Most Popular Posts from 2013

Well, the big event on my blog this year was the release of Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones and the accompanying Gen Proof Study Groups. The posts about the book and the study groups were three of the most popular posts on this blog in 2013. This is fitting, as I think this book is excellent and one of the best genealogical education tools available this year.

Two of the other most popular posts were about the Virtual Genealogy Fair at the National Archives, and Preparing for a Research Trip to Washington, D.C. The National Archives and Federal records are among my areas of specialization, and I think I will write more about them in 2014. I will also write more about my favorite genealogy educational opportunities for 2014 tomorrow. Here are links to the most popular posts of 2013:   "Gen Proof" Groups to Study Mastering Genealogical Proof

Gen Proof Study Groups – How To Get In

NARA Virtural Genealogy Fair Schedule

Mastering Genealogical Proof - The Newest "Must Have Book”

Preparing for a Research Trip to Washington D.C.

British Institute Registration Discount Extended

Five Gen Proof Study Groups Open for Registration

Unexpected Lessons from Tom Jones - Part 1

Legacy Family Tree Announces 2014 Webinar Series

I am excited about the announcement of the 2014 Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series. I have participated in a number of the previous webinars and find them to be an excellent learning opportunity. These webinars are free if you watch them live, or for the first seven days. There is also a membership if you want access to all the webinars at your convenience. 

Here is the press release on the 2014 schedule:

Millennia Corporation and FamilyTreeWebinars.com are pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 2014 Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series. Choose from 52 classes from genealogy's leading educators (nearly 80 hours of free genealogy education) on topics ranging from genealogy technology to in-depth research methodologies and evidence analysis. Legacy Family Tree Webinars was awarded the Best Genealogy Education or Learning Experience by the About.com 2013 Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards.

Sign up for one or for all of them today (so you don't forget later) and you will receive a reminder email both one day and one hours prior to the live event. Brand new - sign up for multiple webinars at the same time by clicking here or visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com.

January 2014

• What's New in Legacy Family Tree 8 by Geoff Rasmussen. 1/3
• Are You a GOON? What is a One-Name Study and Why Do One? by Kirsty Gray. 1/8
• Too Many with the Same Name by Karen Clifford. 1/15
• Irish Research 101: Learning the Research Process by Judy Wight. 1/22
• Ten Reasons Your Ancestor Was in Canada by Kathryn Lake Hogan. 1/29

February 2014

• Family Stories: Using Newspapers to Reconnect with the Stories of Your Family's Past by Tom Kemp. 2/12
• The Ties That Bond by Judy Russell. 2/19
• Searching for Surnames: Challenges, Pitfalls and the Downright Ridiculous by Kirsty Gray. 2/26

March 2014

• Genealogy and Technology - State of the Union by Barbara Renick. 3/1
• Using Google Earth for Genealogy by Lisa Louise Cooke. 3/5
• Sources and Citations Made Simple, Standard, and Powerful by Geoff Rasmussen. 3/7
• Some Lesser Known Irish Resources by Judy Wight. 3/12
• 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites by Kory Meyerink. 3/19

April 2014

• 7 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. 4/2
• Get Organized Using the FamilyRoots Organizer Color-Coding System by Mary Hill. 4/9
• Estate Records - More Than Just Wills by Linda Woodward Geiger. 4/11
• Genealogy Evidence and Online Family Trees by Karen Clifford. 4/16
• The Homestead Act of 1862 by Thomas MacEntee. 4/23
• Google Glass and Family History by Devin Ashby. 4/30

May 2014

• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. 5/2
• 50 Year View - What I've Learned Climbing My Family Tree by Tom Kemp. 5/7
• Photo Apps for Android, iPhones or iPads by Maureen Taylor. 5/14
• I Had My DNA Tested - Now What? by Ugo Perego. 5/21
• Using Tax Lists to Solve Genealogical Problems by Linda Woodward Geiger. 5/28

