Member Login | My Account | Guest Registry

Getting Started | Learning Center | Reference | Publications | Articles & Columns

"Along Those Lines ..."
by George G. Morgan

Click Here for George Morgan's Archive

"Attending Genealogical Conferences"

I can't wait for this coming weekend! The reason for my excitement is that I'm attending and speaking at the Pinellas County Genealogical Society Conference in Largo, FL, this Saturday. (See the website for details: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/8283/) I hear some genealogists say, "Well, if you've been to one, you've seen it all." I have to disagree with these folks. Each time I attend a genealogy conference or a meeting of a genealogical society, I go home educated, energized and full of great new ideas. I never overlook an opportunity to learn more about genealogy! In "Along Those Lines ..." this week, let's talk about continuing your genealogical education. I also want to offer some suggestions for making the best use of your time at these events and for maximizing your learning experiences. CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND Although I've been working on my family history for many years, I never tire of the puzzle it presents. The thrill of the chase and the joy of making one more connection still sends shivers down my spine. And the people! I meet the nicest people when I'm working on my genealogy! There are literally hundreds of opportunities to attend genealogical meetings and conferences every year. No matter where in the world you live, you will find some sort of opportunity to meet with other genealogists to share information and to learn more. If you don't believe me, check out these few following links to see a wealth of upcoming events. Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS) Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet - Events & Activities at http://www.CyndisList.com/events.htm Global Genealogy Conference Schedule at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/confmain.htm Legacy's Family History Genealogy Calendar at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Calendar.htm National Genealogical Society's Events Calendar at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/news/content/calendar.html Other conferences and events can be found by using your favorite Web search engine and typing the Boolean phrase: genealogy OR genealogical AND conference OR schedule WHY DO WE GO TO CONFERENCES? We all have different reasons and motivations for attending conferences. Some of us go to enjoy the trip with friends and relatives. We go to learn more about historical events, migration patterns and various different types of records that might extend our research. We want to be educated about techniques and methodologies that worked for other, more experienced researchers. We want the opportunity to see books, magazines, journals, maps, and other printed materials before we buy them. We flock to the demonstrations of genealogy database programs and workshops about how to use them. We browse through vendor stalls of products ranging from cute sweatshirts to crass refrigerator magnets, all with some 'clever' genealogy theme. Whatever your reason(s) for attending, you go to enjoy yourself and to learn more about your favorite hobby or your lifelong passion. MAKING IT GREAT If you go to a number of these events each year, I'll admit that they can begin to look alike and the content of the programs begins to blur after a long day of breakout sessions. However, there are ways to break out of the doldrums and keep the experience fresh. Let me offer the following suggestions: Read And Use Name Tags Conference organizers produce name tags for a reason. No, it's not so you can tell who you are! It's so you can more easily strike up conversations with other people. The idea is to meet people, make conversation, exchange information and network with one another. When you go into a breakout session, don't distance yourself six seats from the nearest person. Sit down near others and strike up a conversation. Start with something like, "What do you think we'll learn in this session?" or "I'm hoping this session might just help me with my problem of locating my great-grandmother's family." Honestly, have you ever known a genealogist who didn't want to talk about his or her family? You're at the conference to ask questions and to learn. After all, the speakers at the breakout sessions aren't the only people who know something about solving genealogical research problems. Share information, tips, techniques and stories with your fellow attendees. You'll make some new friends in the process and will probably gain a fresh perspective from someone else's research.Don't Judge A Conference By Size Just because a genealogical conference or meeting is small doesn't mean that there will be nothing of interest for you. Often the organizers of smaller events are self-conscious about the size, and as a result place more emphasis on the quality of content. Smaller events also provide better opportunities for personal interaction with speakers and other attendees. Local and regional genealogical societies host some of the best meetings I've attended.Go To Different Sessions How many times can you sit through the topic of "Using Microfilm Census Records" before you become comatose? At last year's NGS Conference in Denver, there were many sessions I wanted to attend. I decided, however, that during this conference I wanted to learn more about researching different topics than I had in the past. I selected two sessions about African American research one afternoon. Not only did I learn more about the records available to trace African American