Using Historical Literature to Explore Your Ancestor’s Lives

Emily Sienkiewicz

Historical literature, both fiction and non-fiction, can help us to better understand the world in which our ancestors lived and the events that shaped their lives. This presentation looks at how to use historical literature to flesh out the stories of our ancestors and provides examples to show what can be learned. Presented by Karen Fortin. This hybrid meeting will be held in-person in the Local History Room (2d Flr) of the Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Drive, Largo, FL 33771 AND online via Zoom. Registration is only required for Zoom attendees. For details see us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvdemoqTIsGdXLx9qs32q0w5Kv1BB99vsR

Record as You Go, Cite as You Go, File as You Go with Cyndi Ingle

Emily Sienkiewicz

The Genealogical Society is dedicated to promoting the study of genealogy and the preservation of family heritage. Monthly meetings host speakers for instruction in family research. Topics range widely from local to international record search and use. Register at wccls.bibliocommons.com/events/6397b228ae399e2f00a2ac66 For details see gswco.org/

Navigating Unexpected Genealogical Finds

Emily Sienkiewicz

Genealogy is a popular topic, and more people than ever want to find their roots. However, many do not think about the emotional fallout from learning or exposing family history. Explore resources you can use to deal with what happens when you discover unexpected information about ancestors. This session goes beyond how to discover who your ancestors are and focuses on the aftermath of finding your roots. Our speakers from the Library of Congress are Candice Buchanan and Sheree Budge. They will share examples of the secrets that family history research sometimes reveals (e.g., unknown associations, adoptions, slaveholding ancestors, inherited medical conditions). We use a few examples as case studies and provide resources that family …

Grip, Grippe & the Spanish Lady: The 1918 Pandemic & Your Family Records – with Michelle Spencer

Emily Sienkiewicz

The influenza outbreak came in waves that lasted almost 3 years from mid-1918 through early 1920. This presentation will place the pandemic in context of when, why, and where it occurred. This context provides genealogists with the best tools to search for records. The presentation covers what records exist, where to find them, and a few surprising sources of information. Free and open to the public. Past Genealogy Pro Talk webinars are available for view by UGA members. Please register in advance for this program. https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8PtaJxASSpCHx2X4XWfMeQ For details see https://ugagenealogy.org/eventListings.php?nm=626

Government of the People: Leveraging Freedom of Information Laws to Procure Novel Records

Emily Sienkiewicz

Government of the People: Leveraging Freedom of Information Laws to Procure Novel Records. This lecture will explain Freedom of Information Laws and how genealogists can use them to obtain often inaccessible record sets and to learn about how systems of records are organized. A variety of jurisdictions and case studies will be discussed. About Alec Ferretti: Alec is a New York City-based professional genealogist who has worked for the Wells Fargo Family & Business History Center, researching family histories for high-net-worth clients. Alec specializes in the genealogy of 20th-century immigrants to the United States. He is a regular lecturer at genealogical societies and conferences. He serves as the President of the New York Genealogy & …

Using Funeral Programs to Inform Genealogy Research

Emily Sienkiewicz

Funeral programs are a unique artifact prevalent in African American communities. Produced at death, these programs record biographical details along with family names, dates, and locations. All the data that we family researchers love to have in our own collections. Join Genealogist Renata Y. Sander to learn more about identifying funeral program collections and how they might inform your own family history. About the presenter: Renate Yarborough Sanders is the descendant of formerly enslaved ancestors, enslavers, and free people of color. She authors two blogs: “Into the LIGHT” and “Genea-Related;” and produces a “(Mostly) African-American Funeral Programs” online database. Renate cohosts “Let’s Talk North Carolina Genealogy,” and she has served as panelist and guest on …

Writing a Register-Style Sketch

Emily Sienkiewicz

Do you have notebooks, digital files, and family tree programs full of information you’d like to write up for your family? Whether you just want to write about your grandparents, write an article, or compile a whole book, the Register style is a widely used genealogical format that has been used for more than 150 years. Moving from the past toward the future, generation-by-generation, the basic building block of the system is the family sketch—treating a couple and their children in an organized and interesting way. Join Senior Genealogist and author Kyle Hurst to learn how to use our new Register-style template and present your family history research in an understandable way. For details see …

Will the Real Fact Please Stand Up? Evidence Analysis for More Accurate Genealogies, with Sarah Kirby

Emily Sienkiewicz

How do you know that Ancestry hint is for your ancestor? How do you deal with different “facts” for the same event? Learn how to identify and separate clues from facts, misinformation, and obscuration. This program will be presented virtually via Zoom and will be recorded. Registration is required, and closes 24 hours before the event begins. A link to the Zoom meeting and a handout will be emailed to registrants the evening before the program. For details see omaha.bibliocommons.com/events/654fa4e2e7f74a2a00424eea

Using AI in Family History Research

Amanda Meeks

We’ve all seen the headlines about Artificial Intelligence- this new technology seems to be able to do everything from producing complex digital images to creating songs! But have you wondered how it might be able to help your family history research? In this lecture, Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb will discuss exciting possibilities for using AI to support your research—including assistance with report writing, digitally restoring family photos, and more. She will also address aspects of AI that genealogists should be cautious of, such as accuracy and copyright concerns. Join us as we explore this exciting new technological frontier! For details see www.americanancestors.org/events/using-ai-family-history-researchq

Excel for Genealogy

Amanda Meeks

You may know and use Excel to crunch your budget numbers, but have you thought about using it specifically for genealogy? Even if you’re new to Excel, we will teach you the basics of building a database right, then we’ll cover how to think through your options to make the exact database that meets your specific needs. Then, as we show you ways to use Excel in genealogy, we’ll add tips to take your skills to the next level whether you’re using your own computer or the library’s. Presented by Lori Coffey. This will be a hybrid meeting held in-person in the Local History Room (2nd FLr) and online via Zoom. Registration is only required …