FINALLY Get Organized! Jan 24th-31st 2016 Checklist Progress

I'm feeling like there is progress here. And I am looking forward to next month... which is tomorrow. Yikes!

So for the last week of January:

1. Volunteer at FamilySearch Indexing.

I have done this in the past and so I already have the software installed on my Mac. I will set aside some time, even if just an hour or two each month, to give back.

2. Learn to browse the image collections at FamilySearch.org.

Thanks for reminding us to browse instead of just search. I've been browsing in Ancestry's U. S. Evangelical Lutheran Church America Records 1875 - 1940, and it's amazing how much can be found! Especially when you are looking in a collection of church records - you need to go through the baptisms for the appropriate time span, then the marriages, the deaths, and even the membership rolls. I found some membership rolls for my ancestors' churches that give the birth, baptism, confirmation and birth location for members by family. Granted, they need to be researched further but what great clues! 


3. Create surname binders for yourself (if female) and your mother's maiden name, but leave them at that for the moment.

Done - check!

 4. Update your genealogy program to include your siblings.

Thanks for reminding us to include our present generation! I have eight siblings so this is not a quick task. But it's a fun one, and one that brings back fond personal memories. If we want to entice other members of our families to be interested in family history - there's no better way then to let them see themselves as part of it.

Reflecting back on the month of January: I really appreciate the push to find my next genealogical data base program. I had been putting it off but am now much closer to a decision. Many thanks to AmericanAncestors.org and Rhonda McClure's look at several choices in a great webinar available here. And they also deserve additional thanks for their Genealogical Software Comparison Chart 1!

Thanks, Dear Myrtle, for the January checklists!

 1 "Genealogy Software Comparisons," AmericanAncestors.org,
http://www.americanancestors.org/education/learning-resources/read/genealogical-software-programs; accessed 30 January 2016.

FINALLY Get Organized! Jan 17th-23rd 2016 Checklist Progress

1. Transcribe every document you've collected on the first 4-four generations in your surname/ maiden name binder. 

Every document? Dear, Dear Myrtle! What are you trying to do to me? 

I'm going to fail at a couple of these and that's OK. The first two generations of families in my dad's family were born in what is now the Czech Republic. I hired a researcher to find the family in the Czech archives and he has transcribed the church entries for baptisms and marriages. I'm going to take his word for it. Not only can I not read Czech or Latin, I also cannot decipher that particular Gothic script although I can pick out a word or two here and there.

The first record I tried transcribing myself surprised me. I thought I knew, without looking, where this individual was born. I was off by one county. Transcribing the information will remind me to fact-check before running off on a wild-goose chase for more information.

I'm using GenScriber 2.3.4 which has similar features to Transcript referred to in DearMyrtle's FINALLY Get Organized! Jan 17th-23rd 2016 Checklist.

  2. Refile each document in the Surname/Maiden Name binder.

This part was easy as I never removed the files from the "digital" binder but rather just opened them in the transcription software. I filed the transcriptions with the exact same name as the original file except I added the word "transcribed" to the end of the file name. Also, the transcription files are rich-text-format" or "rtf" file types instead of image files.

Ready for the next challenge!

FINALLY Get Organized! Jan 10th-16th 2016 Checklist Progress

I'm behind, of course, but I am going to try to catch up this weekend. So, here we go with week 2!

1. First, back up your data.

I am pretty good at this. I will give full credit to Dick Eastman's monthly reminders in his blog, Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. I use a portable drive to back up my genealogy database and related digital files. I have another portable drive at our year-round lake home and backup the same data there before we return home. The portable drive at the lake home provides me with my off-site storage.

I'm still working on digitizing my 30 years worth of research but I think I am about half-way there. It helps that for the most part, I've been keeping only digital copies of my sources for the last 6 or 7 years. At last count (found in the Consumable Status area of my ScanSnap scanner) I have scanned over 12,000 pages.

 2. Decide on a genealogy management program.   

This one is going to take a little longer although I've been reviewing them for quite a while. I use The Master Genealogist (TMG) and was saddened to learn that Bob Velke was retiring for health reasons and was unable to support it. So I have been looking at other programs on both the Mac and PC side to determine where to go next. I have a MacBook Pro running Parallels so I am keeping my options open. 

I have full working versions with a sample of my database loaded in several programs: Legacy, RootsMagic 7, Heredis 2015, MacFamilyTree, FamilyTreeBuilder, and RootsTrust . Of course, I also had FamilyTreeMaker 2014 and the Mac version but those are no longer under consideration. So far, I am leaning toward Legacy or RootsMagic. Beyond testing and playing with the program, I am watching videos to see what features "grab" me.

