Former islander Claire Smith will be the guest speaker at the next Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society meeting on Friday, May 17 at the Bainbridge Public Library.

BIGS will meet from 10 a.m. to noon. The topic for the monthly meeting will be “Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors.” Smith, of Massachusetts and formerly of Bainbridge Island, is one of the founding members of BIGS.

The topic is the search for immigrant ancestors, whether they came in colonial times or more recently, and BIGS members will be looking at strategies for tracking down their places of origin, finding out whether records exist, where to find them and what they can tell you.

Admission is free to BIGS members; a $5 donation is suggested for nonmembers.

For more information go to www.bigenealogy.org or call 206-755-9283.