ancestors prior to 1870, I gained some valuable insights into different research strategies I could employ for my ante-bellum ancestors too. Bypassing another session about proving ancestral ties to patriotic ancestors, I attended a session about using costumes to date photographs and potentially identify the subjects. And another session about researching Jewish ancestors in Europe gave me some terrific ideas for researching alternative records. TAKE NOTES! It has been proven that the taking of notes during a lecture helps your brain reinforce the important points of the presentation. You may never intend to look the notes again, but the mere action of taking notes will improve your retention of the material because you are becoming an active participant in the session. ASK QUESTIONS Most presentations are designed with a presentation period, followed by time for Q. Presenters welcome questions from the audience and are gratified that attendees were engaged and interested enough in the material to ask for more details. Try to stay on the subject of the presentation, of course, but don't hesitate to ask for clarification of points that were unclear. This is your opportunity to personally interact with a topic expert. WORK THE BOOTHS If there are vendor displays, be sure to work your way through the entire exhibit area before you buy anything. While most vendors comparison shop one another and make sure they're selling at the same price, you can sometimes find values. Do your homework in advance and prepare a list of what materials you already have at home as well as what items you want. There's one book that I must consider the best genealogical book about Confederate Research ever written. It must be great because I've bought it three times now because I didn't prepare a list of what I already had. (Yes, you can laugh.) If you're in the market for specific book titles, be sure to take the time to talk with every book vendor. Most proprietors know what they have back at their store, and they may be willing to make a call to check inventory and quote you a price. WORK THE CROWD While you're in the exhibit area, don't hesitate to ask vendors questions about tough problems you've encountered. They're there to sell to you, of course, but you can certainly pump them for the benefit of their experience and their recommendations without spending a penny. Also, don't hesitate to strike up conversations with other attendees who are looking at materials in the same area you're researching. Perhaps you can trade stories and swap tips that will help you with your research. GO TO THE LIBRARY I never miss the chance to go to the local public library. Last year's NGS Conference in Denver afforded me the chance to spend an intensive afternoon in the downtown library. Little would I have suspected that their collection included a full set of the Northwest Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly that I wanted to review in detail or extensive records of some of my east coast ancestors' lines. You never can tell what the local library's collection might contain. Call ahead or check their Web site for information about their hours, directions and the extent of their collection. TAKE AN EXTRA SUITCASE I never fail to take an extra soft-sided suitcase to an out-of-town conference. I know only too well that I'll need to bring back the handouts I picked up, the books I bought, and the souvenir items from the conference. Some conferences contract with a pack and ship company to help you get your extra baggage home. While this is a convenient service, you may want to save the money. I usually wrap my purchases in plastic bags, pad them with clothing, and check the suitcase with other baggage for the return trip home. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Set aside some time while the event is fresh in your mind to summarize the experiences for yourself. If I'm out of town at a multiple-day conference, I tend to regroup and do this just before bedtime. If it was a one-day event, I do this that night or the next day. My routine is to make lists. First, I list all the important concepts I learned, highlights of the stories I heard, and ideas that these brought to my mind. Second, I make a list of the research projects I have planned and how what I learned today can be applied. Third, I list what additional education I want to obtain on specific topics. If I'm at a multiple-day conference out of town, I then review the syllabus of remaining sessions and plan my continuing education at that conference. Finally, I organize my notes, the contacts I've made, and the brochures I've collected and file them for future reference. Education is a continuous process; you can never get enough. There are always new record types to learn about, and new strategies to discover and customize to your research needs. The number of genealogical conferences and meetings available at all levels can provide the continuing education you need to further your search for your family history. Do some research this weekend to locate some educational opportunities for yourself. Happy hunting! George Click Here for George Morgan's Archive Copyright 1998 George G. Morgan. All Rights reserved. "Along Those Lines ..." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). The article originally appeared in the Genealogy Forum on America Online. You may send E-mail to alonglines@aol.com. George Morgan would like to hear from you but, because of the volume of E-mail, is unable to personally respond to each letter individually. He also regrets that he cannot assist you with your personal genealogical research. Copyright 1998, 1999, Ancestry.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement