Salt Lake Genealogy Institute savings deadline October 31

How can it be past the middle of October already? I do see the leaves changing and the weather is definitely cooler. The 2015 edition of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is rapidly approaching. It takes place January 12-16.

The early bird deadline for the 2015 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy ends on Friday, October 31. Register now to take advantage of the discount. Most of the tracks have sold out; only a few spaces remain! Find more information about available classes and register on the UGA website.

There is still availability in the following courses:

• Beyond the Library: Researching in Original Resource Repositories (John Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA)
• Finding Immigrant Origins (David Ouimette, CG)
• Resources & Strategies for United States Research, Part I (Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA, FMGS) Part 1 and Part 2 may be taken in any order. This course is directed at intermediate level researchers and features lectures, problem solving, individual consultations, and four great instructors for the week. The syllabus is lengthy and includes hints, books, websites, and more. You will also have some free time that week to research in the Family History Library.

Just might be 300+ reasons to attend SLIG 2015

The annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is getting closer. January 12-16, 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of SLIG. Those 300+ reasons in the title of this blog post? It's networking with more than 300 fellow genealogists all gathered in the same place and willing to talk about family history research. Time before and after each class, during meals, and at the Family History Library is perfect for the usual networking. The Hilton Hotel has many great spaces for just sitting and talking about families and research. I wonder which students will make the most family or research locality connections this year?

SLIG Early-bird deadline October 31st

Don't let the savings deadline pass you by. Easy registration at http://infouga.org/ There is still some availability in the following courses:

• Beyond the Library: Researching in Original Resource Repositories (John Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA)
• Finding Immigrant Origins (David Ouimette, CG)
• Resources & Strategies for United States Research, Part I (Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA, FMGS)

SLIG Early-bird savings registration ends October 31

Early-bird savings registration ends on October 31, 2014!

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) will be held January 12-16, 2015. All courses and events will be held at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center Hotel. Labs, if applicable, and research facilities will be available at the Family History Library. Registration: http://www.infouga.org/aem.php?lv=r&eid=12
Early-bird registration ends on October 31, 2014.

Hotel: http://www.infouga.org/aem.php?eid=12
Stay at the Institute hotel, the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, in order to obtain the full institute experience and have access to special events and networking with the instructors and other attendees. SLIG’s reduced rate is $129/night (reduced from $269/night). This rate is set for up to four people in a room. The rooms are spacious and a two-queen room can comfortably accommodate four people.

2015 Tracks with some open seats

Resources and Strategies for US Research, Part I (Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA, FMGS and three other instructors)
This course provides in-depth study of 19th-21st century U.S. resources and methodologies for utilizing them. Analyze content, origin, location, and develop tools and strategies to interpret records. Plus a FHL computer lab and one-on-once consultations at the FHL for this course only.

Beyond the Library: Research in Original Source Repositories (John Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA)
This course explores repositories of original historical sources: archives, courthouses and manuscript collections. The purpose of this course is to take the mystery and trepidation out of using original source repositories.

Finding Immigrant Origins (David Ouimette, CG)
This course covers the key historical sources and research methodologies for family historians tracing immigrant origins. We explore chain migration, ethnic migration paths, surname localization, DNA evidence, cluster genealogy, and other tools to help find your immigrant’s ancestral village.

Advanced Research Tools: Post-War Military Records (Craig R. Scott, CG, FUGA)
Wars by their nature create records; however records are created in the aftermath of war also. There is the pension application file(s) or a bounty land application file(s). But there is so much more in addition to these records. There is pension law, payment ledgers, payment vouchers, public and private claims, correspondence, state claims, soldiers homes, and burial records.

I look forward to seeing you at SLIG in January 2015!

Deatils on 2 days till registration for 2015 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Yes, it's just two days until registration opens for the 2015 edition of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy aka SLIG. In 2015 SLIG is moving to the Hilton Hotel, just down West Temple 2.5 blocks from the Family History Library. Education first and then research at the FHL. How perfect!

