February 27, 2005

Finding Aids Audience Question & Answer Session

with Marje Harris and Robert de Berardinis

Preparations for February meeting

Send us questions for the February meeting.

At the February meeting, we have a question and answer session with Robert de Barardinis and Marje Harris. More information will be in the newsletter that will be distributed later this month.

The speakers still will select the questions they will answer.
However, we hope that preparing questions in advance will enable the speakers to answer more questions and may include some members that do not make the meeting.

If you have a question that you want answered, you may e-mail Neil Miserendino at: psrambling@aol.com

Include your name with your question, and try to provide as many details as possible.

Marje Harris

Not only is she knowledgeable, having obtained an MLS (Master of Library Science) from Texas Woman’ University and a BA in Library Science/Education from the University of North Texas, she is also a very proficient and entertaining speaker. Her credentials are long and varied from being a certified Genealogical Records Searcher, by the Board of Certification of Genealogist, to teaching classes at Rice University’s continuing education program and Houston Community College.

She continues her education by taking classes from the National Genealogical Society, the Institute for Genealogical Research, the Houston Genealogical Institute, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and has completed the genealogical Home Study Program through the National Genealogical Society.

Her interest includes, many patriotic and hereditary societies of which she is a member including: Colonial Dames of America, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Magna Carta Dames, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Women Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.

Ms. Harris has worked for the Houston Public Library for twenty-six (26) years and has been at Clayton Library for twenty-one (21) of these years. She is very qualified to speak on any subject concerning genealogy or the Library. Other topics that she has spoken about include: Colonial Records of Virginia, Introduction to Research in England, Afro-American Research, Immigration, Naturalization and Migration, Civil War Research, Probate Records, Research in Texas During the Time of Spain and Mexico, Migration Trails, Military Records, and Problem Solving Techniques.

Robert de Berardinis

Robert is a retired grocery company executive and transplanted thirteenth generation Louisianian. Robert and his wife Julia have lived in Houston since 1964.

Genealogy is his passion and French Research his expertise, He has published four books this year; an Index to French Superior Council Records; French Officials, Officers and Soldiers 1710-1770, Analytical Index to Documents Concerning Military and Civilian Personnel in French Archives Concerning the Province of Louisiana; and Some of the Ancestry of Michel Billeaudeau of Ville Platte, Louisiana. He has authored 60 articles that have been printed in State and National Genealogical publications. In addition to his writing de Berardinis has lectured in five states on French and Spanish language genealogy.

Robert is currently serving his third term as a director of Clayton Library Friends. His contributions to the Clayton Library are extensive. He has served as a library volunteer in several capacities. He instrumental in the acquisition of the Cuban Papers for Clayton. This collection is the largest collection outside Spain and larger than the Library of Congress holdings. He has contributed time and expertise in microfilming and acquisition of Texas Land records for Clayton thus preserving them from destruction. He promoted the acquisition for Clayton Border crossing records from the early Texas era; He has developed and presented educational programs for genealogists.