June 2014

• German Internet Research: A Launching Place for Your Research by Kory Meyerink. 6/11
• 10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Family History Narrative by Lisa Alzo. 6/13
• Copyright Mythconceptions by Judy Russell. 6/18
• Documenting Native American Families in 19th and 20th Century Records by Angela Walton-Raji. 6/25

July 2014

• Thinking About Becoming a Board-certified Genealogist? by Elissa Scalise Powell. 7/9
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. 7/11
• When Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story by Angela Walton-Raji. 7/16
• Researching Your Illinois Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. 7/23

August 2014

• Researching Your Tennessee Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. 8/6
• Research Recharge - Turning Old Clues into New Leads by Lisa Alzo. 8/8
• Find A Grave - The World's Largest Cemetery Database by Russ Worthington. 8/20
• Researching Your Italian Ancestors by Ruth Merriman. 8/27

September 2014

• Researching Your Jewish Ancestors by Jennifer Alford. 9/3
• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. 9/5
• Success with Manuscript Sources by Barbara Renick. 9/10
• Evaluating Evidence and Resolving Discrepancies by Kory Meyerink. 9/17
• A Library at Your Fingertips - the Internet Archive by Maureen Taylor. 9/24

October 2014

• The Fair Court: Records of Chancery Courts by Judy Russell. 10/1
• Overcoming Destroyed or Missing Records by Karen Clifford. 10/3
• Welcome to FamilySearch Indexing! by Devin Ashby. 10/8
• Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestor by Thomas MacEntee. 10/15
• Tracking Migration Using the Draper Manuscripts by Mary Hill. 10/22

November 2014

• Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting by Legacy Family Tree Panel. 11/14
• Using Evernote for Genealogy by Lisa Louise Cooke. 11/19

December 2014

• Family History for Kids by Devin Ashby. 12/3
• Look Ma, No Hands! Using Dragon Naturally Speaking for Your Genealogy by Ivan Baugh. 10/5
• Researching Your North Carolina Ancestors by J. Mark Lowe. 12/10
• Bagging a Live One - Connecting with Cousins You Never Knew You Had by Mary Kircher Roddy. 12/17

Webinar Brochure
Print the webinar brochure to share with your friends, genealogy society, or Family History Center.

FamilyTreeWebinars.com memberships
All live webinars are free, and their recordings are free to watch for the next 7 days. If you missed a previous webinar you can now have access to the entire archives (now more than 200 hours) and instructors' handouts (more than 500 pages) through a monthly or annual webinar membership. Click here for more information or to subscribe.

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See you online in 2014!

IGHR Registration to Open on January 21, 2014

Every year I get excited for the Institute of  Genealogy and Historical Research. In my opinion it is one of the best genealogy education options available.There are ten courses to choose from and registration is set for Tuesday, January 21, 2014. Mark your calendars, as some courses will fill within minutes.

In order to accommodate the high level of interest in this institute, there is a rolling system of opening registration for two courses at a time. This will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (10:00 a.m. Central, 9:00 a.m. Mountain, 8:00 a.m. Pacific). A link will be provided on the IGHR Registration page (http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/IGHR_registration.html) to the online registration at that time. If this is your first time registering, or if you just want a refresher on what to expect, please consult the downloadable online registration guide (http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/IGHR101_online-reg-2014.pdf).

Here is the registration schedule for January 21st:

Opening at 10:00 AM CST:
Course 1: Techniques & Technology
Course 7: Researching African American Genealogy: 20th Century Research

Opening at 10:30 AM CST:
Course 2: Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies
Course 9: Advanced Library Research: Law Libraries & Government Documents

Opening at 11:00 AM CST:
Course 4: Writing and Publishing for Genealogists
Course 8: The Trans-Mississippi South

Opening at 11:30 AM CST:
Course 5: Military Records I
Course 6: Irish Genealogical Research
Course 10:  Virginia: Her Records and Her Laws

Every year, some courses fill up in a matter of minutes, so be sure to be wherever you have your fastest internet connection at registration time.

