Another update to the week of Family History conferences in Salt Lake

Today FamilySearch announced a discount for Family History Consultants to attend the BYU Conference being held April 26th and 27th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The regular price for general admission is $120 for the two days. The special discount is being offered to any Family History consultant for only $75.00.

To receive the discount, you must call 1-801-422-8925 and identify yourself as a family history consultant. Any questions contact FamilySearch Support at 1-866-406-1830.

This is a great opportunity for all consultants. And for those consultants already attending the NGS conference April 28th through May 1st you can come early and enjoy the BYU conference.

Reminder of April Genealogy Conferences

Just a reminder about the Family History Conferences being held in Salt Lake City the week of April 26 through May 1st, 2010.We are only two weeks away and I don't want you to miss out on this great opportunity. Here are the direct links to the postings on this blog.

Overview of the conferences Includes both the BYU conference and the NGS conference.

Update article to the Family History Conferences including free classes for consultants and Priesthood leaders.

Preparing to attend a conference

Prepare Before Attending a Genealogy Conference

It’s that time of year – genealogy conferences are springing up all over. I remember the very first time I attended a conference and felt like I was the only person in the world who did not know what was going on! I had not done a very good job of preparing myself for the experience. What I have learned over time is that there are some simple steps you can take to make your experience a great one.  It doesn’t matter whether this is your first conference or 20^th conference, whether it’s a big conference or a little one, whether it’s about genealogy or any other subject, planning ahead will make a difference in how much value you get and how enjoyable the experience is for you.

First, decide what conference is best suited to your particular needs and skill levels.

There are many different genealogy conferences throughout the year that you can choose to attend, but pick according to you current skills level and interests.  In other words, don’t pick a conference or a track that teaches how to become an accredited genealogist before you’ve learned how to get started.  Most all conferences have classes that are fairly generic, others geared towards beginners, intermediates or advanced genealogists and family historians. There are very small local half day workshops all the way to week-long national conferences and each of them can be a wise choice.

Review flyers or other media prepared for a conference. Look online for reviews of prior year’s workshops. Check out the presenters and audit reviews from other presentations they have given.  Some presenters are easier to learn from than others and, as your experience grows you will identify with certain ones and find yourself a follower of their classes.

Finally, pick your conference and register as early as possible and when you arrive, check in at registration as early as possible to minimize your time in line.

Select which sessions or classes you want to attend.

Once you are registered for your conference of choice, download the schedule and review the workshop requirements. Many classes are geared to all level of skills and a few will require a prerequisite level of knowledge.  A few will require a separate registration for the class because it has room only for a limited number of people.  Try to stick to classes that fit your level of comfort and skill.

Make notes on the schedule and on the presenters. Determine which classes you most want to attend but, always choose a backup or two for any given time slot. Sometimes classes fill up quickly and there is no room left for you, requiring you to find another class to slip into. Or, maybe you attend a class for the first 3 minutes and determine that this just isn’t the class for you. With a backup class you can quickly slip into the room.

Don’t overlook a subject just because it’s something you know nothing about or it covers a locale that you have no interest in – you will learn new methodologies and tips in every class you attend.

Larger conferences now provide registered attendees access to syllabus material weeks before the conference begins. Take the time to review the presenter’s handouts. You can usually read through them and determine whether you will be overwhelmed with the class or find it too boring. Unless you are paying extra for a paper syllabus, plan on printing out the syllabus pages for the classes you plan to attend. You can then make notes during class using these handouts. You will usually have a CD copy of the syllabus provided to you at registration.

Prepare yourself before attending the conference.

Get yourself ready to go starting with planning your trip. If this is a local conference, determine what you need to take with you each day and how you are going to get there. Are you driving? If so, you need to plan your parking in advance. On-site parking may be much more expensive than a smaller lot a block away. Taking public transportation may be less of a hassle than parking. Plan your strategy. Review the time of day you would need to be on the roads, the part of town where the conference is held and be prepared for the unexpected.

If you are flying to the conference then create a travel list of things to pack. Plan and prepare your flight plan, transportation to and from the airport, and don’t forget your list of meds, insurance cards, cell phones and any other items you may need. Don’t forget that extra carry on bag to get your conference materials home. If you have gathered too many, check with the hotel and have your extra’s shipped home. It may be cheaper than paying for that extra baggage on the plane.

