A week or more in Salt Lake City this January?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy  Leave a comment

Think about it. What else do you have on your calendar for January 2010? How about setting aside time for a whole lot of learning and networking in the genealogy capital of the world? The annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is set for 11-15 January 2010. Online registration is easy!

You pick a course, sign up, and arrive at the Radisson Hotel to begin an entire week of learning. Choose from twelve courses and you attend sessions in that same course all week. Each course registrant receives a comprehensive syllabus for that course, an orientation breakfast and the Friday night banquet. Look over the evening classes that are extra. (You do not have to be registered for SLIG to register for an evening class.)

I coordinate and teach in Course I which is an intermediate level course on U.S. resources titled American Records and Research: Focusing on Families. This course assists researchers in learning about and using sources and methods. The 2010 classes focus on topics related to researching individuals and families in the 19th-21st centuries. Sixteen informative classroom hours on significant U.S. records and strategies take you beyond basic research tools. In addition, for this course only, 6.5 hours of help in the Family History Library during the Institute week provides hands-on assistance and guidance. This totals 22.5 hours for your one fee. Click here for the list of specific classes for this course.

This course helps extend your research skills with light homework assignments to immediately apply the classroom information to research on your own families. Class work is in the morning on five of the days, one afternoon, with hands-on library assistance on three afternoons from three of the instructors. There is ample time for open research in the afternoon and evening. This course alternates every other year with another Institute course with resources related more directly to localities.

The top-notch instructors represent a wide variety of states, credentials, education, and expertise: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, , Cath Madden Trindle, CG, D. Joshua Taylor, Debra Mieszala, CG, Kory Meyerink, AG, Craig R. Scott, CG, and Elissa Scalise Powell, CG.

Participants in this course should have advanced beyond the “bare bones” beginner. We suggest rereading one or more basic genealogy guidebooks and being familiar with the Family History Library Catalog. (Online at www.familysearch.org). It will help if you have taken a basic level genealogical class or two and attended at least one genealogical seminar. Students should bring along some of their own family research materials including ancestor charts and family group sheets (computer or paper) to use in immediately applying what they learn in class. These will also be helpful during scheduled one-on-one consultations.

Minnesota Historical Society Library Hour Changes

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota Historical Society  1 Comment

From the September 9, 2009 MHS Local History News:

“New Library Hours at MHS
To serve visitors better in the midst of a reduction in the Minnesota Historical Society‘s operating budget, hours for the library will change to reflect highest demand visitation times. Effective Tuesday September 8, 2009, new hours will be Tuesdays, noon to 8; Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to 5; Saturdays, 9 to 4; and Sundays, noon to 4. Closed Mondays and holidays.”

This is truly sad news for researchers. Many long-time library staff have had their jobs terminated or changed. Hours have been continually cut over the years. By the time you get checked in, put your things in a locker, order a box of records or some books . . . and actually receive the material, it’s almost time to leave. The history of Minnesota is truly being put on the back burner. It’s now a chore to visit MHS. This library is the access place for hundreds of years of books, monographs, historical publications, as well as city, county and state records. Staff that remains is overworked and the knowledge of lost staff is a horrific loss.

For someone who lives a distance from the Minnesota Historical Society, the urge to drive for a day or two of research is lessened. Why drive 3 hours or plan to stay in a motel and research for a few full days only to find that the now few hours the place is open on a given day is a joke.

It’s not the only locality or state doing this. The current state of historical research nationwide is getting sadder by the day. So much of what we need is not online and won’t be in our lifetime. Those thousands upon thousands of boxes of original records are treasure troves for doing genealogy, community history, military history, biographies, school history, and newspaper articles. Those boxes hold first-hand accounts, true history, family treasures, and so much more. All these staff and access losses are truly tragic.

The expense that went into the building of the Minnesota History Center may be for naught when people can no longer visit the exhibits, research history, or sit next to each other and see the excitement of finding that court record full of history. “To serve visitors better” is a phrase that makes no sense. Researchers don’t just visit. Researchers don’t want to be “served” only during the highest demand times. Research takes time —

I can now see myself lecturing — please come to Minnesota to research your Minnesota family history. But only during the hours of 12-5. And by the way, the materials are in closed stacks so that you need to order items , have them brought out to your table, and then the library will close.

