Programs & Workshops Testimonials
Sarah Hull, Head of Local History, Genealogy & Special Collections at Plainfield Public Library (NJ)
"Iris was wonderful to work with! She is professional and thoughtful, and presented an incredible Hispanic Heritage genealogy program for us via Zoom. She listened to our request in a program and designed one to meet our audience needs. She provided helpful handouts and made herself available, if needed, for followup questions.
Iris included her personal experience with research techniques that can be used by others, even if not from the same country of ancestry. Her list of commonly seen Spanish terms and translations was very helpful. She exceeded our expectations by preparing informational slides for 19 different countries for an additional" handout."
Felicia Griffin-Fennell, PhD. Director of the SBS RISE Program and Lecturer in Sociology. UMass Amherst
"Working with Iris was an absolute delight. Our campus planned a student-centered event with her. Iris was a great collaborator. Students, faculty, and staff who were in attendance during her presentation truly appreciated the knowledge that she shared, and felt excitement about learning about our own cultural backgrounds. She is a resource that others should seek out!"
Maggie Keane, Reference Librarian, Springfield City Library
"Iris is terrific and I loved having her at the library. She is an engaging speaker and was able to personalize her talk to the patrons in attendance. The information she shares is so valuable and I look forward to having her at the library again."
Danny Klein, New Jersey Room manager, Jersey City Free Public Library
"It was an excellent experience! Irisneri gave an enlightening presentation highlighting all the points necessary to research Hispanic genealogy.
Irisneri showed real-life research examples that illustrate where and how to find documents relevant to genealogical research. Her tips on building a genealogy library and her list of resources were also very helpful."
Megan Kociolek, Library Director & Clark Public Library
"Working with Descubre Tu Historia and having Iris present at our organization was an enriching experience. Iris brought a deep passion for uncovering and sharing genealogical and personal narratives, making history feel personal and accessible"
Carol Flores, Chair Hispanic Association of Higher Education for STCC
"Working with Descubre Tu History and Iris presenting it was an amazing event where over 60 attendees came in and learned about the TAINO ancestry and migration throughout the Caribbean sea including southern states of the US. This event was to raise awareness of the Taino, African and European roots that make up the current generation and how folks can discover their history after knowing the process of searching for their ancestors."
Carter P. Gallati, Reference Librarian at Springfield City Library
"Iris came & presented in our community room and we were very excited to have her. She was very professional & was able to give a patron a great introduction to genealogy!"
Angela DiLella, Head of Information Services, Public Library of New London
"Iris was extremely easy to get in contact and schedule with. Her presentation was thorough and informative, and I was impressed that she was able to customize it on the spot based on our attendees present.
Iris talked a lot about her personal experiences with research versus what one might expect or be told, and I think it's really important to share that kind of information. Her personal connections also added an interesting flavor--some of the research requests she has been a part of have uncovered pretty amazing pieces of history. It was also great that she had handouts prepared for her presentation. They are very useful guides for research!"
Alex London - Local History & Genealogy Librarian - Worcester Public Library
The whole experience from booking to the presentation was great! The presentation was fascinating, and Irisneri did a job at drawing in the patrons. I learned a lot as well. Highly recommended!
What elements of the presentation did you like the most?
Tailoring the presentation to the different countries of origin of the patrons' families
Jose D Romero Adult services/Outreach librarian
"Great insight! Really provided great information on this important subject matter."
Joy Robinson, Adult Services Librarian at Piscataway Public Library
"I believe everyone who attended learned something that will help them with their genealogy search, and I know we learned a tremendous amount of previously unheard of history about the Caribbean and Indigenous and African diaspora who lived and thrived there, in spite of unspeakable adversity. Irisneri really wove together a wondrous quilt of ancestry, history, and anecdotal lore that none of us will soon forget.
I really enjoyed how you personalized the search by including bits of your own family history. It made the abstract much more accessible."