Plan your attire. Workshops are not a formal affair so dress accordingly. Usually these conferences are quite casual and require very comfy clothing and good walking shoes. You will cover a lot of ground during each day. The last thing you want to do is end the day with blisters on both feet and still need to walk to your car or your room. Conference center rooms are often drafty or way too warm. Don’t dress for the outside, dress for a variety of temps inside. Bring a jacket or sweater and dress in layers.  If you have a problem with sweaty feet, bring an extra pair of socks to change midday. You want to be very comfortable.

Take a bag with you. If you don’t like to carry things or you get a headache from carrying a bag then get one on rollers.  The more things you pick up during the day the heavier that bag becomes.  (Larger conferences give you a carry bag at registration with a conference program, papers, and miscellaneous “stuff”.  I stuff the whole thing in my roller bag. Besides, roller bags make a great footrest!) Here is a list of items that you may find beneficial to carry with you. 

• ·      Address labels or business cards. You can label items you pick up (even your conference booklet) or purchase and, exchange info with other attendees and vendors.  You will make friends throughout the conference that you meet in classes or over lunch that you want to contact with later.

• ·       Pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, a clipboard or folder.

• ·      Take a digital camera. You can take pictures of some presentation pages if allowed by the presenter. You might want to remember something specific about a vendor. Or, you might want to take pictures of friends or presenters you meet.

• ·      You may be one of those people who love to take notes on your PC or you want your genealogy files with you. You can take your PC, handheld, or smartphone, but don’t expect to plug it in to an electrical socket from every room. It may not be available. Consider others when you bring these tools. Turn off the sound and beeps.

• ·      Take snacks and a water bottle with you in your bag. There are food vendors at most large conferences but nothing may be available at others.  If you are in classes for several hours before a lunch break you will appreciate a snack and you may not be able to find a drinking fountain between each class.

•         Take tissues and any meds you may need throughout the day.

•         Remember, you can even roll up the jacket or sweater and stuff it in your bag when you don’t need it.

The workshops finally begin!

Be prompt. Don’t show up one minute before or ten minutes after a class starts and expect to get the best seat in the room. Don’t come in late and walk in front of a projector or stumble over everyone’s feet trying to get to the center of a room. Be early for the class whenever possible. Classes will start on time because they are on a tight schedule.

Take notes. Use your paper syllabus, your printed handouts, or a notepad. At the end of a class or while you are waiting for the next class to begin, summarize your key points and reread them.

Make the most of lectures and workshops. If you take the time before hand to prepare any questions you may have you will get better answers from those questions you ask. There is no such thing as a dumb question, so don’t be afraid to ask. However, classes need to be geared to generalizations, not your specific ancestor. So don’t waste other attendees time by asking the presenter a question geared to a specific circumstance or person. Most presenters will give an email address, or are available in the vendor area to ask specific questions later.

Make connections everywhere you go. Network, talk to people, introduce yourself. Establish research interests.  Exchange those address stickers or business cards.

Prepare for the VENDOR experience! Find the vendor map in your conference packet or locate it online before you go. Then plan your attack! Mark on your map the vendors you are most interesting in visiting. Make those your first priority. That way you can spend quality time with those vendors and visit the others as time permits.

Maintain a conference log. List friends, contacts, vendors, speakers to suggest to a group you belong to, and important points from lectures. Chart your progress and new skills you have acquired.  Make notes for your future research.  At the end of conference make sure your notes are understandable.

Participate in special events whenever you can. These provide extra opportunities to ask questions, network, and learn more.

The conference is over!

  If you can spend an extra day before or after a conference make sure to familiarize yourself with local research facilities, local points of interest and good places to eat. Enjoy the opportunity of visiting a new area of the country.

When you get home remember to review your notes, file important materials away and contact those new genealogy friends! Take a rest and then you’ll be ready to start planning your next conference!  

Enjoy!

