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.
© 2010 – 2014, Paula Stuart-Warren. All rights reserved.
