So, you took advantage of the big discounted sales this holiday season, and  finally swabbed your cheek or spit into a vial for your DNA test.  And now you have a list of questions about DNA matches, ethnic composition, haplogroup,  and those 1000 relatives the service says you now have.

Meet professional genealogist Jennifer Stone Randolph at Brooks Memorial Library on Saturday, January 27, at 3 PM, in the Main Room for a talk on Making Sense of Your DNA Testing Results: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

DNA testing for ancestry has exploded in popularity due to aggressive marketing campaigns and lower prices. However, many people are unsure what to do with their results once they have them in hand. This presentation will help you understand the types of information testing provides, its accuracy, and how best to use it to further your family research. Real-life examples and case studies will illustrate the kinds of questions testing can and cannot answer. Issues such as privacy, accuracy, the potential for discovery of unexpected results, and the importance of being an informed consumer will also be discussed.

Jennifer Stone Randolph is the owner of New Hampshire-based Touchstone Genealogy, a provider of professional genealogical services with a focus on the use of DNA testing. Jennifer has over ten years’ experience in genealogy, and holds certificates in Genealogical Research (Boston University) and Genetic Genealogy (Excelsior College). Jennifer also works as a Research Scientist for the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.Sc. in Epidemiology. Jennifer particularly enjoys genetic genealogy as it combines her passions for science, family, and solving mysteries!