Wanna make a bet that if some clerk in a county somewhere in Minnesota needs a copy of a county record that is housed in the state archives at MHS they can get it whenever it is needed — not just from noon-5? A legislator requesting a record at 9:00 a.m. will be served. A funeral home needing a copy of a DD214 will be served. But the taxpayers can get access only from noon-5.

Come on economy!

Where have I been?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Federation of Genealogical Societies  Leave a comment

I just returned from a week in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a great week at the Federation of Genealogical Societies annual conference. Talk about wonderful! FGS and the Arkansas Genealogical Society did a bang-up job. I had the best room monitors I have ever experienced as a speaker.

It takes a lot of volunteer power to put on such events. This year’s folks made it a smooth event. I tip my baseball cap to Jan Davenport and Suzanne Jackson and their crew. I also have to rave about the Night at the Ballpark where we watched the Arkansas Travelers beat their in-state rival, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, 9-3. Members of the FGS Board of Directors were everywhere, too. Everyone made it a great week.

Every session was full of folks talking. They did stop for the presentations to begin but the discussions taking place among the audiences really hit me as the best in genealogy networking. I think a lot of new friendships were made at this conference.

I have been doing the National Publicity for this conference for the past 18 months and doing the Conference News Blog for the past year. I am retiring from this volunteer work for the next conference to catch up on my own family and business. I may even be able to concentrate on my own blog more! BUT you must still add the next FGS conference to your calendar. Knoxville, Tennessee, August 18-21. The local hosts are the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Kentucky Historcal Society. Those folks are already working hard to bring you another great week of education, networking, and fun. See you in Knoxville!

Watch the FGS website over the next 11 months for evolving details. www.fgs.org

Minnesota Genealogical Society Conference Deadlines

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Minnesota Genealogical Society  Leave a comment

Don’t forget to register for the Minnesota Genealogical Society’s Northstar Genealogy Conference that is taking place September 18-19 in South St. Paul. Full details may be found by clicking here. Don’t be left out — this is a great event.

The featured speaker is Claire Mire Bettag, CG,who is a well-known speaker based in Washington, DC. She is knowledgeable and an outstanding speaker. The Conference also includes nine breakout sessions presented by other great speakers that represent Minnesota.

Claire’s topics are:
* Genealogical Assumptions: Your own Worst Enemy
* Government Documents: Untapped Genealogical Treasures
* Introduction to Federal Land Records
* National Archives Records at Your Finger Tips

Online registrations close September 15th and reservations for a Friday evening banquet and a Saturday box lunch close September 13th. Of course, you may register for the conference at the door but planners of these events truly appreciate advance registrations that help them in planning.

“Longtime volunteer leaves $25,000 to Newfields Public Library”

Paula Stuart-Warren  Libraries  Leave a comment

That is the headline from an article that tells how Barbara Bechtold Byrne (Bobbie) willed that $25,000 to the library in Newfields, New Hampshire. As the article on the Seacoastonline.com states:

“The library was also a place where Byrne could delve into the books and historical records dedicated to two of her favorite topics — Revolutionary history and genealogies.

‘Her goal was to promote this area — the history and genealogy of the town — going back to Colonial days,” Chris said. “She wanted to make sure we kept that history from the very early days alive.’ “

Read the full story here. What a wonderful legacy in this time when so many libraries, archives, and historical societies are struggling to preserve history with diminishing town, county and state funding.

Don’t let it get away

Paula Stuart-Warren  Research  Leave a comment

You just received an email with an attachment. That attachment is a copy of your great grandparents marriage certificate. Maybe tomorrow you will find an online obituary that has some neat family details.

As you look at the item your mind fills with ideas on research possibilities that flow from the details on the record. Maybe you have 3 questions based on what you just read. The dryer buzzes and you are off to hang up those permanent press shirts. Then off to the hardware store or to choir rehearsal. By the next time you have the time to look at those documents again, those first research ideas or questions to ask may not pop back into your mind. You remember that you had a wonderful idea on what to look for but it just won’t come back into your thoughts.

Put it in writing
We have all been at that place and hopefully learned a lesson. Immediately jot down the ideas and questions that pop into your mind. Those first impressions are important. That’s why I have paper and pencils/pens in many places in my home. It’s much easier to write down my first thoughts. In some ways, this is the beginning of your research plan.

This can also be the start of a list of questions to ask Aunt Mary the next time the two of you have a cup of coffee and talk about the family.

Don’t lose these notes — keep them with the document or in a folder or computer file with your other “to do” items.

