Illinois State Genealogical Society Webinar Series

The Illinois State Genealogical Society is hosting a webinar series that is free to the public to join in the live presentations. The recorded presentations are available to ISGS members. They have a great lineup of speakers and topics for 2015. To register visit their webinar registration page.

April 2015
Using Evernote as Your Primary Tool for Capturing Notes and Ideas

• Presenter:  Drew Smith
• Date: April 14, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: Evernote is a free tool that runs on PCs, Macs, tables and smart phones and that can be used to capture, organize, preserver, and synchronize (across multiple devices) information of different formats and sizes, including ideas, notes (typed, handwritten, and audio), photos, online articles, web pages, and URLs. Learn how to set up an Evernote account; how to create and edit notes; how to tag notes so that they can be identified with particular surnames, locations, and document types, so that they can be easily found, later; how to get content into Evernote using e-mail; how to clip articles found online into Evernote; how to share Notebooks with others for research collaboration; and how to use Evernote to create research to-do lists.

May 2015
Need Direction? Try City Directories!

• Presenter:  Jean Wilcox Hibben
• Date: May 12, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: More accessible than ever, City Directories can fill in blanks between census years, opening new chapters in your family history research. Learn how to find, navigate, and cite this valuable record source.

June 2015
Understanding Our Families, Understanding Ourselves

• Presenter:  Ron Arons
• Date: June 9, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: Genealogy is more than just finding ancestors and other relatives to create a giant family tree. In this talk you will learn the basics of 'Family Systems Theory', the same technique used by psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and social workers to help their clients understand themselves better. By understanding our ancestors through 'Family Systems Theory', you'll be able to understand family dynamics through multiple generations and your relative's impact on the family 'system' and how the system affected you.

July 2015
Dissect Obituaries for New Clues

• Presenter:  George G. Morgan
• Date: July 14, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: Obituaries are miniature biographies for the deceased. The writers were compelled to compress as much information into a small amount of text. Your job is to carefully analyze the content of the death notice, obituary, and/or funeral notice and look for clues. This seminar presents a methodology for dissecting an obituary, determining what information is provided or inferred, identifying record types that may be available, where those records are located, and how to access them. A sample obituary is dissected and discussed.

August 2015
School Daze – Finding and Using School Records to Trace Our Ancestors

• Presenter:  Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG
• Date: August 11, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: We may even be somewhat astounded to learn that our ancestors even attended school. Locating school records can be an amazing way of putting our families into place, especially when there may be no vital records available in an area.

September 2015
Using Tax Records for Genealogical Problem Solving

• Presenter:  Michael Lacopo
• Date: September 8, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: Although most researchers are aware of tax records, they are seldom utilized and dismissed as boring and insignificant.  Tax records can solve MANY genealogical dilemmas and should be a primary records source to utilize, especially in states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky, but nationwide.  This lecture will show you how they can help you!

October 2015
Polish Genealogy – Four Steps to successful research

• Presenter:  Steve Szabados
• Date: October 13, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: When did your Polish ancestors immigrate, from where did they leave, why did they leave, how did they get here? These are questions we all hope to find the answers. This presentation is designed to give the researcher the tools needed to research their Polish ancestors and find possible answers to the origins of your Polish heritage. The program outlines a simple process that will identify where your ancestors were born and where to find their Polish records. Steve uses his own genealogical research experience to outline a simple process that has been successful for the author.

November 2015
In-laws and Outlaws: The Bylaws of Talking About The Family Skeletons

• Presenter:  Janet Hovorka
• Date: November 10, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: Sharing your family history can be an important part of the health of your family relationships but every family has a few sticking points.  If you don't have some family skeletons, you just haven't done enough family history research yet.  Every family has heroes and scoundrels.  How do you pass down this information to the next generations in your family in a healthy, safe way that encourages strong connections to family and good coping skills?  Sometimes it is all in the way you frame it.  Here are some rules for making sure your family learns from the past and proceeds forward into the future in a healthy way.

December 2015
The US Federal Census: Good, Bad and Ugly for Genealogists

• Presenter:  Gary Smith
• Date: December 8, 2015, 8:00 pm Central
• Description: The US Federal Census has become a staple of genealogical research in the United States.  Using the census most effectively, however, requires understanding that there are good, bad, and truly ugly aspects of this record. Most are related to the type, quality or quantity of information recorded, but there are also some major pros and cons of the existence of the record.  Recognizing the possible pitfalls and highpoints will allow a researcher to use the record to best advantage.