Genealogy Interest Group Meeting (7/9/26)

Our next Genealogy Interest Group meeting

will take place on Thursday, July 9th, at 10:00 am.

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Using AI in Genealogy:

Opportunities, Limitations, and Ethical Considerations

Join Stacy Ashmore Cole, creator of the They Had Names project, for a timely exploration of how artificial intelligence can support genealogical research.

In this session, Stacy will share how she has used AI tools to analyze historical records, identify patterns, and support the development of a registry of enslaved individuals and enslavers in Liberty County, Georgia. She will also discuss the importance of approaching AI-generated insights with care—recognizing gaps in the historical record, questioning assumptions, and avoiding overconfidence in incomplete data.

Participants will gain practical insight into how AI can assist with organizing research, interpreting documents, and generating new lines of inquiry, while also learning about the limitations, risks, and ethical considerations involved. This session is especially valuable for those researching African American genealogy or working with fragmented and historically biased records.

Interest Group Facilitator: Beryl White-Bing

Beryl White-Bing is the Virtual Learning Librarian at the University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library in Jacksonville, Florida. Her main focus there is instruction in the Virtual Learning Center (VLC), a VR lab. She began working as an Educational Media Specialist in 2003 and started in academic libraries in 2006 as an adjunct librarian. Before becoming a librarian, Beryl had a career in Federal Government service at both the Social Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. Beryl has a B.A. in History from Savannah State University, graduated with her MLIS from Florida State University in 2005 and completed the GEN150 Genealogical Principles course from Boston University in 2021. Beryl’s professional interests include virtual reality, augmented reality, XR technology, genealogy, podcasting and instruction. She co-hosts The Instruction Request Podcast which highlights the resources, instruction initiatives and immersive technology in the VLC at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library at UNF. Her most cherished co-creation is the Eartha M.M. White Virtual Reality Experience which blends her interest in history, genealogy and VR. Beryl has been the principal contact on two NEFLIN Innovation Projects: 2018 SJR State: Virtual Entertainment Technology Center and 2023 UNF: Eartha M. M. White Virtual Reality Experience. Plus collaborated on a third in 2024 UNF: Sound in Library Instruction, which included The Jazz AR Experience. To view Beryl’s publications and presentations, please visit her UNF Scholar Profile at https://scholars.unf.edu/en/persons/beryl-white-bing/publications/.

This project is funded under the provisions of the Library Cooperative Grant program awarded to the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN). Florida’s LCG program is administered by the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.