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. MDT. That's 8 for the Pacific coasters, 10 for the Midwest, and 11 for the Easterners.

I coordinate and teach the United States Records and Research, Part I. If you attended in 2014 you took Part II. Thus 2015 should be of interest to you if you didn't take the other part of the course in 2013.

Other instructors in this course are John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA, Debbie S. Mieszala, CG, and D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS. We are working on some great learning and class involvement. We update the lectures and syllabus each year. If you took this course many years ago, you might be interested in attending again as much has changed over the years.

This beyond- the-basics course provides in-depth learning on 19th-21st century U.S. resources and the methodology for using them. We probe deeper into the content, origin, location, and interpretation of records. Informative and interactive classroom hours delve into significant records and strategies that take you beyond basic research tools both online and off. On-site Family History Library support and a computer lab from course instructors provide one-on-one assistance and guidance with your own research. Hands-on work is a big part of this course.

I suggest taking this two part course (the order doesn't matter) before taking more advanced courses. In this course you will interact with the instructors and other students, learn a lot, advance your own research, and we will also have some laughs and overall just enjoy the week.You will leave the course more confident in your own knowledge, understand where more records are located, and being able to interact with others to advance your own research.

Some suggested prerequisites: Experience researching in a variety of repositories, familiarity with FamilySearch.org and other family history websites, reviewing at least two basic genealogy guidebooks, and previous class room learning related to family history. You don't need to fill all these prerequisites, but whatever you bring to the week will help with your own education.

For the full lineup of individual sessions in this and other SLIG courses, visit www.infouga.org and be ready to hit those computer keys to sign up online this Saturday morning.

SLIG & Halloween mean 10% savings. Plus the Family History Library!

It might be Halloween, but more importantly for genealogists, it's the last day to save at least 10% on registration for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Mark 13-17 January 2014 on your calendar and then visit www.slig.ugagenealogy.org. to register. Several courses still have open spots.

Still thinking about registering? Do it today and save money. Join the sponsor society, the Utah Genealogical Association, and save even more. Don't forget that the Family History Library is there, too! I hope to see you in Course 1, American Research and Records. I coordinate this course. The consultations and private computer lab will all take place at the Family History Library. All regular classes take place at the Radisson Hotel.

Instructors:
Debra Mieszala CG
Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA, FMGS
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS,

This intermediate level course provides in-depth learning on 19th-21st century U.S. resources and the methodology for using them. The 2014 course focuses on topics more related to researching families and individuals. Informative and interactive classroom hours delve into significant records and strategies that take you beyond basic research tools both online and off. On-site FHL library support and a computer lab from course instructors provide one-on-one assistance and guidance with your own research. This course alternates years with a course focused on localities. Prerequisites: experience researching in a variety of repositories, familiarity with FamilySearch.org and other websites, and previous class room learning related to family history. 

The full lineup appears on the SLIG website. www.slig.ugagenealogy.org

This Is The Face of Genealogy

This is a photo of my great grandmother Betsy Peterson Carlsen and three of her grandchildren, including my father. She arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1882 as a single young woman. Born in Sweden, she married Niels Christian Carlsen and they raised a whole houseful of daughters! I work on my family history to learn more about where I came from to find out where my ancestral families lived, whether they served in the military during wartime, to learn about their struggles and appreciate where I am today.I have origins in nine different countries if you include the U.S. My ancestors, their siblings, and descendants are accountants, storekeepers, Post Office inspectors, housewives, a founder of the postal service in Porto Rico, railroad superintendent, fleet truck salesman, tombstone carvers, fire chief, farmers, secretaries, mayor, nuclear physicists, archivist, painter, jailer, professional genealogist, poet, writer, inventor, plasterer, butcher, and so many other hardworking individuals. Yes, there are a few scalawags, but pretty much every family has some of those. I look at that as a chance to find other records that may give a better look into the dynamics of my family.

