your research project, assist your genealogy work, or even satisfy your curiosity about historical records. Reference staff will provide the orientations in the Reference Reading Room at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission at 10 a.m. each Second Saturday. Space is limited.
Registration preferred but not required. Click here to sign up!
1201 Brazos St. Austin, TX 78711 / ref@tsl.texas.gov / 512-463-5455
January 11, 2020. Introduction to Newspaper Collections
Reference staff will teach participants how to navigate the TSLAC newspaper collections and databases, how to find newspapers held by the Briscoe Center for American History (UT) and provide tips on searching the Portal to Texas History.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Authors, genealogists, researchers and anyone else interested in TSLAC resources. Free and open to the public.
February 8, 2020. Introduction to the Texas State Archives
Reference staff will provide a brief overview of the Archives & Manuscripts collections and Reading Room guidelines and expectations.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
March 14, 2020. Ancestry.com Texas Collections
Reference staff will demonstrate to participants how to register for and use the TSLAC resources that are available through the Ancestry.com Texas Collection database.
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Genealogists and anyone else interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
April 11, 2020. Introduction to Texas Confederate Pension Records (online guide coming soon)
Reference staff will demonstrate how to search the Texas Confederate Pension Records on TSLAC's database and on Ancestry.com and share related archival materials including payment and mortuary warrants.
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Genealogists and anyone else interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
May 9, 2020. Introduction to Texas Vital Statistics
Reference staff will provide an overview of Texas vital statistics, print indexes available in the library and the Texas vital statistics that have been digitized.
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Genealogists, social workers, investigators and anyone else interested in TSLAC resources. Free and open to the public.
June 13, 2020. Introduction to Photographic Resources at the Texas State Archives
Reference staff will teach participants how to navigate indexes and browsing guides to the Texas State Archives prints and photographs collections.
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
July 11, 2020. Introduction to Newspaper Collections
Reference staff will teach participants how to navigate the TSLAC newspaper collections and databases, how to find newspapers held by the Briscoe Center for American History (UT) and provide tips on searching the Portal to Texas History.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room/ TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
August 8, 2020. Introduction to the Texas State Archives
Reference staff will provide a brief overview of the Archives & Manuscripts collections and Reading Room guidelines and expectations.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
September 12, 2020. Ancestry.com Texas Collections
Reference staff will demonstrate to participants how to register for and use the TSLAC resources that are available through the Ancestry.com Texas Collection database.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Genealogists and anyone else interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
October 10, 2020. Introduction to Texas Confederate Pension Records
Reference staff will demonstrate how to search the Texas Confederate Pension Records on TSLAC's database and on Ancestry.com and share related archival materials including payment and mortuary warrants.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Genealogists and anyone else interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
November 14, 2020. Introduction to Texas Vital Statistics
Reference staff will provide an overview of Texas vital statistics, print indexes available in the library and the Texas vital statistics that have been digitized.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Genealogists, social workers, investigators and anyone else interested in TSLAC resources. Free and open to the public.
December 12, 2020. Introduction to Photographic Resources at the Texas State Archives
Reference staff will teach participants how to navigate indexes and browsing guides to the Texas State Archives prints and photographs collections.
When: 10 a.m.
Where: Reference Reading Room / TSLAC
Presented by: ARIS staff
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about TSLAC Resources. Free and open to the public.
Archived workshops: