Alot of genealogy is learning by doing, but that’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. Workshops, seminars, reading, and courses can help you start climbing that family tree efficiently and effectively.
“I always stress education, especially for those who are new to genealogy and think that everything is on the Internet,” said Liz Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL. She is the creator of the software program Clooz—the electronic filing cabinet for genealogical records, is managing editor of NGS Magazine, and authored the books Plymouth’s First Century: Innovators and Industry, a photo history of Plymouth, Michigan; and Plymouth in Vintage Postcards, a postcard history of twentieth-century Plymouth. She is the executive director of the Plymouth Historical Museum and retired from the U.S. Marines as a major.
“I’m always telling people about the NGS courses and conferences because it’s hard to learn in a vacuum. The courses and conferences fill your head with so many ideas that you have to take something away from them.” Kerstens said that she herself, a genealogist of note, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in history, pacing her studies around pursuing her own genealogy and work. She recommends the system of melding work, study, and research.
“Even one course can be overwhelming with my life’s pace, but I finish them because I made a commitment,” she said. “And when I’m taking a course, I try to give it as much attention as I can because, first, I’m paying a lot for graduate tuition, but also, the whole point of taking the courses is to learn. It’s so much more fun to learn when you’re not worrying about getting a fabulous job or the next promotion. I already have a fabulous job and can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing (other than sleeping)!”
Teach Yourself, Be Taught, or Do Both
You have many options when it comes to learning about genealogy, and none are mutually exclusive. You can read books like this one, take college-level courses, read genealogy blogs and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, or read “how-to” articles on websites. You can learn about one aspect such as wills or land grants, or study to become a Certified Genealogist. You can go to a class or have a class come to you over the Internet. If you decide to go to a class, you can still sign up for it online, usually. Find what suits you best!
Books, magazines, and online articles, such as blogs and RSS feeds, are ways to teach yourself about genealogy. The advantage of this method is that you can choose to learn at your own pace and choose the topics according to your needs at the moment.
However, if you want to learn from someone else, you can find resources for that, too. Online courses allow you to learn at your own pace, create your own experience, and keep the rest of your life going. There are courses that you simply read; in other online courses, you interact with the instructor and/or other students. Sometimes you might attend a class by logging on to a live video broadcast, or “webinar.”
This chapter will show you several online courses that are free; others may involve fees, but will also confer education credits of one sort or another.
“Offline” classes, seminars, and conferences are also worthwhile. Amateurs and professionals, beginners and experts, all benefit from them. Most conferences and seminars have tracks for the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Plus, there is an indescribable joy in meeting new friends who share your passion (which many family members may not yet understand!).
Most of the time, if someone else is teaching you, fees are involved—sometimes modest and sometimes more substantial—but if you share travel and lodging with a genealogy buddy, it need not be prohibitively expensive. And often, with a little research, you can find good conferences and classes right in your own backyard!
Teaching Yourself: Columns, Podcasts, and Blogs
Here are some resources to help you continually hone your genealogy skills and knowledge. In general, these are like periodicals, though the distribution method changes:
• FamilySearch Learning Center has hundreds of training videos on topics from using the site to researching specific types of records.
• Elizabeth Shown Mills’ website (http://www.evidenceexplained.com) and book (Evidence Explained) will help you navigate the ins and outs of documentation.
• The Ancestry.com Learning Center, as well as the blogs, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, offer daily tips and information.
• You can find study groups for many different genealogy topics, such as:
• The NGSQ Articles Online Study Groups meet once a month to discuss past articles published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ). When you sign up you will get some articles to read that will help you learn how to read published articles critically. You will also get the list of articles that will be reviewed for the entire year. Members of each group take turns leading the discussion.
• ProGen Study Groups will help you learn about Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians (Genealogical Publishing Company, 2001), edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
• Search YouTube for genealogy.
• Virtual Association of Professional Genealogists Chapters: APG-Virtual, and APG-SL (Second Life).
• Ancestry Family History Wiki, by Kay Rudolph.
• And as Kay Rudolph says, “blogs, blogs, blogs, and blogs!”
Speaking of blogs, let’s look at some of the important ones for a genealogist to follow, no matter what your level of expertise.
