 The annual Rootstech 2014 Conference is quickly approaching, and I am getting very excited!! How about you? And I'm also wondering what I'm going to pack for February in Salt Lake City, Utah. Are you? Well, I thought I'd put together a list [I seem to like those, no?] of what some Geneabloggers have written before on what they packed or what you and I should pack. And some were written after the conference giving a good perspective on what they'd learned on what to bring and what not to bring. [Most are from years past. Also, keep in mind last year's Rootstech 2013 was in March, but Rootstech 2012 was in February.] Then I added a few items from my experience. And then I added some handy dandy Rootstech links for you at the end. So here goes... What to bring...
My few additions...
Handy Rootstech Links
Your Turn What would you add? Let everyone know in comments below. Happy Researching [and Packing]! ~Caroline © Copyright 2014 4YourFamilyStory.com -- All Rights Reserved.
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 View from my hotel room. For the next few days, I am tucked away in the Piney Woods of Texas attending the 17th Annual Angelina Genealogy Conference in Lufkin, Texas. And? I'm having a fabulous time meeting new folks from Texas {and one so far from Alabama} and learning all sorts of cool research tips. I have issues though. As soon as I picked up my registration materials and entered the Math and Sciences Building {shudder} on the Angelina College Campus where the conference is held every year, I think I'd been there all of 10 minutes and I'd already purchased books from Tejas Publications' booth. I snagged Military Bounty Land 1776-1855 and Courthouse Research for Family Historians both by Christine Rose. The first I picked up because I thought it'd be very helpful to me, and the second was completely an impulse buy. You'd think with just my naughty grandfathers {not to mention others}, I'd be well-versed on courthouse records, but, well, you just never know. I might learn something new. Something that might make a difference. {Surely there is a part of the courthouse in Bexar County, Texas, that my Big Paw Paw's antics and dealings are not recorded. I'll let you know when I find it.} Then I moseyed over to Merry Baker Langlinais' booth. She's written about a 100-year-old secret in her family tree, and she has to be a very good storyteller because she had me sold on the book in 3 minutes, but just as I was going to maybe walk away and think about making another quick book purchase {Crazy talk. I know.}, she mentioned she lives in San Antonio. So, we struck up a conversation about San Antonio and come to find out she'd graduated the same year as my Dad {1955} at the same high school in San Antonio, Brackenridge High School. {What are the odds, right?} Before I knew it, her daughter was swiping my credit card on her Square credit card reader attached to her iPhone and Merry was signing my newly purchased Silenced Only by the Dawn: A Gallant Woman and Her Carpenter. It reads, "To Caroline, whose father was my Brackenridge High School classmate! Life is amazing! Best Wishes Always, Merry Langlinais." Is that cool or what? So then I thought it prudent that I get away from the vendor booths as quickly as possible and find my classroom for my all day workshop on immigration and naturalization given by Trevia Wooster Beverly. And I'm glad I did. My head is ready to burst with all the information that Trevia went over. While she did include some overall stuff, she also had so many tidbits of obscure Texas information and resources. And that's the thing I love about smaller regional conferences. I don't need a genealogy conference to give me technology-related presentations. I've got a pretty good handle on that. {Although I think going to a technology-only, non-genealogy conference would be very beneficial to me.} And I'm well beyond basic genealogy tips. And I'm not going to say I know everything there is to know about advanced search and analysis methodologies {That's a mouthful.} because there's always something new to learn. And I do get that kind of ongoing education elsewhere and in different ways. But what I like about a smaller regional conference is that I always learn about the obscure regional resources. And you know what? Like a lot of other things, they aren't ever online. {And usually they're not on anyone's schedule to be digitized either.} And these obscure resources can be what breaks open research for myself and my clients. Not to mention at a smaller regional conference, I can meet and talk to speakers and attendees a lot more easily. And out-of-print {and not digitized} regional books can be had that are extremely hard to get anywhere else. And? You just never know who you're gonna meet. Like your Dad's high school classmate who's written this intriguing book that includes a 100-year-old family secret. {Totally gonna start reading that tonight.} Check back tomorrow when I'll share some resources that I've learned that just might be helpful to you in your research. {And hopefully I can stay away from the book vendors. Although, at least 2 more books have caught my eye...} And? I have to agree with Merry. Life is, indeed, amazing! ~Caroline
 Today is an important date.