These may be the best impressions
Often those ideas that first appear are among the best ones. Get them down in writing, but don’t let that be the end of your analyzing and planning process.

Reservations now open for StoryCorps at the FGS Conference!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences/Institutes, Federation of Genealogical Societies, StoryCorps  Leave a comment

StoryCorps is coming to the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference: Make your reservation today!

StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening, is coming to 2009 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas on September 2-4.

By recording the stories of our lives with the people we care about, we experience our history, hopes, and humanity. Since 2003, tens of thousands of everyday people have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share, and is archived for generations to come at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to our award-winning broadcasts on public radio and the Internet. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, creating a growing portrait of who we really are as Americans.

To learn more about StoryCorps visit their website. <www.storycorps.org>

Visit the FGS Conference Blog www.fgsconferenceblog.org for full details on making a reservation.

One important reminder — Wednesday, August 26th is the last day to register online for the conference. You may still register at the door beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1st. Visit FGS’ website at www.fgs.org to register.

Tombstone Tuesday — only because of a kind student

Paula Stuart-Warren  Cemetery, Family, Slaker  Leave a comment


Back in the 1990s I was teaching a class at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. That was pre-PowerPoint days! I don’t remember what the class topic was but it included an overhead of a letter from a cemetery I had contacted in the 1980s.

It was from Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. A lady in the class, Shirley, said that this cemetery was right by her house. As the years have passed, Shirley and her cohorts from Montana have become special friends of mine.

Fast forward to 2002 when the Federation of Genealogical Societies was to have its conference in Ontario, California. Shirley gave me an offer I could not resist — when I arrived there she would drive me to the cemetery to visit the graves and take pictures. The graves are of a great granduncle Frederick Slaker and his family. Frederick is a brother of my great great grandmother Emma Slaker Stuart. The other sibling was Louis Slaker. The are Germans who settled in Wisconsin. Fred and Lou and their families ended up in the Los Angeles area.

More than just drive me to the cemetery, Shirley went there ahead of time, got a map, and scouted out the area where the graves are located. All this because I taught a class.

What is a genealogical consultation?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Consultations, Professional Genealogists, Research  Leave a comment

I have received some questions in regard to my appearance on TV last week. A couple people want to know what a genealogical consultation is and how does it help someone working on their family tree.

That’s an easy one to answer. It’s as simple as hiring a professional genealogist to sit down and give you what ends up being a private class based on your own family. If you are new to genealogy, a consultation can help you get started. If you have been doing some work, the consultation helps you learn about more sources, where they are found, what else you need to know, and many other things. It’s a time to ask all sorts of questions and get some answers that are directed specifically to your own research. These consultations can take place in someone’s home, at a library or a restaurant.

Some consultations can be done as working sessions at a genealogy library or courthouse. No matter the place, it is reasonable to expect to pay for 2-3 hours minimum for an in-person consultation where you bring all your material with you and you take notes. If you desire a written report that will increase the time. If your consultation consists of you sending the professional consultant your materials, that person doing a thorough review and analysis of what you have, and preparing a report reviewing what you have done and what is suggested for the next steps, be prepared for several more hours of time. It takes almost as much time to prepare the report as it does to analyze the materials.

Who do you hire?

  • Someone who has been researching family history for quite a while.
  • Someone who knows about online resources
  • Someone who knows about all the other important resources found in courthouses, archives, libraries, churches, and historical societies
  • Someone who can review what you already have or have found and help you tailor a reasearch plan — sort of a “to do” list for genealogy shopping.
  • Someone who knows how to evaluate sources for their importance and accuracy
  • Someone who continues their education in genealogy and history and hasn’t been stagnant in the field.
  • Someone who can look at the broader picture — in other words who knows enough to help you get your ancestors out of the town, county and state you have them in.
  • If you need help only in research in another country, that person needs to have a working familiarity with resources particular to that place.
  • The consultant may be someone with access to a variety of databases that you don’t have.
  • The consultant may know of some obscure indexes, guidebooks, databases or even another professional that may be just what you need for part of your family history work.
  • The professional may be a whiz at things electronic and can help set up your databases, software, and other options.

A consultation usually ends up saving you a lot of money down the road since you will now be better prepared for the continuing research process. And before you ask, yes, I am a genealogical consultant for hire. My area of expertise is the U.S. and Canada. It’s one of the most fascinating aspects of my business.