| Schedule | Special Offers & Door prizes | Recorded Presentations & Videos | Instructor Bios |
Welcome!
Thank you for registering for the online conference, Organizing Your Family History
When you first began your family history research, you may have thought that it would be simple to keep track of all the information. Assuredly, you quickly discovered that it’s not so simple--files and findings multiply exponentially. Staying organized is an important part of the genealogical process. Taking the time to organize your research, results, and files as you go will give you more time for productive research. This online conference will provide you with several tips, tools, and best practices for organizing your research and results at every step of your family history journey.
Through your participation in this online conference, you will be able to:
- Participate in multiple sessions throughout the day
- Hear from renowned speakers, organizational experts, and professional genealogists
- Interact with instructors and fellow attendees
- Take advantage of special offers and virtual “door prizes”
- Download and/or print handouts, worksheets, and other resources
- Access recordings of each presentation until April 30, 2019
Instructors include: Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press; Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist; Tricia Healy Mitchell, Genealogist; and Lindsay Sprechman, Collections Archivist
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
You will have access to all the material on this page from the time you register until April 30, 2019.
During the breaks you will have the opportunity to explore our website, answer survey questions, take advantage of special offers on books, or simply, take a break! REMEMBER: If you miss any of the presentations, you will be able to view a recording of each session on this webpage.
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12:00 - 1:00 EST - Session 1: Organizing Your Research, presented by Tricia Healy Mitchell, Genealogist With all of the genealogical information at your fingertips today, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, go down research rabbit holes, and lose focus. In this first class, Genealogist Tricia Mitchell will offer tips on how to make a research plan and stick to it! Using templates, worksheets, and other research tools available at AmericanAncestors.org, you’ll learn how to stay organized and get the most out of your research time. |
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1:15 - 2:15 EST - Session 2: Organizing Your Results, presented by Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist In researching your family history, you quickly become inundated with physical copies, email and other electronic files, handwritten notes, photographs, research logs, and more. Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will discuss various systems on how to organize your papers and research results, so you can easily return to your work, find what you need on a particular person or family, and not duplicate your efforts. |
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2:30 - 3:30 EST - Session 3: Choosing the Right Genealogical Software Program for You, presented by Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist A family tree software program can be one of the most important tools for a genealogist. They can help you organize your family history research and results, generate reports and charts, and help you visualize your progress. Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will provide an overview of several popular online and desktop genealogical programs and discuss how to select one that's right for you. |
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3:45 - 4:45 EST - Session 4: Organizing Your Family History for Publication, presented by Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press You've been doing genealogical research for years and you want to take your project to the next level: publication. Whether you are creating a book for your family, the genealogical community, or future generations, organizing the materials you have will make the process of writing easier and more enjoyable. Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press will discuss the steps you need to take to organize and plan for your publication project, no matter its scope or audience. |
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5:00 - 6:00 EST - Session 5: Organizing Your Family Papers for Donation, presented by Lindsay Sprechman, Collections Archivist In addition to your genealogical notes, you have collected family papers, photographs, and other heirlooms. Whether you wish to pass on these items to the next generation or donate them to a local repository or genealogical society, it's important to think about your collection's future. In this final session of the conference, Collections Archivist Lindsay Sprechman will discuss how to organize your combined papers and family ephemera with an eye to its future. |
SPECIAL OFFERS & DOOR PRIZES
SPECIAL OFFER: Save $10 off your purchase of $30 or more at our online bookstore, shop.AmericanAncestors.org. Just use the coupon code ORGANIZE19 at the time of online checkout. Valid until 1/26/2019.
DOOR PRIZES: Everyone was entered to win a 30-minute consultation with a genealogist. Congratulations to Betsey Davis of Gladwyne, PA and Kathleen Reggio, Yarmouth Port, MA! You will be contacted by email.
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS
Online Conference: Organizing Your Family History
Presented by: Kyle Hurst, Rhonda R. McClure, Tricia Healy Mitchell, and Lindsay Sprechman
Running Time: 6:05:15
Session 1 (4:28)
Session 2 (1:15:00)
Session 3 (2:29:57)
Session 4 (3:44:54)
Session 5 (4:59:53)
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press, holds a B.A. in both History and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and a Master’s certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University. For the culmination of this program, she completed a semester-long internship at the National Archives in Waltham, MA. After two years as a volunteer, Kyle joined American Ancestors in 2008. For several years a member of the Research Services team, she focuses on research in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, and various European countries. A skilled writer, she has been credited for her contributions to The Root, the Vita Brevis blog, and American Ancestors magazine. With Newbury Street Press, she authored the Ancestors & Descendants of Lester Lowry Mays and Peggy Pitman, edited An American Family: Four Centuries of Labor, Love, and Reward, and is currently working on six other book projects.
Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist, is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer specializing in New England and celebrity research as well as computerized genealogy; is compiler of more than 120 celebrity family trees; has been a contributing editor for Heritage Quest Magazine, Biography magazine and was a contributor to The History Channel Magazine and American History Magazine. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of ten books, including the award-winning The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition, Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors, and Digitizing Your Family History. Her areas of expertise include: immigration and naturalization, late 19th and early 20th century urban research, New England, Mid-West, Southern, German, Italian, Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, and New Brunswick research as well as Internet research, genealogical software, and digital peripherals for both Mac and Windows machines.
Tricia Mitchell, Genealogist, has worked most prominently as a American Ancestors volunteer with Special Collections and regularly staffs the 5th floor reference desk. She has a bachelor’s degree in business as well as the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research, and completed study in ProGen28. Her areas of interest are New England, New York, and Ireland, and has a specialty in Irish American research and the eastern counties of New York.
Lindsay Sprechman, Collections Archivist began her work at The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at New England Historic Genealogical Society in October 2014 as an intern and joined the staff in August 2015. As Collections Archivist, Lindsay manages processing projects and is responsible for reviewing and encoding finding aids. She received a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.S. in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons College. She is a member of the Society of American Archivists and the New England Archivists.
Course Handouts
Session 1 Handout
Session 1 Slides Worksheet
Session 1 Slides (large)
Session 2 Handout
Session 2 Slide Worksheet
Session 2 Slides (large)
Session 3 Handout
Session 3 Slides Worksheet
Session 3 Slides (large)
Session 4 Handout
Session 4 Slides Worksheet
Session 4 Slides (large)
Session 5 Handout
Session 5 Slides Worksheet
Session 5 Slides (large)
Suggested Resources
Chart of records by information provided
Template: Five-Generation Chart
Template: Family Group Sheet
Template: Research Log
Template: Collection Survey Worksheet
List of Archival Supply Vendors
Subject guide: Getting Organized
Subject guide: Choosing a Genealogical Software Program