Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Looking forward to next weekend’s Midwestern Roots conference

By 4 Comments

On Thursday, I head to Indianapolis for the Midwestern Roots Family History and Genealogy conference. I’m very excited. I see that it’s sold out! I’m sure it will be a stimulating, educational experience. I love conferences in general and especially love  genealogy conferences. I haven’t been to one in almost a year, so I feel past due!

The syllabus was posted yesterday and I just checked it out. I’m all the more excited! It looks like a terrific program. I see that there are a couple of sessions that will help me make the most of my week-long research trip to the Allen County Public Library next week. I’m so happy about that.

I saved the PDF of the syllabus to Evernote for easy access during the conference on my computer and phone, so I feel like I’m all set. (Hint for people who have registered: The password to open the syllabus is in the reservation acknowledgement email, with the subject line “IHS Confirmation.” It took me a minute to find it so I thought I’d save you the trouble.)

When I registered, I posted here and heard from a few readers who are also attending. I’ll be getting in touch this week to arrange to get together. If you’re attending and you’d like to meet (and we haven’t already communicated about it), please leave a comment or send me an email.

I’m very excited about this learning opportunity. And I look forward to multiplying the benefit by meeting readers of this blog!

Raise your hand if you’re going to Midwestern Roots 2016!

By 6 Comments

Two years ago, I had planned to attend the Midwestern Roots Family History and Genealogy Conference in Indianapolis. But then I had a work conflict that meant I had to cancel. (I had to lead a team to unpack and organize a beloved client’s new home and the movers did not care about my schedule!) At that time, I was thrilled that several Organize Your Family History readers were planning to attend and hoped to meet them.

This year I hope to have no such conflicts. I have registered for the conference, which will be held July 15 and 16. It looks like a terrific conference. I’m especially glad to be able to go, since I made the tough decision not to attend the National Genealogical Society’s conference this year, which is being held this week in Ft. Lauderdale. It’s too close to my annual organizers’ conference and I didn’t want to be away from home that much this month. (That turned out to be a great decision as we subsequently decided to remodel our kitchen and demolition starts this week. I need to be home to share the misery with my husband.)

If you’re planning to go Midwestern Roots and would like get together for coffee or sit together at a session, let me know. (I promise not to pressure you to become my BFF.) Just leave a comment and I’ll contact you via email or just email me through the Contact form. I posted a similar note before I went to RootsTech for the first time and ended up starting a wonderful friendship with Lori Krause, who reads this blog.

I’m really excited about attending the conference and learning so much. Getting to meet a blog reader or two would be icing on the cake!

NGS to live stream certain conference sessions

By Leave a Comment

NGS conference sessions to be live streamedOnce again, parts of the National Genealogical Society’s annual Family History Conference will be made available to those unable to attend the conference in-person. The conference will be held in Ft. Lauderdale May 4 to 7. NGS is offering two tracks, Land Records (May 5) and Methods for Success (May 6). Each track consists of five lectures and can be purchased for $65 (members) or $80 (non-members). Or you can buy both tracks for $115 (members) or $145 (non-members).

Registration is open now through April 22. To see a description of the lectures in each track go the Live Streaming page of the NGS website.

I’d been planning to attend the conference in person (I even have my hotel reservation), but am now thinking it’s not going to be feasible, due to conflicts in my schedule. So I’m really happy to know of the live streaming and to know that the recordings will be available to watch through August 7.

 

Allen County Public Library, here I come!

By 4 Comments

I just registered for the August research trip to the Allen County Public Library, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana sponsored by the National Genealogical Society. After a couple weeks of contemplation, this morning I pulled the trigger on investing $750 on this opportunity to further my research. (I blogged a couple of weeks ago about how tempted I was.)

I’m really excited and I know I’m going to enjoy planning this. I definitely want to make the most out of the opportunity to research at this renowned library. I’m particularly thrilled about getting the help of professional genealogists who are part of the trip.

I would love any advice any of you have for me. What should I do in advance? What should I bring along? It seems to me that having a clear idea of my research goals is paramount; I’m already thinking about that.

Please share any advice you might have in the comments.

Thanks in advance!