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This Learning Genealogy Round Up is the second in a new series of monthly posts on genealogy education presented by The In-Depth Genealogist. Each month I’ll feature an assortment of news, events, and announcements to highlight upcoming opportunities to learn more about genealogy and family history.
It’s a busy month, so let’s get started:
RootsTech 2013 is gearing up to welcome attendees March 21-23 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The early bird registration deadline has been extended to Friday, March 15, so you still have a short time to take advantage of that discount. Dennis Brimhall, Syd Lieberman, and D. Joshua Taylor have been announced as the three keynote speakers. To read more about the conference, see “RootsTech Offers Something for Everyone.”
In past years, RootsTech has offered free live streaming of selected presentations for those who can’t make it to Salt Lake City, broadcast on the main conference webpage. While no official announcement has been made, live streaming is expected to be available again this year. Keep an eye on the RootsTech website for an announcement. In the meantime, Randy Seaver, a RootsTech Official Blogger, has identified possible candidates for streaming sessions, based on the hall assignments. You’ll find his post, “RootsTech 2013—Live Streamed Sessions” at Genea-Musings.
Webinar Watch
Legacy Family Tree has just introduced a membership plan that gives fans of its popular webinar series a new viewing option. The plan allows members to watch previously recorded webinars, and download their associated handouts, for a monthly or yearly subscription fee. Since there are nearly 100 archived Legacy Family Tree webinars to date, this represents a considerable savings over buying individual CD recordings. And the convenience can’t be beat.
Legacy Family Tree states, “Access to the complete archives (over 136 hours of classes) is now available through an annual or monthly Webinar Membership at the introductory price of $49.95 (annually) or $9.95 (monthly). Watching the live, weekly webinars continues to be free (36 more are scheduled in 2013), and visitors are free to view recordings for one week after a live presentation. For Webinar Members, new recordings and handouts will be added monthly at no extra cost.”
Hosted by Geoff Rasmussen, Legacy Family Tree webinars feature many of today’s best-known genealogy educators, who share their collective expertise on a wide variety of research topics. For a full list of webinar subjects and presenters, or to sign up for the new subscription program, see the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.
DearMYRTLE is currently in the process of transitioning most of her broadcasts from GoToWebinar to a new format, Google+ Hangouts on Air (HOA). These broadcasts are free to view, both at the time of presentation and indefinitely, as they are automatically archived on YouTube. For more information, see her posts “Joining DearMYRTLE’s G+ Hangouts on Air” and “Making Sense of Google+ HOAs.” To prepare for the change, DearMYRTLE has been hosting a number of practice sessions and orientations. A Google+ account is needed to participate, but no pre-registration or special software is required, and the platform is compatible with both PC and Mac systems.
Remember to check the calendar at GeneaWebinars.com, maintained by DearMYRTLE, for the latest listing of upcoming genealogy webinars, online meetings, and hangouts.
Tip: The “Gen Ed” column in the March 15, 2013 edition of Going In-Depth magazine will feature a more comprehensive look at genealogy webinars. Whether you’re just curious about webinars, or you’re already an experienced viewer looking for additional sources, you won’t want to miss it. Sign up for a free subscription now.
On the Conference Circuit
The Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, coming up April 25-27 in Cincinnati, is offering early bird discounts through Friday, March 15. This year’s conference, “Expanding Your Ancestry Through Technology,” features three full days of presentations, starting with the keynote address by Thomas W. Jones. There’s no cutoff date for regular price registrations, but if you’re planning to attend, OGS advises that only a limited number of rooms are still available at the Millennium Hotel, where the conference is being held. For the full program brochure and registration form, see the OGS Conference website.
The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) will present their annual Education Fund Workshop on Tuesday, May 7, in Las Vegas, Nevada (the day before the NGS Family History Conference begins). Titled “Putting Skills to Work,” the workshop will be led by Beverly Rice, CG, and Connie Lenzen, CG. More information can be found on the BCG SpringBoard blog. To register for this special event, visit the BCG Education Fund Workshop page on the NGS Conference registration site.
The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is still accepting registrations for its 2013 Family History Conference, “Building New Bridges,” held May 8-11 in Las Vegas. But if you want take advantage of early bird pricing, you’ll need to hurry—the deadline for discounted registration is Tuesday, March 19. Pre-registration at the regular price ends Friday, April 22.
NGS recently announced special conference pricing for college and university students. At only $50 for members and $60 for non-members for the full conference, this represents a savings of nearly 75% off the regular adult rate. To find the qualifications and registration requirements for this special offer, see the Upfront With NGS blog.
A special one-day event, Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013, has been announced for Thursday, June 6, 2013 in Burbank, California. The event is co-sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) and the International Society for Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG), and precedes the SCGS Jamboree. Over a dozen experts in the field of genetic genealogy will give presentations on the use of DNA testing in family history research. One of the presenters, Judy Russell, recently discussed this groundbreaking conference on her blog, The Legal Genealogist. Anyone interested in exploring the topic, regardless of skill level, is invited to attend. More information and registration details can be found on the SCGS Jamboree Family History and DNA event page.
Registration for the SCGS Jamboree, scheduled for June 7-9 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, is actively underway. The deadline for early bird pricing is April 28. You’ll find a wealth of information on the Jamboree website.
Last but certainly not least, The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) just opened registration for its 2013 Conference, which will be held August 21-24 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Visit the conference website to see the full program and to register, or subscribe to the conference blog for additional information. More details on both the SCGS Jamboree and the FGS 2013 Conference will be coming up in the April issue of Going In-Depth magazine.
Check the calendar at Conference Keeper to find other family history conference and workshop opportunities.
Tip: Many conference registration forms ask you to indicate what session you’re most interested in attending for each time slot. This helps conference planners get a better prediction of numbers and decide what room to assign for each presentation. It may take a little bit of time, but it’s helpful tool for avoiding overcrowded rooms when the conference opens. Don’t worry—you don’t have to stick by your choices when the day comes. If you change your mind or want to go with a friend to a different session, that’s perfectly fine. Just look the program schedule over, and then do yourself and the conference organizers a favor by indicating your most likely preferences.
Institute News
The Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University has filled nine of its ten courses for 2013. If you’d like to register for Course 6: Genealogy as a Profession, or want to add your name to the wait list for a filled course, see the IGHR home page. Early bird pricing is in effect through March 15. IGHR is scheduled for June 9-14 in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) has filled two courses, but still has some seats available in four others. GRIP will be held July 21-26, 2013 at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On-campus housing is available and includes all meals. Discounted registration is available until May 15. To see course schedules and registration details, visit the GRIP website.
Scholarships
Young genealogists between the ages of 18-25 who have attended school within the last 12 months are invited to apply for the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Grant, offered in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. The winner will receive $500 to use toward their genealogy education, as well as free registration for the full three-day 2013 Jamboree. The award was established in 2010 in honor of Suzanne, an enthusiastic supporter of Jamboree. The deadline to apply is Monday, March 18. Denise Levenick provides details on her blog, The Family Curator.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of opportunities to learn about genealogy and family history, especially this time of year!
Until next month,
Shelley
Thank you, Shelley. such a wealth of resources and opportunities. I’m continually surprised at how generous these genealogists are in sharing their information and expertise . . . and databases! They continually refine one another’s knowledge and methods, and they educate the public as well. This is an indispensable field. It ought to be a major in liberal arts colleges.