The Institute itself will take place on June 8-13, 2014.

For more information, including the courses being offered and how to register on Jan. 21, visit the IGHR website at http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis (formerly Course 4) will not be offered in 2014. For more information about this and other changes see the IGHR homepage at http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/index.html.

Scholarship for the National Institute on Genealogical Research

As a member of the National Institute on Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA) I am excited to let you know about a scholarship available to attend the institute. I attended in 2008 and have loved working with federal records ever since. Beverly Rice, the current president of NIGRAA, has asked me to publicize this scholarship. Apply quickly if you are interested, as the deadline is January 15, 2014.

16 December 2013

The National Institute on Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA) announces the Richard S. Lackey Memorial Scholarship for 2014. This scholarship is awarded to an experienced researcher employed in a paid or volunteer position in the services of the genealogical community. The amount of the Scholarship is $500, which covers full tuition for the National Institute on Genealogical Research, attendance at the Alumni Association Dinner, and will partly defray hotel and/or meal costs.

Applications must be submitted in PDF or Word format. The completed application form and attachments should be e-mailed to Beverly Rice at and received by 15 January 2014. The application form can be found at the bottom of the NIGRAA website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nigraa/. 

The winner will be notified no later than 15 February 2013. The scholarship winner will automatically be accepted for the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR), to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Monday, July 14 through Friday, July 18, 2013. NIGR is an intensive program offering on-site examination of federal records and is intended for experienced genealogical researchers. Note: an application to attend in 2014 must also be submitted to NIGR.

Membership in NIGRAA is open to anyone who has completed one or more sessions of the National Institute on Genealogical Research or who has lectured at any session.

APG Virtual Professional Management Conference

If you are interested in the Professional Management Conference (PMC) hosted by the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), but are unable to travel to Salt Lake City in January, you may like to participate virtually. Thanks to Family Search, five of the sessions on Saturday, January 11, 2014 will be available for live streaming.

The 2014 Virtual PMC offers the following 5 classes streamed to your computer or mobile device:

• "Good Name in Man or Woman" -- Protecting a Professional Reputation, by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Networking for Genealogists: Making Connections Online and in Person, by Angela Packer McGhie
• The Pursuit from Genealogy Hobbyist to Professional, by Claire V. Brisson-Banks, AG
• Discovering and Communicating Your Unique Value: Personal Branding for Professional Genealogists, by Melissa A. Johnson
• Gaining Recognition in the Genealogical Community: Climbing the Professional Ladder, by Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG 

Visit www.apgen.org/members/2014virtualpmc.html to register for the Virtual PMC and to view class times. Registration for the Virtual PMC closes on 6 January 2014.
 
Registration Options
Option 1: Live streaming of all 5 classes
Cost: $100
This option includes live access to all 5 Virtual PMC classes on Saturday, 11 January 2014, a downloadable PDF of the full conference syllabus, and 3 months of access to recordings of all 5 sessions.

Option 2: Recordings of individual sessions
Cost: $25 per session
Register to view recordings of individual sessions you're interested in and receive 3 months of access to online recordings of individual sessions and syllabus materials for the individual classes.

Would you like to participate in person?
With 10 expert speakers, 8 classes, and 3 hands-on workshops, this is the largest PMC yet:

• Personal Branding for Professional Genealogists -- by Melissa Johnson
• It’s a Genealogical Narrative! (Workshop) -- by Mary Penner
• Networking for Genealogists -- Angela Packer McGhie
• Protecting a Professional Reputation (Saturday Keynote) -- Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• The Making of a NGSQ Article (Workshop) -- Harold Henderson, CG
• Working for Entertainment and Corporate Clients (Friday Keynote) -- D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS
• Gaining Recognition in the Genealogical Community -- Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG
• Advanced DNA for Professionals (Workshop) -- CeCe Moore
• Writing a Genealogy Business Plan -- Angela Packer McGhie
• The Pursuit from Genealogy Hobbyist to Professional -- Claire V. Brisson-Banks, MLIS, AG
• Will Genealogy-Based TV Improve My Business? -- J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA

The PMC will be held 10-11 January 2014 at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Prices begin at $50 for Friday's classes. Early-bird registration and pricing ends 6 January 2014.

