29 January 2012

Attend (some of) RootsTech from Home

The RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City starts on Thursday this week, and a large group of us from SCGS will be attending. We are honored to have been chosen as one of the handful of societies to have a booth on the exhibit floor. Stop by booth 627, across the aisle from the Internet Cafe, and say hi.  SCGS members, be sure to pick up your "SCGS Member" badge ribbon.

We will keep you updated through blog posts during the conference, which is expected to draw a crowd of over 3,000. Some will be genealogists and family historians; many will be high-tech wizards who develop the software programs, equipment and technology that we use today and will use years from now.

So you can't travel to Salt Lake City? Never fear.  Fourteen of the sessions will be lived-streamed so you can watch from home.  Here is the schedule as released by the RootsTech. I have highlighted the sessions that are being given by speakers who will be with us at the 2012 Jamboree:


SALT LAKE CITY—RootsTech, a leading family history and technology conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 2-4, 2012, announced today that fourteen of its popular sessions will be broadcasted live and complimentary over the Internet. The live broadcasts will give those unable to attend worldwide a sample of this year’s conference content. Interested viewers can watch the live presentations at RootsTech.org. The second-year conference has attracted over 3,000 registered attendees.
The free online sessions include the keynote speakers and a sampling of technology and family history presentations. Following are the fourteen broadcasted sessions and speakers. All times are in Mountain Standard Time (MST):

Thursday, February 2
8:30-10:00 am, Inventing the Future, as a Community (Keynote Address) by Jay L. Verkler
11:00 am-12:00 pm, Do I Trust the Cloud? by D. Joshua Taylor  
1:45-2:45 pm, Effective Database Search Tactics by Kory Meyerink     
3:00-4:00 pm, Twitter – It’s Not Just “What I Had for Breakfast” Anymore by Thomas MacEntee  
4:15-5:15 pm, Eleven Layers of Online Searches by Barbara Renick     

Friday, February 3
8:30-9:30 am, Exabyte Social Clouds and Other Monstrosities (Keynote Address) by Josh Coates
9:45-10:45 am, Publish Your Genealogy Online by Laura G. Prescott     
11:00 am-12:00 pm, Optimize Your Site for Search Engines by Robert Gardner    
1:45-2:45 pm, Genealogists “Go Mobile” by Sandra Crowly  
3:00-4:00 pm, Google’s Toolbar and Genealogy by Dave Barney      

Saturday, February 4
8:30-9:30 am, Making the Most of Technology to Further the Family History Industry (Keynote Address) by Tim Sullivan and Ancestry.com Panel
9:45-10:45 am Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101 by Lisa Louise Cooke    
11:00 am-12:00 pm, Future of FamilySearch Family Tree by Ron Tanner
1:45-2:45 pm, Privacy in a Collaborative Environment by Noah Tutak   

25 January 2012

RootsTech App: A Wonderful Resource for Attendees

The final details about RootsTech are being released and it looks better and better all the time.

The RootsTech App is now available for iPhone, Android, and other systems, including BlackBerry.  The RootsTech app was developed by Core-Apps, the same industry-leading team that developed the Jamboree app. It was great fun and instructive to see how another organization used the features available on the app's software.

Those who remember the Jamboree app will recognize the icons on the dashboard. Because of the app's intuitive design, new users will quickly become familiar with navigating through the many ways to help attendees stay organized and updated at a conference.

 You can start with the "Events" section.  Review the session schedules (selecting developer or users only, or viewing all sessions in a single list)
  • Pick the sessions you want to attend.
  • Click to create schedule, using either the schedule provided in the app, or the smartphone's calendar you use every day.
  • Just like when you started high school, take a few minutes to review the floor plan to find path around the Salt Palace. 
Or you can start looking at the "Speaker" section first. Many RootsTech speakers will also be with us in Burbank.
  • Navigate easily through the various sections of the app.
  • Pull up the list of speakers to make sure you don't miss your favorites.
  • Read the speaker's bio, see all of the sessions they are presenting, and then click to jump directly to the class description. 
  • Rate the session when it's finished.
Learn all about RootsTech and conference producer FamilySearch:
  • Watch FamilySearch and RootsTech videos
  • Stay in touch through the Twitter feed (#RootsTech) and feeds from selected blogs and conference announcements
  • Tweet directly from the app.
  • Look at photos that have been uploaded
The app offers features that have not yet been activated in the RootsTech version. I hope it will be added in the next week.
  • The exhibitor section contains valuable details about each of the Expo Hall exhibitors: contact information, links to the exhibitor's external website, description of the exhibitor's business, the organization's logo, and PDFs of product information available for download.
  • Photos of the speakers
  • Syllabus articles - the most valuable element of the app last year. The articles were downloaded by hundreds of users.
  • Jamboree's app included advertising and special offers from onsite exhibitors as well as "virtual exhibitors" from authors, bloggers, nonprofits and commercial organizations. Many of the ads contained special offers and discounts. It's understandable RootsTech would not use that option.
RootsTech's video section is outstanding. It really increases the value of the app. We didn't use that section last year for Jamboree, though we hope that we'll have content in 2012.