Among my fellow genealogists/family historians are a former mayor, owners of companies, department store founds and family members, authors, ministers, rabbis, nurses, historians, archivists, librarians, scholars, engineers, active and retired military personnel, storeowners, clerks, judges, county sheriff, police personnel, bus driver, machinist, teachers, professors, students, publishers, housewives, actors, software developers, journalists, photographer, and like with my family, many other occupations. Their religions, ethnic  backgrounds, and education are varied. We share a love of history and family history. We educate ourselves constantly at classes, seminar, conferences and institutes. The Los Angeles Times publication ,LAWeekly,  posted a short item about one event, the Southern California Genealogical Jamboree, and some insensitive person at the newspaper included a denigrating photo. It has since been taken down. Many of my fellow Geneabloggers are posting family photos that show the real faces of genealogy. I hope folks at the Los Angeles Times/LAWeekly view our photos and publish a prominently placed apology to all of us who are family history researchers. What were they thinking!?

Added note: I have been asked where people might view the photo that LAWeekly published. This is a link to it:  http://www.geneabloggers.com/face-genealogy/

Miscellaneous Serendipity!

Some of my favorite records are those labeled as “miscellaneous” or “loose.” Others are data in the back of a totally unrelated record book or on the back of a note or index card.
                               
Miscellaneous
These may be a collection of related or unrelated papers and the dates of coverage may not be clear. The Family History Library Catalog www.familysearch.org does include some miscellaneous court and vital records. Do a keyword search for "miscellaneous" in the catalog or that of any record repository. A state or other archive online catalog or in-house inventory may show a couple of volumes of “Miscellaneous Records” for a town or county. A check of the catalog of the Missouri State Archives http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/ using only the word miscellaneous yields “Miscellaneous Court Records.” The subject tracings include

Salt Lake Christmas Tour adds Thomas MacEntee

I just received this press release from Leland Meitzler. This sounds like a great experience.

THOMAS MACENTEE JOINS 2010 SALT LAKE CHRISTMAS TOUR
Featured Speaker To Offer Technology Education for Genealogists

October 13, 2010 – Bountiful, Utah: The 2010 Salt Lake Christmas Tour – an annual genealogy event in its 26^th year and celebrating its 25^th anniversary – is pleased to announce that noted genealogist and technology educator Thomas MacEntee will be joining in the holiday fun as its featured speaker. The Tour takes place beginning Sunday, December 5, 2010 and runs through Saturday, December 11, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Over a five-day period, MacEntee will offer eight different presentations covering various aspects of genealogy and how technology and social media can be used to expand the genealogy experience. Topics include “Building a Research Toolbox,” “Facebook for Genealogists,” “Build a Genealogy Blog,” and “Twitter: It Isn’t Just ‘What I Had For Breakfast’ Anymore.”

The Salt Lake Christmas Tour ( www.SaltLakeChristmasTour.com ) is an annual event attracting genealogists

FamilySearch indexing is exploding

Over at the Ancestry Insider you'll find a whole list of FamilySearch indexing statistics. Two of the numbers:

• 354,328 -- number of registered indexers as of 30 July 2010
• 118,140,160 -- records indexed this year as of 2 August 2010

A vital part of this massive indexing project is that each record must be keyed twice and revisited a third time when the first two are not the same. Greater accuracy is the aim.

To view the indexing results click here and here. Those millions of rolls of microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City are getting closer and closer to being all indexed for us by our fellow genealogists. Anyone may volunteer to help and you don't have to leave home to do it! The website have instructions.

People do still go to libraries

I am in Salt Lake City and am pleased to see that many people are here using the Family History Library. Our elementary school teachers would be proud of us. We are dedicated to our work, work quietly, and I am sure we will all get "A's" or at least be proud of ourselves for finding Great Great Grandma's maiden name.