Today is the day 77 youth were inspired to learn about their family history by local Las Vegas attorney, Todd L. Moody, JD, at the National Genealogical Society's 2013 Conference's Youth Camp held in the morning on the last day of the conference, Saturday, 11 May 2013. The boys and girls -- some of which were Boy Scouts earning merit badges -- were provided information on how to start their family history journey by being shown an example of some family history documents and then being asked to list down important dates either about an ancestor or about themselves so they could later break down into small groups and write biographies, or autobiographies. Understandably, many decided to write about themselves, which is what we, as family historians, sometimes forget to do. Write about ourselves. We focus so much on the dead, we forget to record the living, especially ourselves. Of course, when it comes to our own important dates, it's sometimes hard to list those important dates. After all, what is important? Is it important enough to record? And this was certainly something that came up with the youth in the camp. Here's what I overheard while they were eagerly brainstorming: "Is Chicken Pox an important date?" "What day was I adopted? Do you remember? I know I was wearing my pretty new dress..." "What day did we receive our medallion?" "I don't know any important dates." I wanted to yell out, "Write it all down! Don't leave anything out!" But then they would've wondered who the crazy lady in the red top was in the back of the room and why she was yelling to write all those details down. And I would've told them. It's because a person's stories and personality are in those details. That's how we'll know who you really are or were. As family historians, we yearn for those small and seemingly insignificant details about our ancestors. {Can I get an, "Amen"?} It's why after finding out a fellow researcher has inherited their ancestor's personal diary we celebrate with them while secretly thinking, "I want that. Why can't I get one of those? Why them and not me?" It's why we do happy dances in the middle of cemeteries and fist pump, "Yes," after, of course, making sure there are no interments being performed at the moment. It's why we tear up and our hearts ache at microfilm readers after finally finding out that our 3rd great grandmother passed away after having her previously-unknown-to-us 4th child and then finding out that her 4th child passed away several months later -- all between when the censuses were recorded and well before the time period vital records were recorded. It's why we smile and nod our heads when after reading about the school supplies and school clothes our second great grandmother listed in her daily farm journals of expenses, we realize some things just don't change. It's those details that lead us to stories about our ancestors. It's those details that will lead others to who you really were. So, yes, when you had Chicken Pox is an important date. Tell us about that dress you wore on the day you were adopted. You know, the dress that put that beautiful smile on your face and that dreamy look in your eyes when you were trying to remember the date you were adopted. And tell us all about your medallion. Why did you get it? When did you get? And how did it make you feel when you got it? What were you wearing when you received it? Write down any and all dates you can remember. They're all important -- even if you don't think they are. We do. And someone else will too. Maybe -- no, especially -- the older "You" will. Tell us everything about you. And don't forget to tell us about today. For today is an important date. It's the day you started learning about your family history. ~Caroline I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm tired. But I've had lots of fun here this week at my first ever National Genealogical Society Conference. Hello?!? Genealogy and Vegas. Of course, I had fun! My bags are packed, and I'm gonna try to squeeze in 2 sessions this morning and a quick vlog before heading to the airport to catch my flight back home. It's always fun to visit somewhere else. But it's always better to go back home...especially when "home" is Texas. ;) And tomorrow is Mother's Day and there's no place I'd rather be to celebrate it than with my kiddos. So I'm hurrying back today to spend the day with them tomorrow. 