Place: Webb Wesconnett Library, 6887 103rd Street, Jacksonville, Florida

Speaker: Thomas W. Baine V, MBA, PhD

Topic: Writing and Publishing a Family History

Brief Description: Most of us are passionate about understanding and preserving our family history. But what becomes of our research once we pass on? The importance of preserving our life’s research for future generations cannot be overstated. Many people wish to write a book to preserve their family histories, but they don’t know how or where to start. Others do not realize the impacts their family stories and personal histories will have on future generations. Writing a book about your family history is not the daunting project that it may seem. There are many ways to organize your research, write your manuscript, and get it ready to publish. The most difficult part is making the decision to start.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Tom Baine is a former airline manager turned college professor and a long-time history and genealogy buff. A native of Jacksonville, he has scoured libraries, churches, and archives all across the US and Europe in his ancestral research pursuits. His efforts to preserve his family history culminated in 2008 when he published his book, Our Ancestors: A Personal History. Tom has an undergraduate degree in history and graduate degrees in business administration and organizational leadership. He also served for 12 years as an operations resource manager in the Florida Air National Guard (USAF). He and his wife are both avid aviation enthusiasts, and both have volunteered for several years as search and rescue pilots in the Civil Air Patrol. They are the proud parents of two small children.