I also have seen a lot of that genealogical goodwill going on. Helping others with the new scanners, assisting the person at the next reader with deciphering a word, taking turns at the copiers, and chatting in the snack room. The person at the next reader is not a stranger. That person is a genealogist. We family historians are the best sharers in the world. (Is "sharer" a proper word!)

This face to face help and camaraderie is much better than an electronic form of help. I won't give those up, but seeing the smile on another researcher's face is priceless. I have seen some of those "happy dances" this week.

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy begins on Monday and the learning and sharing will continue.

A week or more in Salt Lake City this January?

Think about it. What else do you have on your calendar for January 2010? How about setting aside time for a whole lot of learning and networking in the genealogy capital of the world? The annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is set for 11-15 January 2010. Online registration is easy!

You pick a course, sign up, and arrive at the Radisson Hotel to begin an entire week of learning. Choose from twelve courses and you attend sessions in that same course all week. Each course registrant receives a comprehensive syllabus for that course, an orientation breakfast and the Friday night banquet. Look over the evening classes that are extra. (You do not have to be registered for SLIG to register for an evening class.)

I coordinate and teach in Course I which is an intermediate level course on U.S. resources titled American Records and Research: Focusing on Families. This course assists researchers in learning about and using sources and methods. The 2010 classes focus on topics related to researching individuals and families in the 19th-21st centuries. Sixteen informative classroom hours on significant U.S. records and strategies take you beyond basic research tools. In addition, for this course only, 6.5 hours of help in the Family History Library during the Institute week provides hands-on assistance and guidance. This totals 22.5 hours for your one fee. Click here for the list of specific classes for this course.

This course helps extend your research skills with light homework assignments to immediately apply the classroom information to research on your own families. Class work is in the morning on five of the days, one afternoon, with hands-on library assistance on three afternoons from three of the instructors. There is ample time for open research in the afternoon and evening. This course alternates every other year with another Institute course with resources related more directly to localities.

The top-notch instructors represent a wide variety of states, credentials, education, and expertise: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, , Cath Madden Trindle, CG, D. Joshua Taylor, Debra Mieszala, CG, Kory Meyerink, AG, Craig R. Scott, CG, and Elissa Scalise Powell, CG.

Participants in this course should have advanced beyond the “bare bones” beginner. We suggest rereading one or more basic genealogy guidebooks and being familiar with the Family History Library Catalog. (Online at www.familysearch.org). It will help if you have taken a basic level genealogical class or two and attended at least one genealogical seminar. Students should bring along some of their own family research materials including ancestor charts and family group sheets (computer or paper) to use in immediately applying what they learn in class. These will also be helpful during scheduled one-on-one consultations.

David E. Rencher named Chief Genealogical Officer of FamilySearch

I can say I knew him when! A long-time friend, David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, has been named the Chief Genealogical Officer of FamilySearch. David is well-known in genealogy circles worldwide, yet he remains "one of us."

David is a former President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and is a dear friend to many in the genealogy world. It was nice to be able to congratulate him in person at the NGS Conference in Raleigh last week.

David will coordinate FamilySearch's activities and presence in the genealogy community and will act as a liaison to key industry communities and associations worldwide. He will also explore third-party affiliation opportunities and related marketing initiatives for FamilySearch.

Rencher is both an Accredited Genealogist and a Certified Genealogist. He holds a BA in Family and Local History from Brigham Young University. He served as president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) from 1997 to 2000 and the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) from 1993 to 1995. He is a Fellow of the UGA and the Irish Genealogical Research Society, London. David is a former Director of the Family History Library. He is currently serving as the chair of the joint Federation of Genealogical Societies and National Genealogical Society committee for Record Preservation and Access and serves as a director for the National Institute of Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA). He will continue to serve as the vice president of the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) and the director of the Planning and Coordination Division of FamilySearch.

Many genealogists appreciate his involvement to ensure that patrons of family history centers had more timely delivery of microfilm, and he has extended microfilm circulation to public libraries. He initiated the book-scanning program for the Family History Library collection, and helped produce the automated indexes for the Social Security Death records, the 1880 U.S. Census, the 1881 British Census, and the military casualty files for Korea and Vietnam.