8am - First up, is "Baker's Dozen Steps to Writing Research Reports," presented by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. Several years back, I watched her give a presentation about being a professional genealogist on the NGS website, and I thought to myself at the time, "I need to see her give a presentation in person." And now here's my chance. I do research reports all the time, but here's a chance to learn how a seasoned professional does them and learn her tips and tricks. We are always learning how to perfect what we do, or at least we should be, and I'm taking this chance to get better at what I do. 9:30am - Next, I had planed to go to, "Landlords and Tenants: Land and Estate Records for Irish Family History Research," being presented by Brian Donovan. Sure, I've identified my 2nd Great Grandmother's, Annie's, parents in Dublin, Ireland, where they married in 1831, but I can already tell, it's gonna take some fancy detective work and a wee bit of Irish luck to find anything else. So. Why not tenant and landlord records? BUT? The book signing for the NYC Research Guide is at this time. So, I'll be standing in line. And then I'll make a note to buy this CD. 11am - If I'm not pulled away by any new and shiny objects, the last session for me at the conference will be, "Child of No One: The Law and Your Illegitimate Ancestor," being presented by Sharon Tate Moody, CG. Many of our ancestors were illegitimate. In fact, the more I dig around in the earth that surrounds the roots of my family tree, the more illegitimate ancestors I find. It doesn't surprise me. Our ancestors were human, after all, faced with, well, life. Just like us. So I'd like to hear Ms. Moody and her ideas and suggestions on taking overheard family rumors and using them as clues to evidence. I have some of my own techniques to do this, but I'd like to see if there is anything I've been missing...something that can make me better at what I do. After all, that's really why I'm here in Vegas. =) And then I'm grabbing my bags and headin' on home. 'Cause Dorothy was right. There's no place like home, y'all. Okay. So the "y'all" is mine. ;) But she was definitely right about home. There is no place like it. ~Caroline Don't forget: Keep up with the NGS 2013 conference happenings, tweets, pics, and such by visiting the NGS 2013 RebelMouse Page I created.   Two days down, two days to go! Okay. Seriously. Vegas never sleeps. It's crazy here. And? I'm seriously not getting enough sleep. I'm gonna have to pay an extra baggage fee at the airport for the return trip home just for these bags underneath my eyes. Perhaps a turn at the slots will help me to afford the extra baggage fee. It's worth a shot, I think, eh?
I might as well 'cause I've no plans for sleep until I'm on that plane headed for home. Sleep can come later because I'm having a rip-roaring time getting to meet people in person who I've previously met online. Wow. And? I'm meeting new folks too. And this is why going to a conference just can't be beat. Maybe you can't make all of them -- not many can. {And I'm one of the ones who can't.} But if possible, going to at least one is well worth the price and time it takes. It's SO awesome to meet up with people I already know but don't get to see in person, and to meet new people and make new friends. So. What's the plan of attack for Friday? I dunno...let's see... 8am - I'm really looking forward to hearing J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA, present, "Bible Thumper or Pious Pilgrim: Religious Ancestors on the Frontier." Sometimes the only type of socializing our ancestors did was to go to church. So it makes sense to look for evidence of the their church-going ways to help find evidence of other parts of their lives. I'm hoping to learn some new research strategies for researching ancestors on the frontier via their religious ways. 9:30am - I know. I'm bucking the trend here and not going to Elizabeth Shown Mills' "Helen F. M. Leary Distinguished Lecture," but I figured that one was going to be packed and I really wanted to not miss the first session so I could wait to get a seat to what promises to be a very awesome lecture by ESM. And? David F. Holland, PhD, is giving an awesome presentation called, "'The Tribal Way:' The Paradox of the Family in Early American Religion." And I also hear this was going to be his last genealogical conference as he has accepted a position at Harvard Divinity School. So, I'll be buying a CD of the ESM presentation, and going to see what Harvard Divinity School had to have. And I want to find out just what the paradox is and how knowing that paradox can make me a better researcher by understanding what my ancestors were going through at the time. 11am - You're probably wondering, "Why is Caroline attending a lecture about researching in pre-1880 New York?" Well, my DAR line that I'm working on has some pre-1880 New York roots that I need to unearth. {Did you see what I did there? ;)} I have a Miss Barbara Stuck/Stock who marries a Mr. Rook in New York and then they have all of their children there right before heading west and finally settling in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Her family isn't the problem. Mr. Rook's