Working Alone or in Groups?

I love genealogy. I love everything related to genealogy. I love traveling for research, attending conferences, old photos, you name it. But, maybe what it really comes down to is that I love associating with other people who also love genealogy. They simply have similar interests, experiences, and I always come away with some new piece of information that will improve my genealogy.

Just recently I read the book, the Journey Takers by Leslie Albrecht. It was recommended by a member of my local society. Lovely use of her genealogy to describe her ancestors in humanizing terms. Not just the data a genealogist collects, but the stories, descriptions, and "what ifs?" of her family. This all lead me to remember to include the stories, memories, newspaper articles, letters, and personal writings of my family into my PAF files on family. I can get so involved in finding the hard data, that I can forget to include those things that will make my ancestors more human. So "Note to self"...tell the story; do not only record the data.

If you read my blog, you will notice that I have a bias. It is that for the best results and rewards of this hobby, that you should find a local genealogy society to join. If they have a few meetings that are open to the public, attend a couple. See what the general atmosphere is going to be. While I love love love doing my own research. And generally speaking it is not a team sport. I have found some collaborators through the Internet over the years. But, it is through my local society, that I have made friends for weekly walks, travel, visiting museums, sharing gas, going out to lunch etc. and yes, talking about genealogy. If you feel that their programs are not relevant, then maybe you can help them develop or implement some programs that will be useful/entertaining to members.

Now I have to get back to seeing who else would like to share gas to this years Gene-A-Rama. And maybe share a room? Could save us both a bundle!

Great Programs.

Since I am the President of my local genealogical society, I have my hand in a number of our programs. Planning and implementing them is always an issue. But, the most important ingredient is having your antennae up and listening and looking for what your membership and the public WANT.  I am a firm believer that a large number of members and non-members who attend our regular monthly meetings, generally want tips to improve their research results. And, I have found that where ever we can actully lead them through a hands-on process they tend to obtain better results.Where ever you decide to hold your monthly meetings, make sure you have wireless capabilites. It will allow for so many more meeting program possibilities.

So, at our last meeting we invited everyone to bring their laptops. If they did not own one, we would sit them alongside someone who had one. Then, our program speaker, who is also a member of our Society and the Director of the Local FHC began. I have a projector, so was able to hook up to her computer, while she got FamilySearch.org up on the screen.Then we showed only one part of what FamilySearch can do for their research. Finding the catalog and looking at what films can be ordered was the focus. There simply are to many items available through the FHL loan to FHC's that any researcher who wants any kind of results, simply cannot ignore this resource. Then, since the ordering and paying for microfilm rental must now be done from the patrons home/computer, we helped the attendees to set up their FREE accounts and showed them how that worked.  Since our Local Barron FHC is only about 5 blocks from our society meeting and research room location and from our county courthouse, we can offer the best research repositories in very close proximity for the county. This is a wonderful advantage to researchers.

Our full meeting room, with at least half of those attending from the BHGS non-member population was an indicator that the subject matter was relevant. It also let us know that since we had so many attendees from the general public, that our use of Facebook, website, and publicity in local media was successful and is being viewed by the public. Great meetings and really good advertising creates interest, attendance, membership and these are all great things for a society.

Our April meeting is our 10th Anniversary and Society Elections. We plan to celebrate. Our May meeting will be planning a genealogical research trip with a session from Tronhiem in America President, Robert Fossum (who is also a member of our Society) on the related issue of planning for attending a Norwegian stevne. June will find members out in one of our county cemeteries, where we continue the project of photographing the tombstones while creating abstracts of those cemeteries as our dedication to preserving local records. Its going to be a GREAT year for our Society.

Whats New for 2012.

I have been elected to the post of the NW District Representative for the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society. This is a position I held for a very short time until health issues made me resign from that commitment. So, now I am back again, promoting what I love, genealogy and their societies. One of the best tools available to  a genealogist is membership in a good genealogical society. Whether it is local (which I highly recommend as at least one of your memberships) or through a subscription to one at a distance. These groups of people simply can offer so much more than one person could find on their own.  So, find your local. Join the State Society. Or if you do not have a local, ask WSGS for some simple steps in getting your own group up and running!

What's a Webinar?