DearMYRTLE
Pat Richley-Erickson has been helping folks do genealogy online and offline for nearly two decades. Her screen name, DearMYRTLE, comes from one of her great-grandmothers, and was her ID on AOL’s genealogy forum. At DearMYRTLE.com, you will find links to her Genealogy Community on Google+, Feedly, Facebook, and Twitter, her Lessons, and more.
Just one example is her web-based class on the book Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones (National Genealogical Society, 2013). Both the 2013 and the 2014 Study Group videos can be found on YouTube.
“RootsTech is reaching out to over 250 remote locations in multiple languages throughout the world,” Pat Richley-Erickson said. “You will ‘major’ in the study of Mastering Genealogical Proof for the duration of this series. We’re going to eat, sleep, and breathe this project until we get it down pat. There are some revolutionary thoughts in this book that will be a paradigm shift for even some experienced researchers. This DearMYRTLE’s MGP Study Group is not sponsored by the author or publisher of Mastering Genealogical Proof. The 10-session series is designed for genealogy researchers to study Dr. Jones’ ideas in a positive, collaborative, peer-group setting. These methodology ideals can be translated into any locality or ethnic group research a genealogist is likely to encounter.”
Another fun way to learn random genealogy facts is to listen in on her weekly Mondays with MYRT on Google Hangouts. Each week, a panel of up to eight genealogists will discuss one or more topics making the news in genealogy. She announces how to attend each week on DearMYRTLE.com (see Figure 4-1). Mondays with MYRT happen noon Eastern Standard Time, 11:00 AM Central Standard Time, 10:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, and 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time.
FIGURE 4-1. From family documents to Roots Tech previews, you will learn something every week on Mondays with MYRT.
DearMYRTLE’s daily genealogy blog has free news and tips, problem solving and other discussions, and much more. It’s a must-read for any beginner. You can visit her site (www.DearMYRTLE.com) to subscribe by RSS feed and have her writing come to you.
Success Story: Using Message Boards Solves a Mystery
Betty Krohn took one of DearMYRTLE’s classes on Internet genealogy research, where it was recommended that the students go to www.rootsweb.com and check out the message boards. Betty decided that her first task was to find information on Robert Suiters, Sr., an uncle of Betty’s who had left Ohio in 1929 and lost touch with his family.
“The very first message to pop up when I entered the name of Suiters (my maiden name) was from a person who was looking for any family of Robert Suiters. Until that time, I had been unable to locate any trace of Robert Suiters. We knew he existed, but didn’t know if he was still alive or where in the world he would be living. So you can imagine my excitement when I read that message,” Betty said. “We learned that Robert had gone to Oklahoma, married, and had a son, Robert, Jr., but that marriage ended in divorce, and Robert, Sr. left again, leaving the son and never contacting him again.”
Robert was alive, and he was soon on the phone with Betty’s father. Through the message board, Betty was able to reunite much of the family.
—Betty Krohn
Lisa Louise Cook’s Genealogy Gems
This is both a podcast (audio only) and a YouTube channel (video and audio). Lisa’s emphasis is imparting information in an efficient way. In the podcast and videos, she sifts through all the new technology and genealogy resources to bring you what she likes best in family history resources—the “genealogy gems.” You go to the YouTube site to subscribe and get the videos, or watch old ones, and you use an iTunes account to subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems podcast at https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/genealogy-gems-podcast-lisa/id250987403?mt=2.
Note
Institutes are week-long courses of study on a specific area, usually held at the same site every year, with class size ranging from 15 to 30 students, allowing more personalized instruction. Conference formats are usually speakers and panel discussions over a few days, where attendance for each session can be in the hundreds, and the site usually changes every year. Seminars are somewhere in between with regard to duration and group size.
Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter
Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter is one of the oldest and best sources of information for the amateur and professional genealogist alike.
The daily blog has interesting articles on new products, sites, and online resources, as well as discussions on techniques. Like DearMYRTLE’s blog, the site allows comments by readers, which are sometimes even more interesting than the original article. The free blog will often have news updates, such as Ancestry.com’s newest databases or the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) newest workshop. The main value of the daily blog is that Dick is so good at keeping up with the latest news and releases. The “Plus Edition” has more detailed articles, most of all his thoughtful and honest reviews of sites and software. The “Plus Edition” is about $20 a year, or you can try it for three months for about $6.