I didn't remember having issues with the Friends feature but then I realized we didn't activate that service either. In brief, the friend number can be used with only one friend. To add another friend to your list, you need must get a new number. A new friend, a new number. Repeat. Maybe Core-Apps will redesign Friends between new and June.

Stop by booth 627, the SCGS booth, and say hi. Between now and then, keep your eye on the Jamboree blog. We have a couple of surprises for you, including news on how to win a free registration to Jamboree.

Stay tuned.


19 January 2012

ANNOUNCEMENT: Jamboree Registration Now Open

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 19 June 2012

We are very pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2012 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held Thursday through Sunday, June 8 to 10, 2012, at the LA Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, California. The theme for the 2012 Jamboree is “Lights, Camera, ANCESTORS – Spotlight on Family History.”

“Our attendees can expect an outstanding experience in 2012, maybe even better than in the past,” promised Jamboree chair Leo Myers. “In addition to our usual sessions on methodology, records and repositories, online databases and software, we have scheduled several sessions that will help you share your family stories. Count on Jamboree to serve up a weekend of classic genealogical methods, search strategies and technology while tossing in the excitement of Hollywood.”

The exhibit hall, home of nearly 70 companies, societies, online data providers, software and technology companies, will be open to the public throughout the weekend.

Jamboree will feature nearly 60 speakers and over 100 courses over the weekend. Only the most skilled and knowledgeable lecturers are invited to share their expertise and knowledge.

As is our tradition, we will offer several free sessions during our JamboFREE on Friday morning. “We are committed to making family history affordable. We don’t want the economy to get in the way of the search for our roots,” Myers explained. “Friday morning, we’ll have something for everyone. Librarians. Genealogical society leaders. Beginners who are testing the family history waters as well as experienced genealogists.”

One of the more popular JamboFREE activities is Kids’ Family History Camp, designed for youth ages 8 to 16. Kids’ Camp will be held Thursday from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. on June 7. Scout leaders are invited to bring their troop members to earn their Genealogy badge.

This year will feature two special pre-event sessions, the Family History Writers Conference, and Tech-Trax, special sessions focused on technology for genealogists. One session will be beginner level (“What is a folder? What happens when I push *THIS* button?”) and the other will offer sessions for more computer literate users. Details for these two pre-events will be released soon.

Rounding out the weekend are social activities, including tours, breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, Saturday evening banquet, and the Hollywood Gala on Friday evening.

Visit the Jamboree website at www.scgsgenealogy.com for full details.  Early-bird registration discounts are available through April 22. Members of the Southern California Genealogical Society enjoy additional discounts.

Join the other 1700+ attendees at the 2012 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. Register today!

For more information contact:
Paula Hinkel
Southern California Genealogical Society
417 Irving Drive
Burbank, CA 91504
phinkel@scgsgenealogy.com
818.574.8393 phone
818.688.3253 fax

18 January 2012

FREE Webinar "See the Patterns" with Michael John Neill February 4, 2012


Join us for
See the Patterns
a FREE Webinar with Michael John Neill

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/508985496

Join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

This presentation will look at a variety of ways to organize information with the intent on noticing information and trends that were not obvious, preparing the researcher to present their information to others, and assisting the researching in seeing gaps in their research.

Michael John Neill has a master’s degree in mathematics and is on the math faculty at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois. He has researched his children’s ancestors in numerous states and several European countries. He has written hundreds of genealogical how-to articles and writes the weekly newsletter Casefile Clues and the free daily “Genealogy Tip of the Day.” 
Michael has lectured to genealogical groups across the United States, lecturing on a wide variety of topics. An engaging and down-to-earth speaker, he concentrates on using actual real-world research examples to illustrate a variety of genealogical methods and historical and legal interpretations of local records.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE Genealogy Webinar "See the Patterns"
Presenter: Michael John Neill
Date: Saturday, February 4, 2012
Time: 60 minute class, 30 minute Q&A
10:00 AM - Pacific
11:00 AM - Mountain
12:00 PM - Central
1:00 PM - Eastern
Or use our Time zone converter

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

15 January 2012

REMINDER: Free Webinar "The Two Sides of Interviewing" with Jean Wilcox Hibben Phd CG - January 18, 2012


Join us for
The Two Sides of Interviewing
a FREE Webinar with Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG
Wednesday, January 18, 2012