UVPAFUG-It's Time Again

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP MEETING

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 10 Apr 2010, from 9 am to noon at our usual location at the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. There is a map showing the location on the group's website http://uvpafug.org . The main presentation for this meeting will be by Timothy G. Cross on FAMILYSEARCH'S EXTENDED TREE.  His presentation will discuss current and future plans for FamilySearch's Tree.  How does the Tree fit into FamilySearch?  Is the Tree limited to just new.familysearch.org?  Are we going to be able to make this "common" tree work?  How are we supposed to source the Tree?  Is this just for genealogists or can everyone participate?  Brother Tim Cross has been a Product Manager for new FamilySearch for four years. Prior to working for the LDS Church, Tim worked in the computer industry for PriceWaterhouse; Booz, Allen, & Hamilton; and Novell. Tim is currently responsible for the Family Tree portion of new FamilySearch.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes taught concerning technology and family history. As usual, there will be something for everyone at all levels of expertise. The teachers and classes currently scheduled for this meeting are the following: (1)   FamilyInsight: NFS Sync and Ordinance Preparation, by Andrea Schnakenburg;  (2)  Using Google in Genealogy, by Duane Dudley;  (3)  Genealogy on Your MAC - Searching, Charting and Reporting, by Venita Parry;  (4)  Newspaper or Military Research, by Laurie Castillo;  (5)  Personal Help with PAF & NFS, by Don Engstrom, Finn Hansen, and Kathy and Max Hennie (new regular class);  (6)  Q&A: FamilySearch's Extended Tree, by Tim Cross;  (7)  Video of last month's main presentation: How to Effectively Conduct Family History Research, by Barry Ewell;  (8)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (9)  Legacy 7, by Dean Bennett;  (10)  RootsMagic 4, by Bruce Buzbee. 

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

Required Updates for 3rd Party Genealogy Software

Legacy Family Tree has just released an update to version 7.4.0.25. This is their first release since January and fixes a number of known issues. They have also added some enhancements to their new FamilySearch interface. They added a change to the DNA field and added the latest temple codes. To see the details of fixes and changes go here.

Ancestral Quest - the last I heard AQ was working on an update to be compatible with the new FamilySearch updates that go into effect on Monday, March 29th. They may not make it by Monday but it shouldn't be too long. UPDATE: Use the current version until the new version of new FamilySearch is released, probably after midnight on the morning of March 29th. Then download the new update of AQ at
http://www.ancquest.com/Ver12-1fhcdl.htm


Family Insight - has an update available now that will make working with new FamilySearch on Monday seamless. Make sure you down load the latest update here.

If you are aware of any other update or changes, please let me know.

As a reminder, you can see the complete list of FamilySearch Certified software here.

RootsMagic 4 Releases Update with FamilySearch AutoMatch

More great news for those using RootsMagic 4 or RootsMagic Essentials software and, especially for those who interface directly with new FamilySearch.

A new update and enhancement has been released adding a new time-saving feature called AutoMatch. This feature "examines each person in your RootsMagic file, searches the FamilySearch database for the person, and after carefully comparing them, matches them to gether if they are the same; all without requiring user intervention." Now you can start AutoMatch before you head to bed or go out for the evening and when you come back most of your database should be matched!  This feature is included in both RootsMagic 4 and in RootsMagic Essentials, the free version.

In additon to the new AutoMatch feature, this update is required for RootsMagic to continue working with new FamilySearch, probably early next week. So please take a few minutes and update your version. If your news screen has been turned off, remember to click on HELP>Check for Updates.

To see a list of the new items and the "fixes" in this update click here.

Footnote.com Offers FREE Access to Census Records

Want to check out Footnote.com? Need to check out a few census images? Footnote.com has opened up access to their interactive U.S. Federal Census records for a limited time. Take a moment and utilize the tools available. Doing so will give you a little expertise in using all of Footnote.com at your local Family History Center.

Immigration Family History Expo in Salt Lake City

Just received this email from FamilySearch Support and it looks to be a great day learning more about immigration and its importance in your family history.

March 5, 2010                                                                                         Information and tips

                                                                                                             

Dear Family History Consultant:

We want to make you aware of a family history conference focused on immigration research occurring soon in Salt Lake City. You may find information at this conference beneficial in helping members find their ancestors.

The Immigration Family History Expo, hosted by Family History Expos, Inc., will be on Thursday, March 18, at the Historic Masonic Temple, 650 East South Temple Street in Salt Lake City. Registration begins at the door at 8 a.m., and the day’s sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. The fee for attending this one-day event is $45 and includes lunch.

The expo will feature outstanding speakers throughout the day. World Trade Center Utah president and CEO Lew Cramer will join the center’s executive vice president and COO, Elizabeth Goryunova, in an opening keynote address. Cramer and Goryunova will focus on the importance of migration, immigration, and emigration today and in the future. The event will culminate with author, producer, and director Lorie Conway’s in-depth look into the history of immigration to America. Her presentation will include a special screening of Forgotten Ellis Island: The Extraordinary Story of America’s Immigrant Hospital.

Other notable speakers include:

• Brigham Young University Professor Fred E. Woods. Woods has held a Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding since 2005. Woods has also been a visiting professor at several universities and has lectured at many academic institutions in the United States and internationally. Professor Woods is the author or co-author of seven books and many articles, including three dozen on the topic of Mormon immigration and emigration in the 19th century.