Other Blogs and Feeds
It is completely possible to spend your entire day reading interesting, informative, and entertaining genealogy blogs. But if you did that, when would you do your genealogy? So, out of the hundreds of blogs and feeds out there, I’ll point out the ones you should start with and let you explore further to discover others that fit your schedule and needs:
• Ancestories by Miriam J. Robbins is a wonderful collection of success and failure stories, interesting historical facts, and more. She also maintains Online Historical Directories and Online Historical Newspapers websites. In addition, she leads Scanfests, encouraging others to spend an afternoon scanning in original documents, photographs of ancestors, and even handwritten research notes to digital form. Find her at http://www.ancestories1.blogspot.com/.
• We Tree (http://www.wetree.blogspot.com) by Amy Coffin is subtitled “Adventures in Genealogy.” Coffin says she is the fruit of a storied family tree. She has a Master of Library Science degree and a persistent streak. “Both have come in handy as I find more pieces to my family puzzle,” she said. You can subscribe by RSS feed.
• Ancestoring (http://www.ancestoring.blogspot.com) is a site where professional genealogist Michele Simmons Lewis answers your research questions and provides helpful tips and advice to assist you in your family history adventure. This blog is geared toward the beginner to intermediate researcher.
• Roots and Rambles at http://www.rootsandrambles.blogspot.com/ is by Marian Pierre-Louis. She is a full-time House Historian and Professional Genealogist who focuses on New England research, as well as a producing the podcast Fieldstone Commons.
• The Educated Genealogist is the product of Sheri Fenley of Stockton, California, a professional genealogist who blogs about courses, seminars, books, and classes in genealogy, as well as news and technology, at http://www.sherifenley.blogspot.com/. She is director of the West region of the Association of Professional Genealogists; is on the board of the California State Genealogical Alliance; and a member of the National Genealogical Society, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, California Genealogical Society, San Joaquin Genealogical Society, and Global Alliance of Genealogy Professionals.
• Eats Like A Human (http://www.eatslikeahuman.blogspot.com) is the blog of a programmer who has worked with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and pursues genealogy with a software engineer’s perspective. “Taking Genealogy to the Common Person” is the subtitle of his blog. He recently used Twitter to pose a genealogy question (how to find a death certificate in Kansas prior to 1911) and recorded all the responses, and how quickly they came in, on the blog.
• FamilySearch Labs at https://www.labs.familysearch.org/ chronicles the newest software for FamilySearch.org. Great for the geeky genealogist!
• Random Genealogy (http://www.randomgenealogy.com) picks up news stories involving genealogy that other blogs haven’t seemed to mention.
• Renee’s Genealogy Blog (http://www.rzamor1.blogspot.com) started in September 2005 and uses AtomFeed to syndicate it to readers. Renee started doing genealogy at 15, and is now the secretary for the Utah Valley PAF Users Group and a Family History Consultant at the Alpine Family History Center. Renee is an old hand at genealogy and generously shares her insights and news. Her blogs are thoughtful and eclectic. A good read!
• Elyse’s Genealogy Blog by Elyse Doerflinger is a great discussion, exploration, and learn-by-doing exercise. The author is young, but wise in the way of online genealogy! She has been a speaker at many genealogy societies in Southern California and at Southern California Genealogy Society’s Jamboree conference in 2010. She has also written for Internet Genealogy Magazine, Family Chronicle, and been featured in Family Tree Magazine. In addition, she works for the family tree building website WikiTree.
• BlogFinder at http://www.blogfinder.genealogue.com is a good way to keep on top of the newest blogs, but again, be careful not to let blogs substitute for genealogy! See Figure 4-2 for the “Who’s Blogging Where” page of this site, which covers worldwide blogs, not just the United States. If you want to find a French genealogy blog, for example, this is the place to go!
FIGURE 4-2. BlogFinder helps you find blogs by topic and location.
Note
Bloggers use prompts and memes for posts, and it can be fascinating to compare what your favorite bloggers have to say about Wordless Wednesday, 99 Things Genealogy, or 52 Weeks of Family Traditions. Check out www.geneabloggers.com for links to some great ones!