is. I don't even have his first name, but I've identified her family and where they were living. They had to marry somewhere there. I hope. SO? What and where do I need to look? I'm hoping Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG, FGBS, can shed some light on my research problem with her presentation, "Spanning the Great New York Abyss: Connecting Generations When No Vital Records Exist." Mr. Rook, it's time for you to come out, come out, wherever you are. You're hiding is over and your place in the family tree is waiting. Lunch - Wednesday and Thursday, I grabbed a pre-made sandwich from the deli at my hotel before catching the monorail to the LVH where the conference is located. And then I inhaled it while working through lunch. However, I've a lunch scheduled today with a geneablogging friend who I only get to see in person once a year. 2:30pm - I want to learn more about how use to Congressional records as a resource while researching. I mean, what can they tell me about my ancestors and their family stories? I'm planning to find out not only what they can tell me, but how to effectively research them in, "Treasures in the Records of the U.S. Congress," being presented by David Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA. I'll be diggin' for treasure, matey. 4pm - Admittedly, I've no current research in Southern Nevada, but? This presentation, "The Six-Week Cure: Divorce Ranches in Southern Nevada," being presented by Courtney Mooney, AICP, sounded too good to pass up. Because of my Big Paw Paw's penchant for women, I'm all too familiar with divorce records, but I'm simply curious about these divorce ranches. And I just never know when this information might come in handy. And I figured since I was going to try to hear David Rencher speak at 2:30pm, that Tom Jones' presentation at 4pm would be next to impossible for me to get a seat in. So. I'll be purchasing a CD of his presentation which will be nice to listen to when I open up his book when I get home. And after I catch up on my sleep. 5:30pm - I'll be stopping by the Internet Cafe to check in on the ongoing 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge and to do my end-of-the-day vlog post to be uploaded on my YouTube Channel. I wonder what the highlight of my day will be? And I wonder which genealoblogger friends I'll have with me? Then I'll be off for dinner and some more nightlife in Sin City, where the party never seems to stop. Keep up with the NGS 2013 conference happenings, tweets, pics, and such by visiting the NGS 2013 RebelMouse Page I created. ~Caroline  Okay, so riding the monorail is definitely the way to go when you're in Las Vegas and you need to get from one hotel located on the strip to another.
And? Apparently Sin City never sleeps. And neither do I when in Sin City. Had a fabulous time last night in Vegas. One word? Wow! Now, my plan for Thursday promises to be another busy one. So here's what I plan to do: 8am - Pam Stone Eagleson, CG, is presenting "Grandma's Treasure Chest: Investigating and Evaluating Family Artifacts," and I'm excited to see this given that whole ephemera obsession thing I've got going on. Am I using all the research techniques as possible? I dunno, but I plan to find out. 9:30am - I'll be giving a mini-workshop/demo in Pentandra's Booth #135 in the Vendor Hall. Come join me and I'll show you how to create free images for your blog or website with your iPhone and 3 photo-editing apps. These are invaluable tools for those who do not want to or cannot spend a lot of money on images, but want to make their blogs or websites more interesting, more engaging, and more "pinnable" for Pinterest. 11am - Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS, is presenting "Feme Covert or Feme Sole: Women and the Law." Let's face it. Our female ancestors are difficult to trace, and this presentation sounds like there'll be some good tips and suggestions for tracing them. Lunch - I plan to hit the Vendor Hall to visit with vendors, and then I'll check in with the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum to see how the challenge is progressing. 2:30pm - D. Joshua Taylor, MLS, is presenting, "Borders and Boundaries: Creating Localities Profiles for Research." Now, if I'm interpreting the description of this presentation correctly, I've developed my own system for this, so it'll be interesting to see if the way I do it measures up. Am I missing anything? Am I doing it in the most efficient way? If I can snag some tips on doing this better, I'll be a happy camper. 