• Arlene Eakle, PhD, president and founder of The Genealogical Institute, Inc. Eakle is a consultant, lecturer, author, and researcher specializing in the geographic areas of New York, southern U.S., British Isles, Switzerland, and parts of Germany.

• Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA, vice president of ProGenealogists, Inc. in Salt Lake City. Meyerink has worked with Ancestry and the Family History Library. He is past president of the Utah Genealogical Association and founder of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Meyerink is a nationally known speaker, editor of Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records, and adjunct faculty for BYU and San Jose State University.

• Holly T. Hansen, Family History Expos, Inc. founder and president is a lifelong resident of Croydon, Utah. She has been a family history educator for more than 15 years. Although she sponsors elaborate genealogical events, she also enjoys helping people one-on-one as they learn how to make technology work for them. An author, lecturer, and editor, Hansen devotes time every day to education.

Exhibitors will be at the event to offer hands-on demonstrations and techniques as well as technology to help researchers trace their roots.

Immigration Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: http://fhexpos.com/expos/

All questions should be directed to:
Family History Expos.com
PO Box 187
Morgan, Utah 84050
Email: Expo@FHExpos.com
Phone: 1-801-829-3295
Web: http://fhexpos.com

Sincerely,

FamilySearch                                                                                                      

support@familysearch.org                                                                                                                                              

U.S. and Canada: 1-866-406-1830                                                                                                                  

International: Go to http://contact.familysearch.org for more toll-free phone numbers

Consolidate All Your LDS Church Logins

Get ready to consolidate all your LDS Church logins!


This is actually really good news! The LDS Church is finally getting ready to make changes so that you only need ONE login name and password to get access to all the Church software systems.

You are already using this single username and password if you currently use your stake or ward website. FamilySearch is now using this single username and password for the Research Wiki. New FamilySearch and FamilySearch Indexing will begin using the single username and password in the near future. (Probably during the month of March, 2010.)


So if you haven't already done this, DO IT NOW rather than waiting for these family history applications to begin using it and you have to deal with the mad crunch. You can go to ldsaccount.lds.org and obtain what is called an LDS Account. You can also check to see if you already have an account or you can use the links on the page to remind you what your username and password is if you have forgotten them.

 Need to register for the other sites? Here's how: 

To register as a Consultant or Priesthood Leader overseeing Temple and Family History Work:  Go to lds.org > Serving in the Church > Family History > priesthood.familysearch.org or  consultant.familysearch.org OR just click on these links. You will need your Church membership number and your ward/branch unit number. Get that from your ward/branch clerk. You do want to register if you are a consultant or a Priesthood leader, and here is why:

If you are not registered as a consultant or a priesthood leader, you will see only one lesson (new FamilySearch lesson)--which is the lesson that all members see--when you go to new.familysearch.org > Help Center > Training and Resources Tab > e-learning courses. If you are registered as a consultant or priesthood leader, you have many more important lessons available to you under your "e-learning courses."

Under your "Training and Resources" tab, you will then have 12 more instructional items available. It is very important to be aware of this difference. Each of you go to your "Training and Resources" tab and see what is there. Then have your spouse or child (a regular member) go into their "Training and Resources" tab, so you can see the difference in what is available. Unregistered consultants and priesthood leaders are missing out.

 Registering everyone age 12 and older on new FamilySearch:
Go to new.familysearch.org . Click on Register for the new FamilySearch. Each member needs their own Church membership number and confirmation date.

Registering to do FamilySearch Indexing:
Suggested age: 14 to 114! Go to familysearchindexing.org  and follow the instructions. Get your kids involved! They can "play" on the PC and do something worthwhile!

UVPAFUG - Come Join Me

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP MEETING The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 13 Mar 2010, from 9 am to noon at our usual location at the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  There is a map showing the location on the group's website http://uvpafug.org . 

The main presentation for this meeting will be by Barry J. Ewell on HOW TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET. If you are frustrated with searching the Internet and not being able to find information about your family, this talk may help. It will show you how to do better Google searches and find more information about your family from obscure websites to more popular databases and collections. Barry Ewell resides in Riverton, Utah and is a Senior Marketing Manager for IBM. He graduated from BYU in Communications in 1981 and is a writer and researcher with extensive genealogical experience in field research, oral and written histories, using the web, and computer and digital resources.  His genealogical research interests include Eastern U.S., United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany, and Russia.  He is also the founder of http://mygenshare.com/ which will be launched soon and which will have lots of helpful genealogy resources and information.