Online Courses
In some cases, you can have the education come to you—that is, learn by independent study. Genealogy societies and even universities have such courses, and in some cases, you can take the class over the Internet.
MOOCS
What is a MOOC? The most popular web definition is “a massive open online course [MOOC] is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the Web.” Institutions from Yale to local community colleges are offering them.
For example, in September 2013, 23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, was working on a MOOC on human genetics to be called Tales from the Genome. And the online study groups mentioned earlier, while not conferring any continuing education units (CEUs) or college credit, can also be considered MOOCs.
For this category, check out https://familysearch.org/node/1171, in particular, an article titled “140 Free Online Genealogy Research Courses.” That should get you started!
Note
A good listing of both resources and education in genealogy, and a site that was quite up-to-date as of this writing, is at www.academic-genealogy.com; look for the topics and regions you need.
Genealogy.com
Genealogy.com has several free, self-paced courses to help you get started in genealogy. Click Learning Center on the home page navigation bar to find them. The Learning Center has the following articles:
• Begin Your Research at Home
• What’s in a Name?
• Collaborating with Others
• Outfitting Your Genealogy Toolkit
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/free.cfm) has a series of free, self-paced online tutorials on family history research. Among the courses are:
• Introduction to Family History Research
• Writing Family History
• Family Records
• Vital Records
• Military Records
• Courses on researching in France, Scandinavia, and Germany
National Institute for Genealogical Studies/University of Toronto
At www.genealogicalstudies.com, you can find The National Institute for Genealogical Studies, which has joined forces with the University of Toronto, Faculty of Information Studies, Professional Learning Centre, to provide web-based courses for both family historians and professional genealogists. Countries included are the United States, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland. There are also certificates in librarianship and general methodology.
Search College Sites for Other Courses
Use any major search engine to search “genealogy courses independent study” or “genealogy courses distance learning,” and you will come up with many smaller colleges and institutions that offer at least a course or two, and sometimes CEUs. Also, go to the site of the nearest community college, junior college, or other higher-learning site and simply search for “genealogy.” Often, library science and information science majors will include a course or two in genealogy.
Offline
Getting your genealogy education online is fun, but perhaps you would like some face-to-face (F2F) time with others who are learning too. In that case, you might investigate the following ideas for some educational opportunities in the real world.
Professional Organizations
Several institutions accredit the services of professional genealogists and researchers around the world. One of their primary goals is to establish a set of standards and a code of ethics for the members. Often, the accrediting body will offer courses, instruction, and testing. You don’t have to be accredited to do family history research for hire, but it does offer clients assurance of a level of standards and professionalism that is accepted within the profession. Genealogy Pro (http://genealogypro.com/articles/organizations.html) has a list of several such organizations in English-speaking countries.
Genealogy Conferences and Cruises
The publishers of Wholly Genes software came up with the idea of a late-year educational cruise of the Eastern Caribbean with a series of speakers and workshops on genealogical research methods, tools, and technologies from some of the most popular speakers and authorities in those fields. Several genealogy companies jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak, and now conferences at sea are a regular event. Put “genealogy cruise” in your favorite search engine to find one, or go to www.cyndislist.com/travel/tours-and-cruises/.
National Genealogical Society
At www.ngsgenealogy.org, you can find many resources for online and offline learning. Courses they offer are shown at www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/educational_courses.
American Genealogy For many years, NGS has offered a home-study correspondence course entitled “American Genealogy: A Basic Course.” The NGS recommends that you take the online introductory course first and then move on to the home-study course, which covers some of the same topics in more depth and includes many more besides. Those who successfully complete the online introductory course will receive a discount coupon that can be applied toward the home-study course. Check the NGS website for the current fees.
The 16 lessons are “hands on” and require trips to libraries, courthouses, and other sites, as well as the ability to write well about your research. The NGS website, however, has online resources to help you with this. Most people take 18 months to complete the course, although extensions are granted.