Register for the PMC and view full pricing details at www.apgen.org/conferences.

Tom Jones Compares Editions of Genealogy Standards Manual

With all the excitement over the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) releasing Genealogy Standards, an updated version of their standards manual published in 2000, there have been inquiries about the differences in the two editions. Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG^SM, CGL^SM , the editor of the book, answered questions on a private mailing list and gave me permission to share his response here:

"The revision is both longer and shorter. Five appendixes (86 pages) in the 2000 edition show examples of different kinds of genealogical compilations and reports, all fictitious. The 2014 edition replaces that section with a 3-page list of online and print resources for non-fictitious examples. The new edition also contains a 17-page glossary, which the prior edition does not have.

Not only does the newer edition have fewer pages, they are smaller in size. The font size is not smaller. The new edition's 83 standards fill 41 pages, where the earlier edition's 72 standards fill 25 larger pages. The standards in both editions cover the same principles, but they are reorganized in the new edition, as well as updated to reflect relevant advances in technology and science since 1999. The reorganization includes separating multi-part standards, combining related concepts into one standard (thus minimizing repetition and redundancy), and grouping standards to reflect more clearly the structure of the genealogy discipline's skill set. Each standard now bears a title/descriptor. The new edition aims for greater clarity, stronger connections to genealogists and their work, and closer ties to the Genealogical Proof Standard. Watch the Website for charts showing the correspondence between the two editions' standards numbers."

Pre-order the book:

SAVE 20%! To place a specially-priced, pre-publication order with delivery in the first part of February 2014, visit http://www.bcgcertification.org/catalog/index.html. Regularly priced at $14.95, the pre-publication price is $11.95 before January 27, 2014.

To read the press release from the Board for Certification of Genealogists on Genealogy Standards see this post:

New Genealogy Standards Manual

New Genealogy Standards Manual

I was excited to hear this morning that the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) is releasing Genealogy Standards, an updated edition of The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual (2000). This new manual is issued in honor or the 50th anniversary of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

Details from the press release:

“Accuracy is fundamental to genealogical research,” writes editor Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG^SM, CGL^SM, in the introduction. “Without it, a family’s history would be fiction. This manual presents the standards family historians use to obtain valid results. These standards apply to all genealogical research, whether shared privately or published.”

 

The 83 specific standards cover the process of researching family history and the finished products of the research. Based on the five-part Genealogical Proof Standard, the standards cover:

* documenting (standards 1–8);
* researching (standards 9–50), including planning, collecting, and reasoning from evidence;
* writing (standards 51–73), including proofs, assembly, and special products;

* teaching and lecturing (standards 74–81); and
* continuing education (standards 82 & 83).  

The 100-page book includes appendices: the genealogist's code, a description of BCG and its work, a list of sources and resources where examples of work that meets standards are regularly published, a glossary, and an evidence-process map distinguishing the three kinds of sources, information, and evidence.

“We are delighted to provide this new edition, which is meant for all genealogical researchers and practitioners as a way to recognize sound genealogy,” said BCG president Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. “We appreciate the many hands that helped bring this new edition to fruition and look forward to its widespread usage in the field.” 

Pre-order the book: 

SAVE 20%! To place a specially-priced, pre-publication order with delivery in the first part of February 2014, visit http://www.bcgcertification.org/catalog/index.html. Regularly priced at $14.95, the pre-publication price is $11.95 before January 27, 2014. 

Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards, 50th anniversary edition. New York: Turner Publishing Co., 2014. 100 pp., paper, ISBN 978-1-63026-018-7, $14.95.