“What about my story?”

That is a question Kaitlyn Capper, the newly-hired genealogy and history coordinator at the Statesboro Regional Library, encourages folks to ask themselves when they arrive at her office door. From family trees to finding class members for a high school reunion, Capper is the person to see about helping find those family members and old classmates.

“Everyone comes from somewhere and everyone’s story is important and genealogy is finding those missing pieces and finding those stories again,” Capper said.

On Thursday, August 21, at 1 p.m., Capper is hosting an event at the library on South Main St. entitled “Preserving Legacies.” It is an introductory class for ages 55 and up who are looking to record their own stories and their family history. The event is free to all and no preregistration is required.

Capper has created personalized, free handouts for event attendees to get patrons started on documenting their family history in order to pass it on. 

Capper’s interest in genealogy and history stems from her roots as a native in the Bulloch County community and as a Georgia Southern University alumna in history and art history. 

Also, she is involved in non-profit work within the community and is vice president on the Board of Directors of the Friends of TOS Theatre in Pembroke. With that experience, she got to know the development director and intern as the research assistant in Pembroke. As a local, she said she has always enjoyed learning about the history of the region.

Capper oversees the Genealogy and history research branches of the Statesboro Regional Library system, which covers a total of six locations in five counties.

There are a number of genealogy resources, Capper said, locals and visitors alike have access to when they visit the library. With a Pines library card, patrons can utilize an abundance of resources, including Ancestry.com, for free for research.

In addition to the free resources made available, Capper intends to branch out her programming for more opportunity to patrons of all ages.

Capper said she is working on launching a series of programs for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026 known as “Forging A Nation” that will be offered in September.

The series of programs will provide research opportunities, guest lectures, historical displays and classes on researching colonial and Revolutionary War-era records. Additionally, there will be children’s programming made available, such as reenactors doing crafts, Georgia Reading Day events, as well as reading challenges.

“I understand genealogy is kind of a niche topic… but I want to show what our region has to offer for history,” she said.

For Capper, genealogy is like a puzzle, and she views her role as helping find the missing pieces for individuals to help them find their family’s history.

“It makes my patrons feel connected,” she said. “They get to have more of a sense of place and a sense of self. They get to see those roots whether they are here or not, and I think that has an impact.”

For more information, contact Capper at (912) 764-1340 or kaitlync@strl.info, or visit www.strl.info/geneology.