ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — Identity, connection, and history. Those are just some of the values two local experts listed when asked about the importance of tracing your family ancestry. As for how to do it, there's a plethora of resources in Albuquerque. National Hispanic Culture Center Archiv ist Robin Moses and Albuquerque Library Genealogist Lisa Kindrick spoke with KRQE about how, where, and when to start your research. Credit: National Hispanic Culture Center At the Hispanic Culture Center, there are regular genealogy workshops. Moses says they're often geared towards seniors, but other ages are just as welcome to attend. The workshop aims to give participants an introduction to genealogy, unless there's a guest speaker or a special topic for that particular workshop. At these workshops, Moses says you'll get a rundown of what the center has to offer for research, as well as tips on how to look online. If it's a smaller group, the center may bring out collections of past research by other locals to spark inspiration for your own genealogical research project. "Knowing your family's history, where you come from, really can help to solidify your own identity, especially for some people in New Mexico, where we have all this mixed ancestry," said Moses. "It might not seem important on a surface level, but one's personal identity, it feels important to explore—who you are, where you came from, and explore the history of those people, the different groups you descent from, might have interacted." If you go to Albuquerque's Main Public Library downtown, you'll find a whole genealogy center on the second floor of the building. Kindrick says there are 40,000 volumes of material from all fifty states, a dozen computers, special databases, and their biggest strength — great volunteers. The last Tuesday of every month is a research-centric day when about fifteen people with Albuquerque and New Mexico's respective genealogical societies gather. Online, you can access resources like census records, newspaper archives, and databases with your library card. Story continues below Crime: Video - Stolen vehicle driver totals APD vehicle in crash with officer NM Film: ‘Rust’ trailer released more than three years after fatal on-set shooting Sports: Rio Rancho fires boys basketball coach after 16 years Kindrick says the library gets visitors from all over. She also says people who lived in Albuquerque but have since moved away often reach out to see what remote resources they have available for their genealogy project. To Kindrick, the research is a way to further understand how interconnected we all are. "It gives you a better understanding of history," said Kindrick. "It personalizes history in a new way. It gives you a sense of connection to your community's sense of identity. It's just so fascinating to see what your ancestors - the obstacles they've overcome to make it possible to be who you are and where you are in life." Both Moses and Kindrick say they've had "lightbulb moments," where they've watched the missing puzzle piece in someone's family lineage finally click into place. For Kindrick, she says these moments can be quite emotional. "People will find a picture of someone in their family that they have never seen before, and you can see them tear up," Kindrick said. "Especially photographs, really bringing home that those were real people who had lives not that different from our own." In Moses' words, the lightbulb moments are about finding the right people to connect with to finally get over the wall they'd hit in their research, thereby opening far more doors in learning about their ancestors. She added, "Understanding the hardships your family has gone through can help you contextualize where you are in life. It all connects." You can find links to local resources for tracing your family ancestry below. Bernalillo County: 'Bringing Generations Together Thru Genealogy' National Hispanic Cultural Center Index Albuquerque Main Public Library Genealogy Center ...read more read less