A webinar, is a online seminar. The ones that I have watched have been narrated PowerPoint presentations on different genealogy related subjects or on how to use online tools in my genealogy or society business. Genealogy Gems,  Legacy Family.com, Roots Magic.com, Geneawebinars have schedules for some of these. I generally view those that are free, and I make sure to check the archived copies, if I am busy when they are shown live. I may miss out on the door prizes and the Q&A sessions, but can still listen to them as recorded material. Google Docs and Google Forms by Thomas MacEntee, along with his others on Create a Genealogy Toolbox and Backup for your Genealogy Data were excellent and eye opening to me. The pod casts and videos on Genealogy Gems are thrilling. I am working on absorbing all the information that Lisa Louise Cooke provides in her presentations, and especially with search tips and tricks and Google Earth to enhance genealogy. If you are only looking for databases, you may sometimes feel like a gerbil on a wheel. You need to enhance your skills to get more and better information. So use these tools. They save you gas, can be fit into your personal schedule and are providing the public with great tools.

Keep It Interesting!

Most genealogy people are always looking for their ancestors, searching for new databases and all those things to fill in the Birth, Marriage and Death information on them.  But, I have also found that genealogy people are also very interested in learning the best ways and different ways to enhance their computer use. To this end, six members of my Blue Hills Genealogical Society-Barron County, Inc. are taking a Photo Restoration class through our local Technical college. It is 3 consecutive Thursday evenings, price is under $25 for most of us and only $4 for those over 62 years of age. We are getting a chance to use PhotoShop CS3 and related usage to PhotoShop Elements. What fun as we all work on our old or damaged photos.

When you get tired and hit the brick walls in your research, try looking for your local society. Maybe they can help with the brick wall OR you may even find some fun things that they are doing and it enhances your personal genealogical hobby!

Plan Ahead-Research Trips

There is nothing worse than walking into a library or archive that is filled with possibilities and you don't have a clue what you are hoping to find. I have done this as have many others. But, now I make a plan. A shopping list, if you will. I first of all determine which family line is going to be best served by the resources at the repository that I am going to. Then I begin a list of what are the questions that I want to address. For example, next week I am going with a group from my genealogy society to the Minnesota Historical Society Library in St. Paul. This facility has an online presence and I am going to my group sheets, checking where I want to find specific information (such as a death date) then finding the certificate number online so that I can then find that certificate immediately. I also know that the MN facility has naturalization papers so will look for those that pertain to my husbands family, as they were all in Minnesota. Right now my shopping list has 11 naturalization papers I am searching for, 12 death certificates and 4 obituaries. This keeps me focused and my searches and not wandering around wondering what to do next. Bringing the printed version of the pedigree/family group sheets will also show me the blank spots in my research and if I have time I can work on any others that arise, if I have the time. But, with the shopping list I can prioritize my research and therefore get those items that are most important to me on this trip.

Talking About Genealogy Tools.

I guess we could say that today the greatest genealogy tool is the computer. It has provided access to more records and relatives than ever before. Like all things this is a blessing and a bummer sometimes. Learning how to use the computer is a non-ending experience. I learn new skills each time I want to accomplish some  new project. There is NO way that you can learn it all at once. The genealogy society that I belong to, Blue Hills Genealogical Society-Barron County, Inc. is relatively young (only 9 years old) and so we began without the old excuses of "but we've always done it this way...." No old habits or expectations. We also began with the VERY great good fortune of having some of our earliest members pretty darn proficient with a computer and as we continue to grow the size of our membership, we continue to pick up members with that knowledge and more.

Not all genealogy people are ONLY into their own research. Some like learning the history of an area, some like scrapbooking their family, some like to be involved in  preservation of their county materials, some like being with other people whatever their interests. Whatever it is, members will have a variety of goals so meeting them is the primary function of a society. Use of their computers, digital cameras and other new technology are some of the needs that come to mind.

We have found that most of us just simply do not know enough about our computers, so this past meeting, one of our very experienced computer guru's gave the monthly program called "Prescription for you PC" which covered the basic maintenance procedures that we should all be doing. It was great, he had power point presentation, with handouts and the members "ate it up".

Since our meetings are open to the public and advertised on local media, on our web site, in our newsletter and members reminded through our members only free mail list we do get the message out to the public.  But, we are now searching for a way that we can store and then make available to anyone, the handouts from our meetings. That way, even if someone is not a member or could not attend, but they see what our program was about a year ago, that they can go to a website or such and download and print the handout from a particular meeting. That does not of course provide the Q&A or discussion points, but it's better than nothing.

We still have not figured out which way is best to do this. Still talking about how to do it. But, it IS in our future.