Join Jeffrey Croteau and Sarah H. Shepherd of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library for a webinar about American Masonic and fraternal organizations, focusing on New York, and how their records can help you in your genealogical research. The presentation will start with a brief introduction to popular fraternal organizations such as Freemasonry and Order of Eastern Star, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World, and Knights of Pythias. The presenters will discuss what types of fraternal records exist, go in-depth on where to find them, and talk about what kind of information these records may contain.
About the Presenters
Jeffrey Croteau is Director of Library & Archives for the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he has been the museum's librarian since 2007. He is responsible for many aspects of the library, including collection development, cataloging, and providing reference services. He also writes about the library's collection for the museum's blog and various other publications.
Sarah H. Shepherd is the Archivist for the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington, Massachusetts. She holds an M.S. in Library Science and M.A. in History from Simmons University and a B.A in History and Anthropology from Goucher College. She has published in the history and archival field with her work appearing in Archival Outlook, the Social Welfare History Project at Virginia Commonwealth University, Unfolding History: Manuscripts at the Library of Congress, and more. As an archivist, she works to expand access and equity in archives.