As if all this isn't enough, David's conference presentations are excellent. He is one of the speakers at the September 2009 Federation of Genealogical Society's Genealogy Conference.

Family sleuth knows how to connect the dots to the past

The online edition of the Jordan Independent newspaper in Minnesota has a May 2, 2009 article about a woman whose name is closely associated with the history of the City of Shakopee and Scott County, Minnesota. Betty Dols has done a lot for history and genealogy in Scott County.

I first met Betty Dols many years ago at a Minnesota Genealogical Society meeting. We saw each other over the years and she always had news on some interesting Scott County history or whatever project she was than working on. Genealogists do not often get publicly recognized for what they do in the field of genealogy. In Betty's case many descendents of Scott County ancestors have a lot they should thank her for. You can read the nice article at http://www.jordannews.com/news/activities/family-sleuth-knows-how-connect-dots-past-105

I blogged about one of Betty's projects back in June, 2008.

The Salt Lake Institute Wraps Up for 2009.

I am back blogging. The past two weeks have been a blur -- but a good blur. The first week was the prepping for teaching at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy that ended today. The end of SLIG is always a mixed feeling -- happy to be finished and sad to leave all the wonderful students. Course I, an intermediate American records class is the one I coordinate. It includes 17 hours of class room time and 6 hours in the Family History Library for one-on-one consultations and assistance. What an amazing group of people in Course I. Next January I will be back at SLIG. I agreed to once again coordinate the course. Many people have already indicated they will be back next year for Course I which offers different lectures in alternating years. Two of this year's students and I have to figure out if we have common ancestors on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. Networking in full force.

I also presented lectures in the Gulf South, Skillbuilding, and Beyond the Library courses. The students in those were also great. These were coordinated by J. Mark Lowe, CG, Thomas Jones, CG, PhD, and John P. Colletta, PhD. Someone encouraged his students to tell me to stand up when I lecture! Russ Lynch was the one to tell me and a Mr. Mark Lowe was the instigator. I can't help that I am height challenged! I share this to tell you that while SLIG is a great place for learning and networking, there are also many light moments.

Watch the Utah Genealogical Association website for details on the 2010 Institute.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, January 12-16, 2009

I have received a couple of questions asking me to explain the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). An institute is not the same as a seminar or conference which may have multiple individual sessions from which to choose. An institute, such as SLIG, has five (5) full days of learning. Registrants choose one five-day course and attend all the sessions that course offers. It's not a pick and choose for each hour. One of the advantages is getting to know your fellow registrants and the instructors better, thus allowing for better learning, networking, and Q&A time. Registrants come from all over the U.S. and some from Canada.

Each course has twenty (20) total hours of sessions. I coordinate and teach in an intermediate level course titled American Records and Research: Focusing on Localities.

In this course we have 22 hours for the same fee as the other courses. There are 16 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of Family History Library Lab. During those FHL hours, three of your instructors are on hand to give tours of the FHL, for one-on-one consultations, or whatever assistance you need during that FHL Lab time. Need to learn how to use the technological equipment, how to make a good copy from a microfilm or transfer it to a flash drive or CD? Does one branch of your family stymie you more than others? Need to become acquainted with the library catalog or the in-house finding aids? This is the course to help you with that. I am one of those consultants and am joined by Birdie Monk Holsclaw, CG, and D. Joshua Taylor, both of whom were great consultants in 2008.

Other in-the-classroom instructors are John Philip Colletta, PhD, Thomas W. Jones, CG, J. Mark Lowe, CG, and Kory L. Meyerink, AG. This assemblage of instructors is reason enough for taking the course. Add the lectures, syllabus, and library consultations and you have an exceptional week.

This 2009 course alternates in the even years with "Focus on Families" which has completely different class sessions.

