RootsTech Conference Schedule Posted

I know many of you are looking forward to the RootsTech Conference hosted by FamilySearch in Salt Lake City on February 2-4, 2012. The daily schedule has now been posted at http://rootstech.org/schedule/users

New APG Webinar Series - Tax Considerations for Your Genealogy Business

I have known that a webinar series has been in the planning stages at APG for some time, but am excited to see that the first webinar will be next week. It is open to the public, so if you are interested in creating your own genealogy business you will want to attend. Here is the announcement from the Association of Professional Genealogists:

Professional Development for APG Members and the Genealogy Community

6 January 2012 – Westminster, Colo., With the increased demand for professional development options for genealogists, the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) announces a new webinar series for 2012. APG webinars will cover topics of interest to professional genealogists with a focus on tools and best practices for running a genealogy business.

Tax Considerations for Your Genealogy Business (U.S.)
Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM EST

The first offering in the APG webinar series, Tax Considerations for Your Genealogy Business, will be presented by nationally-known genealogist, educator, and writer, James M. Beidler, on Wednesday evening, 11 January 2012, at 8:30 P.M. Eastern time.

Whether you earn your income from research, teaching, writing, or another form of genealogical activity, there are many tax decisions which affect your genealogy business. Should you form a sole proprietorship or an LLC? Take a deduction for your home office? File a 1099 for subcontractors? Jim Beidler, a Senior Tax Advisor for H&R Block and owner of his own genealogy business, will share his strategies for maximizing the deductions on your 2011 tax bill while planning ahead for 2012.

To kick off our webinar series, this first APG webinar is FREE to the public as well as to members of APG. Those wanting to attend are encouraged to register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/385781994 since space is limited. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

APG Professional Development

APG will be offering future professional development webinars to its members, and occasionally to the genealogy community, on a variety of topics related to genealogy as a profession. In addition, APG members will have on-demand access to webinar recordings as well as to syllabus materials via the Members Only Section of the APG website.

About the Association of Professional Genealogists
APG (www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents more than 2,400 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers, and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring, and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy and history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada, and thirty other countries. APG is active on LinkedIn, Twitter (www.twitter.com/apggenealogy), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/AssociationofProfessionalGenealogists).

APG is a registered trademark of the Association of Professional Genealogists. All other trade and service marks are property of their respective owners.

ICAPGEN Mentoring Classes

I received the following announcement from the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGEN). Please see my comments below the announcement.

January 3, 2011 - Salt Lake City, Utah

ICAPGen is pleased to announce that another series of mentoring classes will begin on January 20, 2012. These are free classes to help individuals prepare for ICAPGen accreditation. They are held at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. For our friends who are not able to come to Salt Lake City, these classes have been filmed and can be watched on our website: http://www.icapgen.org/icapgen/resources

For more information about the mentoring classes, click the link above.

Comments from Angela:
For those who will be in Salt Lake City these classes are free and would be helpful in learning about the accreditation program. For those who are not in Salt Lake City, these classes have been recorded and can be viewed online for free. Even if you are not interested in the ICAPGEN accreditation program many of the classes can be helpful in learning about genealogy research and methodology. I have watched several of the classes and found them to be helpful on topic such as evidence analysis and writing research reports. There is also a mentoring class syllabus available for purchase on the ICAPGEN website. This 51-page PDF file sells for $4.00 and contains details on the application process as well as handouts and homework assignments for each course. Here are links to a few of the general courses available online:



Mentoring Class: Research Binder
Mentoring Class: Working with Documents
Mentoring Class: Citing Sources
Mentoring Class: History, Geography, and Timelines
Mentoring Class: Evidence Analysis, Part 1
Mentoring Class: Evidence Analysis, Part 2
Mentoring Class: Writing a Quality Research Report
Mentoring Class: Pedigree Analysis

Happy New Year!

I want to wish everyone a very successful year for genealogy in 2012. I took some time off from blogging this fall as I am pregnant with my third child. My family is very excited to welcome a new baby girl in April.

Genealogy education is still very important to me and so I will resume blogging and posting important announcements in this area in 2012. I look forward to sharing ideas and opportunities with you.

Angela

Early-Bird Deadline for APG Professional Management Conference

I received the following press release from the Association of Professional Genealogists and think this is an excellent educational opportunity. There are seven presentations included in the program, and the conference is conveniently scheduled between the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the RootsTech conference.


APG Professional Management Conference

WESTMINSTER, Colo., December 12, 2011− The early-bird registration deadline is rapidly approaching for the upcoming APG Professional Management Conference (PMC). The one-day conference will be held February 1, 2011 at the Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City. Members who sign up before December 31, 2011 will receive $25 off of the registration fee. The conference is also open to non-members. PMC is being held one day before the RootsTech Family History & Technology Conference (http://rootstech.org/).

The conference, themed “Techniques, Tools, and Technology,” will feature lectures from top genealogists, including J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA; Paula Stuart-Warren, CG; Thomas MacEntee; Teresa Koch-Bostic; Melissa A. Johnson; Laura G. Prescott; Kory L. Meyerink, AG; and Diane L. Giannini, CG. Lectures will provide strategic and practical advice for genealogists, from research planning to earning a living.

