The Laurel Historical Society and the Laurel Public Library have joined forces and scheduled a full month of free historical and genealogical events to celebrate Family History Month in October. A reception to open an exhibit “African-American Roots of Laurel’s Family Tree” will be held on September 30 at 5:00 p.m. in the Delaware Room of the Laurel Public Library. The exhibit features photographs from the Laurel Historical Society’s Waller Collection and are being displayed for the first time in many years. This display can be seen during regular Library hours from October 1 through November 30, 2010. A workshop on using your library card to explore census records will be held on October 1. This workshop will be led by Norma Jean Fowler. Mrs. Fowler will give an introduction to using Heritage Quest records to begin your family research. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, please call 302-875-3184 or e-mail Norma Jean at [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) . On Friday, October 8, the Sussex County Cousins Reunion will take place at the Library. The day’s reunion begins at 10:00 a.m. and includes information sharing and a panel discussion entitled “Revisiting Your Brick Walls.” The Library’s Delaware History and Genealogy Collection will be open until 5:00 p.m. Members from the Sussex County Genealogical Society will be available to assist in the Reunion. The ability to read and analyze older documents is a useful skill for genealogists. On Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m. Madeline Dunn will conduct a workshop called “Cracking the Code: Understanding Colonial Handwriting and Documents.” Ms. Dunn is from the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. “Across the Tracks: Uncovering the History and Persistence of the African-American Community in West Laurel” will complete the month’s activities at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26. This program will be presented by Ms. Kimberley Toney, a recent graduate of the Masters Program and the University of Delaware. Ms. Toney will give an overview of her thesis research on the development of West Laurel as one of Delaware’s early free black communities. A reception will follow Ms. Toney’s remarks. Further information on these events can be found at the following web sites: _www.laurel.lib.de.us_ (http://www.laurel.lib.de.us/) or _www.laurelhistoricalsociety.com_ (http://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.com/) .