If you have any questions about this course, please don't hesitate to contact me at PaulaStuartWarren@gmail.com. Visit the Utah Genealogical Association's website to learn about all the courses and individual classes. All have excellent coordinators and instructors. Online registration is easy. See you in January in SLC where the weather is never bad enough to stop genealogists. SLC sidewalks are amazingly clear for walking.

Register by October 30th and save $25.00 off the full price. Check out the list of evening classes that SLIG offers, too. These can be taken individually.

See you in SLC!

The 14th annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

2009 will be the 14th annual week long SLIG held in Salt Lake City. The 2009 dates are January 12-16. SLIG lasts for 5 full days plus optional evening special lectures. The ten courses offered for 2009 are: American Research and Records, Research in the Gulf South, English Research, Research in German Speaking Areas, Colonial American Research, Effective Use of the Internet, Hispanic Research, Beyond the Library,, Skillbuilding for Professional Level Research, and Problem Solving. Yes, you do have to pick only one course!

Check out the Utah Genealogical Association's website for a description of each course and the coordinator for each. Check back later for the full class listing for each and for the names of all the instructors for the courses. The courses generally consist of 20 classroom hours and then you can walk or ride 2.5 blocks from the Radisson Hotel to the Family History Library and immediately put what you have learned to work. The friendships that have developed over the year are wonderful. Some return year after year. New students fit right in.

I coordinate and teach in Course I: American Research and Records: Focus on Localities. This is a two-part course with the alternate year focusing on Families. 1997 was the first year I taught at SLIG and have been coordinating a course since 1998. I wouldn't miss this special week! What else can you do in January? This course is educational and fun at the same time. A special bond develops between the class and instructors.

Course I is designed a bit differently from the others. 16 hours are classroom hours, some with hands-on work. There are optional FHL homework assignments to help you immediately apply the new knowledge. This course also offers 6 hours in the FHL with mini-tours and one-on-one consultations. The instructors for this course are Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA, Birdie Monk Holsclaw, CG, FUGA, Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA, Kory L. Meyerink, AG, FUGA (2), and D. Joshua Taylor.

Birdie and Josh will once again assist me in the FHL with the tours and consultations. It is a great feeling to help a student work on what to do next and then have that person come back and say "thank you, I found them." I will also be an instructor in the Beyond the Library, Gulf South, and Skillbuilding courses. This year's line up of coordinators and instructors that I already know about is impressive. All the full course titles are listed in the blog post immediately below this one.

SLIG 2009, January 12-16: Course I classes

I coordinate and teach in the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy's Course I: American Records and Research: Focusing on Localities. The lineup of classes for this course is below. Read the entry just before this one for more about SLIG in general, the instructors in this course, and the other courses.

• Never Enough Time! Strategies and Organizational Tips & Tools for Busy Researchers
• Answers in County Courthouse and Town Hall Record
• Family History Library Labs on 3 afternoons: one-on-one help in the FHL
• Greater Success through Source Citation
• Becoming Americans: Finding and Using Naturalization Records
• Homestead and Related Records: The Basic Processes
• The WPA Era: What It Created for Genealogists
• On and Off the Net: Locality Searching
• How to Avoid Being Duped on the Internet
• Homestead and Related Records: Maximizing the Bureau of Land Management Web Site
• Vanity Sketches: Sources and Truths Behind Mugbook Entries
• Genealogical and Historical Periodicals In Print & Online
• Finding Ancestral Places of Origin in U.S. Records
• Tic-Tac-Toe with Historic Legal Basics
• Newspaper Research: The Dailies, Weeklies, and Beyond
• Finding Immigrant Arrival Records
• The U.S. National Archives: The Nation’s Attic
• Wrap-up, Completion Certificate; Q&A

Family History Library Closed Saturday, Feb. 2d

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City will be closed this coming Saturday, February 2d in memory of Gordon B. Hinckley, the Presdent of the LDS church, who passed away Sunday, January 27th.