Each Learning From Members Class (formerly known as Intermediate Genealogy Class) will take an in-depth look at a record group focusing on the origins of the records, the information provided by the records, their importance to genealogy research, and ways to access the records both online and off.
- 2nd Tuesday of the month (except December)
- In-person: City of Carlsbad Faraday Administration Building in Room 173B
- Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
- Virtual via Zoom: Registration link below
- Presentation: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- All meetings will be hybrid (in-person and virtual)
- Presentation recordings are available to current NSDCGS members
Upcoming Speakers & Events
October 17, 2026 – HYBRID
Using Microsoft OneNote to Organize your Files presented by Cynde Durnford-Branecki
Cynde Durnford-Branecki will present in person
Presentation will be recorded; available indefinitely
Virtual attendees – registration will be available later
OneNote is a free, cross-platform note-taking app from Microsoft that lets you capture, organize, and search everything in one place — typed notes, web clippings, scanned documents, photos, and even handwriting. It’s built around a simple notebook structure, which naturally mirrors how genealogists work: one notebook per family line, a section for each ancestor, and pages for individual documents or events.
For genealogy research, OneNote solves many common headaches. Its Web Clipper saves entire pages from sites like Ancestry or FamilySearch directly into the right spot in your notebook. You can drop scanned certificates, census records, and old photos straight onto a page and mark them up with digital ink—circling a name, underlining a date, or adding a typed note beside it. Because OneNote syncs automatically across phone, tablet, and computer, you can photograph a record at the archive and pick up the research at home without emailing files to yourself.
Cynde Durnford-Branecki has been researching the Durnford name for over 30 years. Upon discovering she was the only Durnford in the Toronto phone book she realized her name was rare. Later she decided to brave the new World Wide Web and created a very crude genealogy page. Shortly after, she was contacted by a Durnford in New Zealand, and so started her whole-name research. Now her database has over 9,000 names, and the fruits of her research has morphed into online groups, blogs, and two “family” reunions. The irony is when DNA became available, she jumped on the bandwagon and discovered she was not a Durnford by birth! This opened a whole new world with her Nova Scotia McDonalds and she recently discovered three half-siblings in England. The twist to the story is that Maritime Acadian and Newfoundland genealogy is such a tangle bramble that she discovered she is still a Durnford four generations back and related to her stepfamily!
Cynde graduated from National University in 2005 with a BA in multi-media and graphic design. She is also a retired Chief Boatswain’s Mate, serving 21 years in the Navy and Naval Reserves. She worked for 17 years as an in-house graphic designer with American Specialty Health, retiring in 2018, and now does free-lance work. She also has a sewing business making quilts and priest stoles.
Past Topics
2026
- January: Genealogy is Religion and Politics presented by Bill Graham
- February: The Remaking of Nova Scotia by the New England Planters presented by Colin Whitney
- March: Quaker Records presented by Jean Tempke
- April: Civil Registration: Birth, Marriage, Death presented by Mary Van Orsdol
- May: L’dor v’dor (From Generation to Generation) presented by Carol Davidson Baird
- June: Picture This: Photos and Genealogy presented by Jennifer Anklesaria
- July: What We Learned at the Family Search Library SLC presented by Vicki May, Ron Velarde & Marilyn Hoffman
- August: My Mystery Ancestor: Researching Old Photos With AI and a Photo Detective presented by Jay Davidson
- September: Conducting Oral Histories: Capturing the Past Today presented by Melanie Veteto, Jennifer Snapp-Cook, and Kristi Bell
2025
- January: Genealogy is History. Linking your Family with History presented by Bill Graham
- February: Fun with Maps presented by Jennifer Anklesaria
- March: Researching English Locations: Did My Family Really Move That Much?
presented by Cynde Durnford-Branecki - April: Four Ways to Access Digital Images on Family Search presented by Mary Van Orsdol
- May: What we learned at the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City presented by Mary Millet, Karen Nelson, Justine Wenman and others
- June: What’s New at the Library presented by Carlsbad Library Staff
- July: California Pioneer Certificate Program presented by Colin Whitney
- August: Infectious diseases influenced who became our ancestors presented by Stephen M. Baird, M.D.
- September: Reading German Script presented by Vicki May
- October: Unknown Parentage: Roadblocks & Successes presented by Britta Brewer
- November: Citing Sources in the Ever-Changing Digital Environment presented by Mary Van Orsdol
2024
- January: Age of Immigration, Part II presented by Tom Cousineau
- February: Think outside the Box presented by Mary Van Orsdol
- March: Family Tree Maker presented by Cynde Durnford-Branecki
- April: Going Paperless presented by Mary Van Orsdol
- May: Exploring Human Traits and DNA presented by Ron Velarde
- June: Showcase Your Heirlooms presented by Jennifer Anklesaria
- July: Exploring the SLC Family Search Center presented by 2024 SLC Trip Attendees
- August: Exploring the Newly Released Features for the Family Search Website presented by Colin Whitney
- September: Get to Know the Genealogy & Carlsbad History Division at the Georgina Cole Library presented by Library Staff Members
- October: Stumble-Bumbling through AI for Genealogists presented by Mary Van Orsdol
- November: Early California History and the California Pioneer Certificate Program presented by Colin Whitney