Brigham Young University Center for Family History and Genealogy
The Center for Family History and Genealogy supports the Family History (Genealogy) students at Brigham Young University. At http://familyhistory.byu.edu, you can find information on:
• Family History (Genealogy) Major
• Family History (Genealogy) Minor
• Family History Certificate
• Map for Majors
• Family History Internships
University of Washington Genealogy and Family History Certificate
A nine-month evening certificate program for teachers, librarians, amateur researchers, and others interested in researching their families, this on-campus program is described at www.pce.uw.edu/certificates/genealogy-family-history.html. Participants develop a completed family history project as part of classes that meet one evening per week on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.
Through lectures, discussions, readings, and field trips, students learn how to use the resources and methods necessary to develop a family history and to examine such topics as the migration of ethnic groups, population shifts, and the differences in urban and rural lifestyles. Students have access to the resources of the University of Washington libraries while enrolled. Participants receive nine CEUs and a certificate when they complete the program. Check the website for fees.
Genealogy Events
Finally, you can learn about genealogy at events such as seminars, workshops, and even ocean cruises! You can search for them on the following websites:
• About.com Genealogy Conferences (http://www.genealogy.about.com/cs/conferences)
• Cyndi’s List (http://www.cyndislist.com/events.htm)
• Genealogy Events Web Ring (http://hub.familynhome.org/hub/gencon)
Federation of Genealogical Societies Conferences
The Federation of Genealogical Societies (www.fgs.org/) holds a national conference each year for genealogists of all levels of experience. The conferences spotlight management workshops for genealogy organizations, genealogical lectures by nationally recognized speakers and regional experts, and exhibitors with genealogical materials and supplies. Check the website for fees, which historically have been under $200.
National Institute on Genealogical Research
Information on this venerable genealogy institute can be found at www.rootsweb.com/~natgenin. The National Institute on Genealogical Research started in 1950 and is sponsored by the American University, the American Society of Genealogists, the National Archives, and the Maryland Hall of Records. The National Archives provides strong support, including meeting space. The cost for this week-long event is usually around $350.
The institute’s program takes an in-depth look at federal records of genealogical value located primarily in the Washington, D.C. area. The program is for experienced researchers (genealogists, historians, librarians, and archivists) and is not an introductory course in genealogy.
Institute on Genealogy and Historical Research
Held at Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama) every June, this five-day event is for intermediate to advanced genealogists. It is academically and professionally oriented, and is cosponsored by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Small classes are held during the day. Each evening of the institute features a dinner with a speaker as well. Details and registration information can be found at www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/. Check the website (see Figure 4-3) for fees, which historically have been under $400.
FIGURE 4-3. The IGHR in Birmingham, Alabama, is an intensive five-day event.
The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Held at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, by the Utah Genealogical Society, this is a week-long, hands-on event, usually held early in the year. Check the Utah Genealogical Association website at www.infouga.org for fees, which historically have been under $400. In 2010, attendees could choose from 12 different courses of lectures, including topics on American, Canadian, and German research.
Regional and Local Workshops and Seminars
Many state historical societies hold seminars. Simply use your favorite search engine to search for your state genealogical society and “conference.”
Finding a local class, seminar, workshop, or other event near you is the best way to start. Query a search engine for “genealogy” and the name of the town you live in or will be visiting. Also, check Cyndi’s List page (www.cyndislist.com/events.htm), Dick Eastman’s weekly newsletter, and DearMYRTLE’s sites often for announcements.
Success Story: Learning to Plat at a Conference
Ann Lusk, attending a beginning genealogy course in her hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, learned about platting deeds. To plat a deed, you draw a picture of a piece of land from the description on the deed. Taking what she learned from the class, Ann worked with two Tennessee deeds, described in metes and bounds, a method that notes adjoining land. By platting two deeds for land owned by men with her husband’s surname, cutting them out, and laying them on the table together, she saw the two pieces fit together “like hand and glove.” This helped her show that the two men were father and son, and from that she could look for the original family plat. This information not only helped her Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) application, it also qualified her for the First Families of Tennessee (www.east-tennessee-history.org/index.cfm/m/52).
—Ann Lusk
Wrapping Up
• You can learn about genealogy at all levels, online and offline, and both venues are enjoyable.
• Taking beginners’ courses can save you some time and effort in your research.
• Seminars, conferences, institutes, and courses are a good way to meet other genealogists and expand your skills.
• Local, regional, and national programs give you a wide choice of how to learn about genealogy.