4pm - I'm going to try and catch "Methods and Strategies: Reconstructing a Family History," being presented by Deborah A. Abbott, PhD. Her presentation promises research strategies for tracing a family's migration over 150 years. Though we tend to look at our ancestors as sitting in a tree of our own making, the truth is that our ancestors moved around, and we have to keep that in mind when researching them. I can't wait to hear some of her suggested methods and strategies. Have I been missing something in my own research workflow that could make my research life easier? Really looking forward to this one. 5:30pm - I'll hit the Internet Cafe to make sure the third and last 48 Hour Ephemera is set-up and ready to go, and see how the challenges are coming along. And I'll do my end-of-day vlog post with some geneablogger friends. Then? Off to dinner and hitting the strip for some Sin City nightlife. The lights are calling... =) Keep up with the NGS 2013 conference happenings, tweets, pics, and such by visiting the NGS 2013 RebelMouse Page I created. ~Caroline  Here we go! I've got lots of plans for the first day of NGS2013. And I'm hoping I get to "do it all." Of course, no matter how you plan it all out, it always changes. Mainly because a conference-goer isn't in a vacuum when they're at a conference. There are all sorts of shiny new things to see, new people to meet, and dear friends to get caught up with.  SO excited to be attending my first National Genealogical Society Conference. I get in about 3pm. Registration is open from 12pm-7pm on Tuesday. So after hotel check-in, I plan to pick up my conference registration info and have a look-see at the Internet Cafe which is where I'll be hosting the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Vegas-Style. So come on by, I'd love to meet you! =)
First night in Vegas? I dunno. The possibilities are endless, really. I hope to see new friends and make new ones. And then hopefully get in bed at a reasonable time. {snort} Not able to make the NGS 2013 conference in Vegas? No worries. Every morning, I'll have a blog post for you outlining my planned day, and then at the end of the day, I'll be vlogging {video blogging} and I'll tell you what I actually did that day and then hopefully I can get some fellow geneablogger friends to tell you what one of the highlights of the day was for them at the conference. In between those blog and vlog posts, follow all the happenings at #NGS2013 by visiting the RebelMouse Front Page I made. It'll have links to official conference blog posts as well as to the NGS 2013 conference, tweets, twit pics, etc. Plus? Keep an eye on the 4YourFamilyStory You Tube Channel as I have some video snippet surprises for you there throughout the conference. Of course, if you forget, they'll appear on the NGS 2013 RebelMouse Page {like magic}. ~Caroline  Learn how to make images like this. Are you going to the National Genealogical Society's 2013 Conference in Las Vegas next week? If you can fit it on your schedule, I'll be doing an informal mini-workshop in Pentandra's Booth #135 in the Vendor Hall on Thursday, 9 May 2013 at 9:30am.
Come join me and I'll show you how to create free images for your blog or website with your iPhone and 3 photo-editing apps. This is an invaluable tool for those who do not want to or cannot spend a lot of money on images, but want to make their blogs or websites more interesting, more engaging, and more "pinnable" for Pinterest. ~Caroline  Sign-up to win! The next issue of the Genea-Tech Newsletter will go out 1 June 2013. In it will be highlights and pictures from the National Genealogical Society 2013 Conference in Las Vegas as well as research and technology tips.
And? All subscribers will be eligible to win one of two prizes. While I'm at NGS 2013, I will be purchasing a copy of Tom Jones' new book, Mastering Genealogical Proof and I will attempt to get it signed by him. But that's not all. There's more. I'll also be purchasing a copy of the new NGS New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County Research Guide by Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG, FGBS, and I will attempt to get it signed by her at the conference. Now, if you already have a copy of the Mastering Genealogical Proof book or if you don't have New York research, then if you win one of these books, you could gift a copy to a fellow researcher, to your local library, or a genealogical society. And all you have to do for a chance to win one of these research books is subscribe to the Genea-Tech Newsletter below. The 2 randomly chosen winners will be announced in the 14 May 2013 issue of the Genea-Tech Newsletter. Good luck! Update: The books are not signed. But? I acquired a 3rd prize -- a copy of Rootsmagic 6 and the companion book Getting the Most Out of Rootsmagic Version 6. ~Caroline **Update: There are 3 Prizes! The 3rd prize is a copy of Rootsmagic 6 Software for the PC and the companion book, Getting the Most Out of Rootsmagic 5 by Bruce Buzbee. |
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