FREE Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp June 8

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The Southern California Genealogical Society is excited to offer a free professional development session for librarians and other reference staff who assist genealogists. The half-day session is offered in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree.

Event: Librarian's Genealogy Boot Camp
Date: Friday, June 8, 2012
Registration: 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location: Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel
Burbank, California
Cost: FREE
Open to the public
Registration required - seating is limited

The Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp instructors are two exceptional professionals from the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF is the Senior Manager for Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN where he manages The Genealogy Center, serves as general curator for that institution’s Rare and Fine Book Collection as well as the institutional archives, and is the Supervisor for the new Lincoln National Foundation’s Lincoln Library Collection. He is a former president of both the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society. He is the founding president of the Indiana Genealogical Society and has memberships in a number of historical and genealogical organizations in the state and country.

Melissa Shimkus, MLS is a genealogy librarian at The Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library, where she currently co-coordinates the programs and seminars. Her focus includes genealogy instruction and emerging technologies.


Topics include:

Think Like a Genealogy Librarian. When genealogy patrons approach the desk, their questions can require librarians to think outside the usual reference box. Discover the basic reference interview questions and sources that librarians should use to help their genealogy customers. Learn how to help your genealogy patrons find the answers to their questions.

After "Who Do You Think You Are?" - Engaging Beginning Genealogists in the 21st Century. "21st-ers" those who have come to genealogy in the last decade - largely have come through non traditional conduits. They generally aren't members of genealogical societies and don't often think to frequent bricks - 'n' -mortar facilities. This session will explore who these "new" genealogists are, what kinds of expectations they have, and how we can begin meeting their needs and making them feel comfortable in an ever changing genealogy and local history space. The tactics we as librarians and information specialists use to initially engage beginners in the 21st century should reflect the change in resource availability and how we access those resources.

Something for Everyone: Genealogical Reference Services in the 21st Century.  With the explosion of significant data on the web, there is absolutely no reason genealogists and family historians cannot get top-shelf customer service in any library, regardless of the size of the book budget, the extent of the collections, or the existence of a genealogy/local history section.  Hear some strategies for serving this dynamic patron population— genealogists —with just a computer, a good customer service attitude, and great reference interviewing skills.

To register, click the "Register" button above, or click on this link