I don't think I am in a great hurry here as TMG will continue to work and serve as my main genealogy management program for some time. I plan to switch when I am ready to start my "Do-Over" and then will carefully hand-enter my data taking care with sources, citations and proofs.

 3. As soon as you've scanned them, place all important "must save" photos and documents in top-loading page protectors for those first 3-4 generations in your surname binder. 

Yikes! I've come to realize that "paperless" does not necessarily mean "organized."

This one was tough even though I already had my items digitized. It really made me re-think my digitizing plan. Instead of printing out the family group sheets, I printed them to PDF files and put one in each of four folders labeled with the last name and first name. Then I copied my digital files of photos, certificates and other information to the appropriate folder.

I needed to take a step back and determine how, exactly, I wanted to organize my paperless surname binders. At this point, I'm trying a document that starts with the family group report, then puts the other documents and photos in chronological order. This allows me update and to insert other items later. This could later be printed out or printed to a PDF for a "coffee table" version, if needed. 

But, I still have the original digital versions in my general surname folder on my desktop so now there are two copies. I watched Denise Levenick this week on a Legacy webinar talk about naming conventions and have determined that I need to rename most of my digital copies. This will also have to wait until my "Do-Over" as I don't want to break any connections in my current program.

4. Create an introduction for those that follow. 

My introductions were rather short as I anticipate many changes and those will have to be accounted for as I go. Also, I'm a little over-protective of my passwords. That probably comes from years of being in the IT department. I uses a password keeper program that does a nice job, is fairly intuitive, and syncs across platforms. This means only one password is needed to get access to all others. That one password is shared with a trusted person.

 5. Add a "genealogy codicil" to your will by making an appointment with your attorney. 

I love this one but this item will take a bit of time to complete. I have filled out the genealogical codicil and will keep a paper copy (because it's critical!) and a digital copy of the codicil. There are too many other considerations in regards to the will to do this item in a hurry.

FINALLY Get Organized! Jan 3rd-9th 2016 Checklist Progress

Thanks, DearMyrtle, for your encouragement and suggestions to help tame the all the paper caused by a passion for genealogy. Here's how I am doing so far on your first checklist:

  1. Clear off the computer desk and make piles for everything.

This was probably one of the easier tasks as I actually already had some work space cleared off. And I have piles, multiple piles, for everything! I wonder if I get extra points for extra piles?


  2. Check your office supplies, and replace any missing or lost items 

I love office supplies. Does a love for office supplies come with the genealogy bug? It sure seems to. But I think I am good to go in this area.


  3. Setup your computer desk and office the way you really want it!

Not only do I have a new mouse pad, it's genealogy related. I have one with ancestors to help guide me and another with my children and grandchildren to inspire me.

My mousepad, at upper left, shows a number of my ancestors and I like to think they are pointing me in the right direction. Except for that one guy name Ole Olson, whose father was named Ole Olson, and his father was also named Ole Olson, and so on. Really? That's the only name you could come up with?

The mousepad at right shows my children, grandchildren and they inspire me to write the stories.

I also spent a good deal of time the last two summers building a library both physically and electronically. This will always be a work in progress but it is a labor of love.


4. Designate a special red clipboard as the "When Computer Help Arrives" clipboard. 

I am going to take this route digitally. This might be an area where, at least for a time, I have an advantage. My current profession is in the education technology field and I am pretty darn comfortable with most things technology. However, after 30+ years in the profession, I know how fast things change, and with retirement looming, I will probably fall out of the loop in a hurry!


5. Designate a special green clipboard as the "Genealogy Challenges" clipboard.

See #4 above for reference to my digital route. But this list will probably grow rather quickly as I am more easily challenged in this area.


 And one more BRIGHT IDEA - Open up an Amazon Prime account.

I am good with this one, too. Having an Amazon Prime account has helped with a variety of purchases and related shipping costs: genealogy, gifts, books and other media. It's an addiction and I admit, there are times I feel like I am hooked.

Thanks again, Myrtle, for your help with my New Year's Resolution. I can hardly wait to see how it all turns out!

Can I Get My Genealogy More Organized in 2016?

I've been a fan of Dear Myrtle for quite a while and love that she wants others to learn. She takes large concepts that might seem too big or scary, like Mastering Genealogical Proof or Genealogy and the Law, and creates the learning lessons in smaller more brain-digestable parts.

So when I saw that she was starting the new year out with "Finally Get Organized! 2016 Weekly Checklists," I cheered out loud at my computer!

I have been the lucky recipient of photos, programs and other memorabilia from both my parents and my husbands' parents. I've been collecting genealogy documentation for 30 years. And I have my own collection of photos and family memorabilia. So there is definitely "stuff" that needs organizing.

So bring it on Dear Myrtle, I've been waiting for an excuse to clean up my genealogy act for a long time!

