GenealogyClassBlog

I have been creating a huge body of work on the topic of organizing genealogy records, a topic that has just about always interested me. I have given presentations on the topic of organization in the past, usually titling it, “Information Overload.” Information is what we are trying to organize, after all. Genealogists have collected and generated information in the form of paper, for the most part, for decades. And now that we have digital capabilities (or at least most of us do) we are probably all working with a hybrid of systems – part filing cabinet, boxes, or three-ring binders, and part computer files – JPEGs, PDFs, .Docs, some created in databases, and some audio or video files. The electronic files could be on our personal computers, our mobile devices, or online.

2012 FGS Conference Logo

I am working toward presentation of a lecture at the upcoming, 2012 Federation of Genealogical Societies’ Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, “Indians, Squatter, Settlers, and Soldiers in the ‘Old Southwest,’” to be held August 29-September 1. My lecture, “Information Overload: Organizing Your Genealogy Records,” is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, August 30, and is intended for the beginner level genealogist. Download the Conference Brochure here: fgs_2012registrationbooklettopress.

In anticipation of my need to organize (”reign in”) the myriad of ideas and techniques that I have assembled on the topic, I scheduled a preliminary presentation for the Tulsa City-County Library’s Family History Month, organized by Kathy Huber, MLS, the genealogy librarian, for Saturday, July 7 – last Saturday. The turnout was overwhelming. There were 150 attendees for this afternoon session of a Saturday for which two other programs were also presented – all were appropriate for all levels, but helpful for even those who had been researching their families for decades. I saw faces of some that I know are not new to genealogy, but from a show of hands there were probably at least 30 there who were newcomers. Frossard Auditorium at Hardesty Library was packed – making for the kind of venue where, instead of having an empty chair between you and the stranger next to you, there is hardly an empty seat. This was, I think, indicative of a desire of many to get started, especially with the current attraction and potential effectiveness of online searching – something that was certainly not a part of my own beginning interested in my family’s history. Of course the cool library (take that either way) was the place to be on such a hot, Oklahoma day, and it accounted for some attendance, but so did the scores of area residents, as well as those who made the drive from outside Tulsa, because they had experienced TCCL’s successful programming during its Family History Month in previous years. Download a PDF guide to July’s Family History Month programming here.

Because of the crowds, not everyone present received the handout, and so Liz Walker of the Genealogy Center has made a PDF version available on the Genealogy Center’s section of the TCCL website. To download the file, click on the link to Information Overload. You’ll have the option to print it out, or read and save it on your computer or mobile device – just as you often will have with your genealogy records going forward.

During the presentation, which is in definite need of improvement before the FGS Conference, I mentioned a plan to post some links here on my blog. I had been developing a list using my account on Evernote.com, posting the links and a brief description into a “note” in Evernote as I encountered them as I followed various leads online. Here is the list:

I hope to write again soon with tips on organization of your genealogy records. To sign up to receive an email of future blog posts, enter your email address in the second box on the left (Feed My Inbox will be sending the emails).

On Wednesday I mentioned a class which will be offered by the Tulsa City County Library on 15 October. The teacher will be Kathy Huber, the Genealogy Librarian and the class will meet at the Harmon Foundation Meeting Room at the Genealogy Center, 2901 S. Harvard, from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. You can download a PDF version of TCCL’s October Event Guide here and read more about the class on page 4. You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer (and you can access Adobe Reader for free here). You can return later to check on future classes by visiting the Events page of the TCCL website, http://www.tulsalibrary.org/eventguide/.

I also mentioned that the Tulsa Genealogical Society will be meeting on 17 October for their regular meeting held the third Monday of each month (September – May). You’ll want to attend the free beginners class at 6:00 before the meeting and the program by Janice Meredith – “Get Prepared for the 1940 U.S. Census.” Visitors are welcome to attend their meetings, but you may want to consider becoming a member. Learn more about the society, their library, and additional events at their website, www.tulsagenealogy.org.

I am putting the final touches on today’s talk. I hear that we have 18 registered and that we will be in room J228.

After today’s class, and some time before next week’s class, be sure to comment on this post. Give your classmates an idea about what interests you by posting your first research objective.

“Genealogy: Beyond the Basics” is the title of the upcoming class at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church’s School of Continuing Education this time. Over the years that I been teaching genealogy classes at Boston Avenue (since 1994) I have changed up the format maybe five times. This time I would like to help the students explore, with an “experienced guide,” what they might find, “beyond the basics.” Here is the course description:

“After a quick review of how to begin the search for your family history, we will earn together how to build your skills and how to locate some of the newest and best resources. We will also explore genealogy software, online resources, and DNA testing; all while communicating outside of class on the Genealogy Class Blog. Basic understanding of your computer and the Internet is a must.”

The school will begin on Wednesday, 5 October and last five weeks through 3 November. See more information about other classes offered in a downloadable booklet at Boston Avenue’s website. The $15 fee covers a whole day of interesting classes, but the Genealogy: Beyond the Basics class itself will be from 2:30 to 3:30 pm every Wednesday. To register, call 918-583-5181.

Desmond Walls Allen will be in Tulsa to present a workshop for the Tulsa City County Library on Saturday, 23 April, and I am very excited. I had a chance to meet Desmond at the FGS Conference in Little Rock in 2009, and I have always been a huge fan. She is a very witty and bright speaker and she has such a wonderful depth of knowledge about any of her topics that I always learn when I attend one of her lectures. Desmond is a professional genealogist from Arkansas, who has published numerous books for genealogists to use to find Arkansas ancestors. I found 42 in the library’s catalog, most of which can be found at the Genealogy Center. She is the author of First Steps in Genealogy: a Beginner’s Guide to Researching Your Family History, which is available for check-out to library cardholders at several of the branches.

by Desmond Walls Allen

The workshop will be at the Hardesty Library, in the Frossard Auditorium, from 9:30 to 4:30. I hear that she will be taking questions at the end about Arkansas research among other topics, but the focus for most of the day will be digital images, which we all need to understand better. Here is a description from the library’s Event Guide:

Discover how you can use your digital camera to document your family history research. Learn how to photograph records, cemeteries, heirlooms and old photographs, as well as touch up old photographs to make them a great addition to research notebooks and scrapbooks.

I haven’t heard whether she will have any of her books for sale, but you might want to bring some money along, just in case. I look forward to seeing you there.