“They want to understand who they are and where they came from or to collect family stories to pass on to a new generation,” she adds. “For some, it is for medical reasons, looking at inherited risk factors, or for legal purposes, such as locating the heirs of property…for others, it is an interesting hobby.”
As part of their genealogical search resources, the VPL’s Britannia Branch will host Connection to Kith and Kin (March 11 to April 15) – providing Indigenous participants with guidance on conducting online searches of family records.
Putting the pieces together
The VPL provides online guides, one-on-one appointments with library staff and a large collection of print resources including books, directories, maps and newspapers for those interested in genealogical research. For Hama, helping others understand their family history is an enjoyable process – motivated by the desire to find answers.
“I enjoy helping people with their research and connecting them to their family stories,” she says. “It’s like a puzzle you are trying to put together.”
In addition to wills and estates records, patrons can also access digital services to search for birth, marriage and death records; they can also connect to UBC Open Collections with digital archives from 1865 to 1994. An initiative that supports the library’s commitments to truth and reconciliation, their Connection to Kith and Kin program is offered in partnership with other community organizations, including the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.
“Connection to Kith and Kin has received positive feedback from participants and continues to be in high demand,” Hama adds. “From 2022 to 2024, more than 50 participants have received personalized support exploring their family records online.”
Genealogical searches can play a legal role, both within and beyond Indigenous communities. According to Hama, patrons may be looking for proof to support their dual citizenship applications, or in the case of Indigenous patrons, their Indian Status applications. Because the journey of looking into one’s Indigenous ancestry can often bring up intense emotions, given the country’s history of colonialization, the library provides a resolution health support worker.
Challenges of searching
In addition to this programming, VPL has many resources dedicated to those of Chinese heritage. The librarian recalls a recent experience helping a patron locate information on his father using records pertaining to the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 (commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act).
“It was one of those challenges when people make the mistake of waiting, in not talking to family and asking questions, leaving it too late when the relative is no longer around,” Hama shares. “I was able to help him make that connection with his father, helping him with resources, trying to relocate the C1. 5 or C1. 44 records [of the Chinese Immigration Act].”
Aside from records, images can also help with genealogical research. The library’s historical photographs database offers a vast section of more than 40, 000 images, mostly taken of Vancouver and British Columbia, from the 1880s to the 1980s. Additionally, the VPL’s Special Collections, located at its central branch, serves as a public service point for the resources offered by Library and Archives Canada. For Hama, despite these resources, there remain challenges.
“Searching in a database, even with birth, marriage, death records, it can be very limiting,” she shares. “There is the other challenge of indexing, in looking at the original records, of misreading it.”
The librarian adds that names may also pose additional limitations, particularly with Indigenous and Chinese Canadian communities where patrons may not know the exact spelling. Names may also have been changed or misspelled in official records. Searches that are rich in results bring about their own challenges as well.
“Depending on how people search or if they try multiple databases, there are a variety of search strategies, it can be very challenging,” the librarian shares. “With the number of results produced, it can also be very overwhelming.”
For more information on the VPL’s genealogical resources, see www.vpl.ca/guide/genealogy-and-family-history