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/491227857

Join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

While most of us know the basics of interviewing, this presentation looks at it from a couple of different angles: from the fields of speech communication and folklore; more specifically, oral history gathering techniques. Also included is a discussion of the “other side” of interviewing: responding as the interviewee. Some suggestions for before, during, and after the interview, for those on both sides, are covered.
Board Certified genealogist Jean Wilcox Hibben has been involved in family research for 30+ years. She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (where she serves as secretary), the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists (serving as president of the So. CA Chapter), and the Corona Genealogical Society (where she serves as president). She maintains a website with information about her presentations, CDs, projects, etc.: www.circlemending.org and a blog on “completing the family circle”: www.circlemending.blogspot.com. Jean is the director of the Corona CA Family History Center, and a volunteer at NARA, Pacific Region, Riverside County. A retired communications professor (she holds BA and MA degrees in the field), Jean has a doctorate in folklore; as a national speaker, she is known for entertaining, as well as informative, presentations.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE Genealogy Webinar "The Two Sides of Interviewing"
Presenter: Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time: 60 minute class, 30 minute Q&A
6:00 PM - Pacific
7:00 PM - Mountain
8:00 PM - Central
9:00 PM - Eastern

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

05 January 2012

FREE Webinar: "The Two Sides of Interviewing" with Jean Wilcox Hibben - Wednesday 18 Jan 2012


Join us for
The Two Sides of Interviewing
a FREE Webinar with Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG
Wednesday, January 18, 2012

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/491227857

Join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

While most of us know the basics of interviewing, this presentation looks at it from a couple of different angles: from the fields of speech communication and folklore; more specifically, oral history gathering techniques. Also included is a discussion of the “other side” of interviewing: responding as the interviewee. Some suggestions for before, during, and after the interview, for those on both sides, are covered.
Board Certified genealogist Jean Wilcox Hibben has been involved in family research for 30+ years. She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (where she serves as secretary), the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists (serving as president of the So. CA Chapter), and the Corona Genealogical Society (where she serves as president). She maintains a website with information about her presentations, CDs, projects, etc.: www.circlemending.org and a blog on “completing the family circle”: www.circlemending.blogspot.com. Jean is the director of the Corona CA Family History Center, and a volunteer at NARA, Pacific Region, Riverside County. A retired communications professor (she holds BA and MA degrees in the field), Jean has a doctorate in folklore; as a national speaker, she is known for entertaining, as well as informative, presentations.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE Genealogy Webinar "The Two Sides of Interviewing"
Presenter: Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time: 60 minute class, 30 minute Q&A
6:00 PM - Pacific
7:00 PM - Mountain
8:00 PM - Central
9:00 PM - Eastern

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

REMINDER: FREE Webinar January 7 with Linda Woodward Geiger CG, CGL


Join us for
Me and My Laptop:
Getting the Most out of your Laptop while Researching Onsite
a FREE Webinar with Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/168169592

Join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

The first scheduled webinar for the 2012 Jamboree Extension Series is "Me and My Laptop: Getting the Most out of your Laptop while Researching Onsite." You'll learn tips for making onsite research more efficient and productive using DropBox (or similar cloud) in conjunction with spreadsheets, word processing programs, genealogy software, and more.

Our speaker, Linda Woodward Geiger, is the principal researcher, author, and lecturer of Woodward-Geiger.com (a subdivision of Vitaline, Inc.). Although she specializes in Georgia's state and county records prior to 1900 and a variety of federal records, particularly of the southeast region of the United States, she has extensive experience in many other geographic regions of the United States.

Linda's personal research involves New England records. She also specializes in methods for finding elusive ancestors--those mighty brick walls. She is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), holding credentials as a Certified Genealogist(sm) and as a Certified Genealogical Lecturer(sm). She is a former trustee and a former editor of the BCG newsletter, OnBoard.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE "Me and My Laptop" Webinar -
Presenter: Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL
Date: Saturday, January 7, 2012
Time: 90-minute sessions
10:00 AM - Pacific
11:00 AM - Mountain
12:00 PM - Central
1:00 PM - Eastern
Or use our Time zone converter

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

02 January 2012

FREE Webinar January 7 with Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL


Join us for
Me and My Laptop:
Getting the Most out of your Laptop while Researching Onsite
a FREE Webinar with Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/168169592

Join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

The first scheduled webinar for the 2012 Jamboree Extension Series is "Me and My Laptop: Getting the Most out of your Laptop while Researching Onsite." You'll learn tips for making onsite research more efficient and productive using DropBox (or similar cloud) in conjunction with spreadsheets, word processing programs, genealogy software, and more.

Our speaker, Linda Woodward Geiger, is the principal researcher, author, and lecturer of Woodward-Geiger.com (a subdivision of Vitaline, Inc.). Although she specializes in Georgia's state and county records prior to 1900 and a variety of federal records, particularly of the southeast region of the United States, she has extensive experience in many other geographic regions of the United States.

Linda's personal research involves New England records. She also specializes in methods for finding elusive ancestors--those mighty brick walls. She is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), holding credentials as a Certified Genealogist(sm) and as a Certified Genealogical Lecturer(sm). She is a former trustee and a former editor of the BCG newsletter, OnBoard.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE "Me and My Laptop" Webinar -
Presenter: Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL
Date: Saturday, January 7, 2012
Time: 90-minute sessions
10:00 AM - Pacific
11:00 AM - Mountain
12:00 PM - Central
1:00 PM - Eastern
Or use our Time zone converter

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer