Netha Dunlap first began tracing her family history 30 years ago as a simple hobby; little did she know it would turn into an obsession.

“I am so obsessed with genealogy that I even research other people’s families,” Dunlap said.

Dunlap is now sharing her enthusiasm with other during her Genealogy 101 workshop at the Gordon Calhoun Public Library on Sept. 8. at 6 p.m.

Dunlap said the class will show participants practical steps to tracing their heritage, including how to look up death, birth and marriage records as well as the US Census.

“We are so fortunate because this library has a very unique resource room,” she said.

The Gordon-Calhoun Public Library has logged hundreds of volunteer hours placing obituaries from newspapers onto index cards in the Genealogy Resource room. Some of the obituaries date back to the 1880’s.

Dunlap says the Gordon Calhoun Public Library is a great place to research genealogical records, not only because of the resources, but also because of the cost.

“The library is free,” she said.

Dunlap recognizes that there are a lot of online resources for genealogy research, however those Web sites charge for their services, and often their records are incomplete.

Dunlap says she has lost track of the number of hours she has spent researching her heritage. During her early years of research she would drive to the Rome Public Library where she would spend hours looking through records.

“This year I have probably logged 400 hours,” she said.

While Dunlap has been able to trace her family tree back to 1700’s Virginia, she doesn’t luck out every time she sits down to research.

“I can go for three hours and be happy if I find a tidbit,” she said.

The first genealogy seminar is limited to 15 people and if this one is successful, Dunlap hopes to have more in the future.

“A lot of genealogical societies and organizations like the DAR (Daughters of the American Revo-lution) require family genealogy,” she said. “I think that is something people are defiantly inter-ested in.”

Dunlap also says that her genealogy efforts have given her more self-perspective.

“I am confirmed that I love puzzles,” she said. “But I have also become much more out going with my relatives.”

Her family lineage has also colored the way she views history.

“I’ve always been interested in history, if I am researching a family in the 1880’s I will be more likely to read a book set in the 1880’’s/ It has brought the history and my life back together,” she said.

To sign up for the Genealogy 101 Work Shop visit the Gordon Calhoun Public Library on Park Ave-nue.