More Genealogy Education Goals and My Progress, Part II

Earlier this year, I created a list of long term genealogy education goals, and a list of skill areas to develop.

In my last post, I detailed my progress toward the first two goals listed below:

1. I will read scholarly journals.  √
2. I will attend a genealogical institute.  √
3. I will attend one or more conferences.
4. I will participate in webinars. 
5. I will continue to build my library, read books and participate in book studies. 
6. I will work with unfamiliar record types.
7. I will keep a record my educational activities and evaluate them quarterly.

This post will discuss the progress toward Goals 3 and 4: "I will attend one or more conferences," and "I will participate in webinars." Both of these goals can incur significant cost. It takes some research and planning to fulfill these goals without breaking the bank. 

Goal 3 - "I will attend one or more conferences." √

While attending a conference can be expensive due to travel and the cost of the conference itself, the value of the learning and networking can justify the expense. Because I had already attended a national institute, I decided I should concentrate on finding a local or state conference this fall. I was very fortunate that the two-day Minnesota Genealogy Society1 (MGS) North Star Conference was held less than 10 miles from my house. The conference was small but the crowd was enthusiastic.

Day One, Friday afternoon, was held at the society's South St. Paul location. I attended a class by Paula Stuart Warren 2 which was great fun. She used real-life examples and had attendees collaborate in groups. It was really interesting to see how different groups had different ideas about the clues presented and where to look next.

Day Two, Saturday, was held at Inver Hills Community College, less than 3 miles from my home. You can't get any closer than that! I attended several sessions including the keynote and final session by David Rencher 3, Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. 

David Rencher's presentations were not only enlightening but very entertaining. And he presented an opportunity for all to contribute to Preserve the Pensions and have the donations matched by MGS, then matched again by the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and then matched again by Ancestry.com. Every $1 donated became $8 for the Preserve the Pension fund.

The conference was very reasonably priced, as a member I paid $80 for Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday sessions. The speakers were very knowledgable - I consider it a day very well spent.

I also participated in some virtual conferences this year. The Association of Professional Genealogists 4 held a virtual conference January 8 and January 9. There were a variety of pricing options; I purchased the entire conference of 9 sessions and the digital syllabus for $145. You must be a member to participate. I was unable to watch any of the sessions live but watched all of them after the archived sessions became available online in early February. The archived online access ended after 30 days.

Another virtual conference I participated in was the National Genealogical Society 5 Conference held in May. The sessions were all extremely educational and entertaining, presented by nationally-known experts.

I did not view any of the sessions live due to my schedule but was able to view them almost immediately afterward until mid-August when access was removed.

In my opinion it was another very well-spent genealogy dollar.


This fall I also tried Family Tree University's 6 Fall Conference. This conference is just a little bit different than the other virtual conferences in that it added some other social media functions, like chats and discussion boards. It also added the ability to download the actual presentation for viewing later. There were 15 sessions in four different tracks. This was a little more expensive than some of the others but I tried it because the names of the speakers were very well known to me. The sessions were shorter than most conference sessions, about 30 minutes. But they were very well done and I would definitely try this again.

Goal 4 - "I will participate in webinars." √

I'm going to brag just a little here - I rock at attending and/or viewing webinars. My day job interferes with attending webinars and hangouts live during the day. I try to attend certain live webinars at night or on weekends. I've created a list of webinar sites that I can use to find either free or low cost webinars at times when I am doing laundry or other tasks that don't require my full attention. 

I won't list the actual webinars here because the list is actually quite long: Thus far, in 2015, I have attended or viewed almost 100 webinars amounting to over 100 hours of education. As mentioned in my last blog post, I track the webinars with the Title, Sponsor, Presenter, Topic and Sub-topic, Length, Links to Presenter notes (downloaded and located on my computer) and My Notes.

What I will list are the locations of the sites where I have found webinars, either live or recorded, that are relevant to my goals. Perhaps they will also help you.

FamilyTreeWebinars.com 7, sponsored by Legacy Software© 8, is one of my favorite resources. Even though it is sponsored by a family tree database software company, many of the webinars here are applicable to general research as opposed to using Legacy software. There is a fee. When I joined, the fee was just under $50 annually. You can also join for just one month to see if the resource is of value to you; the cost at the time of this writing was just under ten dollars. So far this year, I have viewed over 25 webinars for over 25 hours. This is less than $2 an hour, and frankly, I think it is a wonderful value. Many webinars are free, and most are free for the first week or so after posting. So try before you buy and see if it works for you. Many of the names of presenters were very familiar to me and are nationally recognized genealogy speakers and educators. You do not need to be a member to view the list of available webinars.

