Genealogy

One of the best ways that a library can draw in members of the community is by offering resources and tips for genealogical research.  According to Ancestry.com, 87% of Americans are interested in learning about their genealogies. The popularity of television shows where celebrities learn about their ancestors such as Finding your Roots and Who do you think you are? show that not only are people interested in where they came from but that the idea is popular enough that production companies can make a profit by showing footage of strangers' genealogical results.

Source: http://www.skipease.com/blog/genealogy/family-tree/

The Detroit Public Library offers tips on ways to get started and other resources to aid researchers who don't know where to start or have gotten stumped.  The Mitchell Research Center in Hillsdale, Michigan keeps local history records, obituaries, city directories, and other useful records for researchers as well as offers classes on how to get started and how to use the physical resources that they collect.

There are online resources such as Ancestry.com that make it easy for people to search from home and to access non-local materials but libraries can still offer classes and advertise the materials that they do carry.  It's very possible that people want to learn about their family trees but just don't know where to get started.  Friendly and capable librarians can help point them in the right direction.