 Following the main presentation there will be several classes taught concerning technology and family history. As usual, there will be something for everyone at all levels of expertise. The teachers and classes currently scheduled for this meeting are the following:
(1) Ralph Hansen on Decluttering Your Family History Closet; 
(2) Duane Dudley on Submitting Names to the Temple with New FamilySearch; 
(3) George Scott on Solving Problems in New FamilySearch; 
(4) Venita Parry on Genealogy on Your MAC; 
(5) Barry J. Ewell on Learn the Tech to Trace Your Roots; 
(6) Video of last month's main presentation by Art Johnson on Building Strong Relationships with Priesthood Leaders; 
(7) Gaylon Findlay on Ancestral Quest; 
(8) Joel Graham on Legacy 7; and 
(9) Bruce Buzbee on RootsMagic. 

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

It's the Stories That Make for Good History

Did you attend my workshop at Stake Women's Conference on Saturday? I talked about how to make your ancestors come alive! Don't fall into the trap of looking at these people in your database as just names, dates and places. More than likely this "name" is your favorite grandmother's favorite great-uncle. She knew him, she loved him; just as you loved your grandma. So find out more about him. 

Research, research, research! All those little bits and pieces of information that you find will build an outline of your ancestor's life. Look around for what other's have done and build from there.

I'll elaborate on this one of these days, but, in the meantime check out this article that was posted in the LDS Church News.
'It's the stories' that make for good history'

New Test System (Sandbox) for Use With New FamilySearch

This is great news and long-coming for Family History Consultants and FH Center Staff! This will be SO useful for teaching new FamilySearch to others. Received the following email from FamilySearch Support today!

Dear Family History Consultant:

We are excited to announce a great new resource for you to use as you teach others how to use the new FamilySearch. We have created a fully functional training version of new.familysearch.org that contains fictitious data designed specifically for training purposes. In this system, you will be able to:

·         Use practice exercises to teach others how to use the new.familysearch.org Web site.

·         Add, edit, and modify information without the worry of using real data.

·         Combine and separate records.

·         Practice submitting names for temple ordinances. Note: You can print a Family Ordinance Request, but do not take the request to the temple.

·         Use the Help Center to search for answers to questions, and find additional training helps, including access to the new FamilySearch E-learning Course.

·         Submit GEDCOMs that are limited to five names.

·         Use your account until it expires after six months.

·         Get a new account each time your old account expires.

The training system will:

·         Delete any data you have added after your account expires.

·         Refresh the account and return it to its original state so it can be used again.

·         Continue to be upgraded as the new FamilySearch system is enhanced.

Access to this new training system is available at: https://training.familysearch.org. Those with an LDS Account user name and password (Church members who have registered at https://ident.familysearch.org/cis-web) will be able to sign on using that user name and password.

This is the first version of the training system.  It provides the full functionality of new FamilySearch and has a basic set of exercises.  We will continue to enhance the exercises based on feedback from those using the system.  We hope this will prove to be a great new training resource for you while you teach classes about the new FamilySearch. The training system is available now.

Sincerely,

FamilySearch

Faces of America on PBS

Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr is a new PBS series that asks the questions: What made America? What makes us?

Mr Gates is a Harvard scholar who turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans. It will broadcast through March 3rd on your local PBS station.

Online video replays of the episodes can be found here.

The Generations Project - Monday nights on BYUTV

Have you ever wondered why you’re such a great musician? Where you get your love of politics? Why you're so independent? The answer just might be found in the lives of your ancestors.

The Generations Project is a new reality series that helps those who have questions about their family history investigate their own identities by walking in the shoes of their ancestors. As they undertake these journeys, they often uncover the hidden identities in family pasts, and come to see that in many cases the best way to know who you are is to know who you came from.

Monday nights at 8pm MST on BYU Television. Watch the latest episode...

                

Who Do You Think You Are? coming March 5th to NBC

Ancestry.com and NBC bring you seven exciting stories that will inspire the world to discover theirs. Tune into NBC Fridays at 8/7c starting Friday, March 5th, 2010. A heartwarming journey through family history! Watch WDYTYA.




Episode 1 - Sarah Jessica Parker (online until 18 Sep 2010)
Episode 2 - Emmitt Smith 
Episode 3 - Lisa Kudrow
Episode 4 - Matthew Broderick 
Episode 5 - Brooke Shields
Episode 6 - Susan Sarandon
Episode 7 - Spike Lee