The conference is open to professionals, aspiring professionals, and anyone interested in networking with professional genealogists. Lecture topics and registration details at http://www.apgen.org/conferences.

About APG
The Association of Professional Genealogists (www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents more than 2,400 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy and history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada and thirty other countries. APG is active on LinkedIn, Twitter (www.twitter.com/apggenealogy) and FaceBook (www.facebook.com/AssociationofProfessionalGenealogists).

Media Contacts:
Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG, Executive Director,
Association of Professional Genealogists
P.O. Box 350998, Westminster, CO 80035-0998
Phone 303-422-9371, fax 303-456-8825, email admin@apgen.org

Corey Oiesen, Communications Officer
Association of Professional Genealogists
Email: corey@genealogyheroes.com

SLIG is Having a Blogging Contest

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is excited to announce our first ever blogging contest. We believe that SLIG is one of the best educational opportunities available for genealogists—and we want to hear why you think so to. For the next week we would like to encourage all the fantastic bloggers in the genealogy community to let us know why you would like to attend SLIG. The contest will run through Saturday, October 15, 2011 at midnight (Mountain Time). The prize will be a tuition waver to SLIG 2012 (note that only those classes which haven’t filled are eligible).

How do I enter?

Step 1: Write 500 words or more on the topic of why you want to attend SLIG. Include which course you would like to take, and whether you have attended before. Please include the link www.slig.ugagenealogy.org when referring to SLIG’s website.
Step 2: Post a link to your blog post on the UGA/SLIG Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/ugagenealogy) before midnight (Mountain Time) on Saturday, October 15, 2011. If you are not on Facebook please send an email to susanbankhead@msn.com and we will post the link on Facebook for you.
Step 3: The winner will be randomly chosen using www.randomizer.org, and announced via our Facebook page on Sunday, October 16, 2011.

What do I win?

The winning blogger will be awarded a tuition waiver for SLIG 2012. The waiver is only valid for SLIG 2012 (January 23-27, 2012). The waiver may be applied to registration for any SLIG track for 2012 which has not already filled. The waiver is for tuition only and does not include travel costs, hotel stay, or meals.

What if I’m already registered for SLIG?

If the winner is already registered for SLIG they will be refunded the amount already paid in tuition (note that this does not include any night classes or meals which may have been purchased).

What if I don’t have a blog?

Now is a great time to start one! You could write as a guest blogger on a friend’s blog.

Note: If you need to post on this blog send me a message.

Problem Solving track at SLIG offers a unique student experience

It's time for another installment in our series of blog posts about the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG).  Today's guest blogger is Judith Hansen, the Problem Solving Course Coordinator.

The Problem Solving course at SLIG is a directed practicum: the student, with the assistance of interested consultants and peers (fellow students in the group) enhances and applies specific methodology, analysis, and evaluation skills to the student's personal research. 

The format of the problem solving course is designed so each student receives specific help on his/her own project, learns from studying the submissions of the other students. and from discussing research and methodology with the other students and professionals. 

Each problem solving student chooses his own curriculum--focused on one ancestor, ancestral couple, or particular genealogical question. Choose a problem that is of personal interest and is not under constraints imposed by others. Research being done for hire or for possible submission to BCG or ICAPGen should not be used.

The Problem Solving course takes place in 3 parts.

1. After registering and before Oct 30, each student submits a Problem Solving Project, with the following elements: a short 1 page summary of the Problem, pertinent research logs, family groups, pedigree, maps, time line, and five page report about the research problem being submitted.
2. During SLIG daily meetings are held with the assigned group to discuss the problem, offer suggestions, and debrief on the previous day's research activities.
3. After SLIG each student completes a new written summary of their research project, discussing sources used, new findings or lack of findings, conclusions and what to consider next in future research. IF at the end of SLIG week, the group consensus is that research possibilities have been exhausted for the problem, leaving no further avenues to pursue, the student is encouraged to put the project on the shelf--writing a final evaluation report which states final conclusions with supporting evidence, and details research steps, sources and analysis. The summary should be shared with those interested, including fellow PS Group members and consultants.

As a Problem Solving student one is 1) a researcher, evaluator and reporter for their own research, 2) a peer within the group, providing encouragement and suggestions, 3) a student of the comments of consultants and peers, 4) a teacher sharing their own expertise with others when needed, and above all 5) a genealogy friend.

Often the encouragement a genealogist needs is validation: someone else to look at their research, evaluation, and analysis – am I on the right track? Do conclusions make sense? What data or pertinent records are missing? What are the flaws or misconceptions in evaluating data and sources? What is needed to resolve conflicts or discrepancies? For some it may be “a safe place” where others will listen to their genealogy stories and concerns.

~Judith Hansen, MLS, AG

This article reprinted with permission of the Utah Genealogical Association. To learn more about the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) or the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), please visit their website at: ugagenealogy.org.