The call has gone out to families with connections to Orange to help find the names of all Orange's ex-services personnel from World War I. Orange City Council has formed a Community Working Party in the lead up to plans to mark the 100 year anniversary of the 1914 start of WWI. If you have information to share please contact Orange City Council's Community Liaison Adviser Alison Russell or Orange City Library. The response so far has been wonderful after articles appeared in the Central Western Daily. Read more about it by copying this link into your web browser: http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news/local/news/general/battle-to-name-our-soldiers-begins/2420152.aspx#

With every best wish for the festive season we hope you have a lovely Christmas and stay in touch with family and friends. See you in 2012 - the National Year of Reading!

A love of collecting and writing oral history has led to a unique book titled History Talking by local writer Helen McAnulty covering reminiscences of people from Gulgong, Mudgee and Orange. In his foreword Alexander Jenkins Professor Emeritus, University of Sydney, says "There is scarcely any aspect of life in those early years that escapes Helen's incisive gaze. Ranging from pioneering life through settlements, natural disasters, railways, communications and foreign war service."

Discover how Orange handled the Spanish flu, about switchboard operators, postal services, women in war time, the days of special deliveries, childhood games, washing days and changes in transport with stories from local residents.

Helen has been collecting and writing oral history for the past 30 years. Her newspaper column History Talking is based on her ongoing gathering of oral history and featured for many years in the Mudgee Guardian and now appears in the Central Western Daily.

In 1992 the Australia Day Council presented Helen with an award for "Achievement and outstanding contribution to the Community" and in 2002 she was recognised with a Premier's Award for outstanding service, both given for her work in gathering oral history Her research was also used by the Australian Broadcasting Commission in the 2002 documentary When the War Came to Australia. This book has been published by the Marsden Memorial Rural History Research Centre and supported by the Oral History Group.

History Talking on Friday 2 December, 11am at Orange City Library Byng St, Orange. Please book your place by calling the Library on 6393 8132.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but often that's only half the story. Sometimes the best memories come from recalling the stories behind the photo. And this includes your family stories!

The Central West Writers' Centre and ABC Open are inviting you to share your stories behind your favourite photos. Select three of your best photos and come along to the workshop to learn how to upload your photos to the ABC Open website and tell the story behind the images. It can be a family holiday pic, a photo of your ancestors and their story or just a favourite snapshot.

Maybe you vividly remember the moment it was taken, or maybe there is something captured within the image that speaks volumes about that time in your life. Whatever the image and story, we want to know about it. Select a couple of images to be emailed or brought along to the workshop:

Central West Writers' Centre

Orange City Library

Byng Street, Orange

Thursday 3 November

2.30pm – 4.30pm

Please book your place by calling Jasmine at the Library 6393 8125 or Luke at ABC Open 6393 2542. Free. For more details about the project go to abc.net.au/open

Just wanted to remind you that through our links with Central West Libraries we have partnered with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and FamilySearch International Research. We are pleased to have Affiliate Status with the FamilySearch International Research and Library system. The Library is now designated as a 'FamilySearch Centre'. This affiliation provides clients with the opportunity to access the resources of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and FamilySearch International Research

Microfilms and Microfiche may now be ordered online by patrons of Latter-Day Saints Family History Centres or affiliated FamilySearch Centres. The patron can logon to www.film.familysearch.org. Upon registering on the site, the patron will choose the FamilySearch Centre where they would prefer to view the films (Central West Libraries). The films ordered will be sent to that centre.

Films and fiche rentals are paid by Visa or Mastercard. Microfilms are rented for $7.75 each. Microfiche are charged $7.75 per set.

When the ordered films arrive at the centre, the patron will receive email notification. Patrons are entitled to view films they are reading for up to 60 days from the date the films arrive at the centre/library, should they so wish. Patrons may renew the film rental for another 60 days, online, for an additional $7.75. Microfiche are kept at the centre, with the understanding that the ownership for the fiche remains with FamilySearch. Happy researching.

Members of Orange Family History Group participated in the Words from the Dust writing workshops series held across the Central West as part of a Central West Writers' Centre project supported by a Positive Ageing Grant. The workshops helped people to recall stories from their childhoods and generate ideas for writing family histories. Pictured is Marie (centre) explaining her memory map to Jennifer (left) and Carole. Stories from all the workshops can now be read on the words from the dust website: www.wordsfromthedust.com.au

Join Orange Family History Group at Orange City Library when we present a workshop to help you find the information you need for your family history project. The event is part of Library and Information Week 2011 and its theme "We find Stuff!"

Family History Australian Records Workshop

Thursday 26 May

7pm – 9pm

Orange City Library, Byng Street, Orange

Bookings on 6393 8132

Members will be on hand to assist you with your research enquiries. We assist with research requests all the time and can help with accessing things like Births, Deaths and Marriages Records on line and on CD Rom. There are also cemetery records, internet resources and State Records we can help family historians with. This is a follow up workshop to the highly successful Tracing your Family History – Beginners Guide held last year. Please book on 6393 8132 and bring along your research questions.

Family historians are invited to meet local author Elisabeth Edwards when she talks about her research into her latest book - a medical history of Orange titled In Sickness and in Health How medicine helped shape Orange's history. The project was supported by Orange City Council, Pinnacle Health Care and Orange Regional Arts Foundation to coincide with the opening of the new Orange hospital located on Forest Road. Learn more about the stories behind the book and her extensive research to record Orange's medical history. Meet Lis, hear her talk and ask questions at Orange City Library on Thursday 5 May at 5.30pm. Please book your place by calling 6393 8132.

Family historians were among the audience who joined in our Seniors Week Workshop on How to create a photo book supported by Officeworks (pictrued above) yesterday. Pictured below is Local Studies Librarian Peter Douglass with Sophie and Kristy from Officeworks. The first part of the workshop was led by Peter who went through easy steps to put together your own life story or family story. He talked about the importance of planning, using timelines and research and showed a wonderful example of a photo book used for family history. The second part of the seminar featured Sophie and Kristy who explained how the Officeworks photo book program works, costs, pages and what can be created using documents, images and text. Thank you for eveyone who came along and we hope you enjoy creating your own photo book.

Everyone has a story to tell and why not make it even better by creating it as a Photo Book. Seniors are invited to Making the Most of your Memories: Creating a Photo Book Workshop to be held from 2pm – 5pm on Thursday 24 March during Seniors Week. Learn to organise your information, personal stories, photos and documents to create your own book or perfect gift. Easy steps will be provided on how to plan your photo book as well as expert advice from the team at Officeworks. The workshop is free but bookings are required. Photo books are an exciting new way to record your family history including documents, certificates, photographs and personal stories and they make a great gift. Come along to Making the Most of your Memories: Creating a Photo Book on Thursday 24 March from 2pm – 5pm at Orange City Library, Byng Street, Orange Book your place on 6393 8132.