I have viewed ten webinars at the Illinois State Genealogical Society 9 (ILGenSoc) website, over ten hours of webinar learning. Again, many of the presenters are nationally recognized genealogy speakers and educators. Viewing these webinars requires that you join the Illinois  State Genealogical Society. The cost is very reasonable, only $35 a year for an individual at the time of this writing. If you have ancestors who spent any time in Illinois, it's a great value. But even if you didn't the webinars are likely to be of interest. 

The one downfall I have noticed in the IlGenSoc website as an iPad user: the webpage listing of webinars has the actual webinars embedded in it. This is fine when there are just a few. But when there are dozens, it takes a while to load and is difficult to watch webinars further down the list.

Another favorite of mine is the Southern California Genealogical Society 10 (SCGS). They have a great catalog of archived libraries and add to it monthly, usually the first Saturday and third Wednesday. The live webinar broadcast is open to the public but once they are placed in the archives the webinars are available only to members. 

The cost of membership to the Southern California Genealogical Society is very reasonable: a one-year individual membership is $35 annually. I almost always recognize the speaker's name as someone who is well regarded in the genealogy field. I have viewed over twenty SCGS webinars live or archived. 

RootsTech Video Archive 11 allows the viewer to watch webinars from the 2015 RootsTech conference. I've always wanted to attend this very popular conference in Salt Lake City. But the associated costs of travel and hotel make it difficult to so.  This year's conference had almost 24,000 attendees. If that kind of crowd makes you claustrophobic, you might want to consider watching the webinars live during the conference, or you can watch the archived webinars later. Only a small percentage of the sessions are presented via the web,  but for those of us who don't attend, it's a great resource. Those who do attend the conference can skip the live webinar presentations and go to other sessions they are interested in, knowing they can see the webinars later.

While the majority of the webinars I attended or viewed online were from those listed above, there were a few other resources that I used as well.

Youtube.com12 has lots of genealogy videos, many of them are part of a series and/or "channel" and are added to frequently.

Dear Myrtle13 has many different series on YouTube, including Mastering Genealogical Proof book studies, Demystifying DNA and others. What I absolutely love about Dear Myrtle is that she provides wonderful introduction and intermediate material to viewers in a very understandable and non-threatening way. She has great guests and panelists that add richness to discussions. And she encourages you to learn more and dig deeper into those tough subjects like genealogical proof standards. Dear Myrtle also offers an ongoing list of live webinars available each week at Geneawebinars.com14.

Another Youtube channel is Ancestry.com Desktop Education Series. Most videos, if not all, are presented by Christa Cowen, the Barefoot Genealogist15.  These videos can also be seen at Ancestry.com16 in the video area.

I'm pretty happy with my progress so far. The conferences and webinars I've attended and/or viewed have all had topics that fit closely with my areas to grow. And in addition to the above conference opportunities, I plan to attend at least one additional conference this year, the NARA Virtual Genealogy Fair17 held October 21 and 22.

In addition to the above webinar opportunites, I plan to view webinars both live and archived at the Minnesota Genealogical Society18 website. You must be a member to view but membership is very reasonable. There are only 10-12 archive webinars thus far. I hope their plan is to continue to broadcast live webinars then archive them for members to view later.

I have also viewed some webinars sponsored by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG)19  which are available on their website here.

There are so many great quality opportunities for continuing education, and most are a very reasonable cost or free. Sometimes it just hard to choose which to watch next!



Sources

1. Minnesota Genealogical Society, homepage, (http://www.mngs.org/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)

2. Genealogy By Paula, homepage, (http://genealogybypaula.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)

3. FamilySearch, The Office of the CGO (Chief Genealogy Office), (https://familysearch.org/blog/en/office-cgo-cheif-genealogy-officer/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
4. Association of Professional Genealogists, homepage (http://www.apgen.org/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
5. National Genealogical Society, homepage (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
6. Family Tree University, homepage (http://www.familytreeuniversitey.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
7. Family Tree Webinars, homepage (http://www.famlytreewebinars.com/ : accessed 11 Sept 2015)
8. Legacy Family Tree (http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
9. Illinois Genealogical Society, homepage, (http://www.ilgensoc.org/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
10. Southern California Genealogical Society, homepage, (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
11. RootsTech 2015 Video Archive, homepage, (http://rootstech.org/video :accessed 11 Sept 2015) 
12. Youtube.com, homepage, (http://www.youtube.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
13. Dear Myrtle, blog, (http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015) 
14. Geneawebinars, blog, (http://www.geneawebinars.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
15. Crista Cowan, blog, (http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/author/ccowan/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015) 
16. Ancestry.com, homepage, (http://www.ancestry.com/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)
17. National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair, homepage, (https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair/ : accessed 11 Sept 2015)
18. Board for the Certification of Genealogists, homepage, (http://www.bcgcertifcation.org/ :accessed 11 Sept 2015)