The Friends and Staff of the Cos Cob Library welcome back Janeen Bjork. Her program will focus on mining DNA results. Marketing campaigns by Direct-to-Consumer DNA companies have convinced millions of people to order test kits, with industry-leader AncestryDNA boasting over 20 million participants. This program is for anyone who is thinking of ordering a test, as well as for those who have tested, and who wish to make the most of their DNA results.

Best practices for mining DNA results will be presented, showing the steps required to take what seemed like a jumble of varied surnames to the identification of the birth parents of two (unrelated) adoptees. The program will demonstrate how important it was for the adoptees to test with multiple DNA companies. The adoptees’ results from the best-known DNA companies (including AncestryDNA, 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, and MyHeritage) also present an opportunity to compare the interfaces and the ease of use of each site.

TV Researcher and Genealogy teacher Janeen Bjork has been making DNA testing for Genealogy accessible to classes and to audiences since 2013. Ms. Bjork’s work with clients and students has given her hundreds of hours of practical experience analyzing DNA results, beyond the work she did with the results of dozens of her own relatives.

The Friends of the Cos Cob Library have sponsored the “Next in a Series Genealogy Programs” for nineteen years. This program is free and open to the public. Simple Pre-registration online is required.

To get early access to all the Library's Local History and Genealogy programs and events, sign up here for Local History & Genealogy email newsletters.