The Business of Learning: Methodology 6

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Methodology Part 6: Professional Preparation and Practice concentrates on professional development and further educational opportunities.  This is a topic  I am always looking into, so I was very excited to jump into the information provided. Unlike many professions, there really is not a standard way a person becomes a professional genealogist.  Sure, you can take programs like the one from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies and others. You could go for certification or accreditation.  Maybe you decide after 30 years of researching your own family tree that you now want to try your hand at someone else’s. However, no matter your path, genealogists are left to learning about being a professional on their own. Anytime I am offered insight from a course, webinar, lecture, etc. that gives me a clue to what it means to be a professional (or just bring myself up to that level) I am all ears. You know what? You should be too. Even if you never “hang your shingle” you should still strive to be as professional as possible in your research. It will make your descendants very, very happy.  Trust me. Through the course I learned about: Setting up a business Managing clients Writing reports Teaching others These are all things that I do, nearly every day, and I still was able to pick up new pointers. Especially in the aspect of working for others (aka client work).  Even if your “clients” are friends or family (and they  may…

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Tips for Giving a Great Presentation

By Kathy Holland, PLCGS Putting together a workshop presentation can be a daunting experience. Presenting the workshop can be downright frightening! But it doesn’t have to be daunting nor frightening. It’s just like talking “shop talk” with co-workers. As genealogists, we are each other’s co-workers, and we all know genealogy. A presentation is just a well-constructed conversation with our fellow genealogists. So, what makes a great presentation? Here are some tips: Know your audience. Yes, we are all genealogists. Although we may all have different experiences, we have a common thread that connects us all. Some of us are beginners, while others are more experienced. Some of us do client work, others write books and blogs. Others are speakers, and others teach. And some do all of these things. But we are all doing genealogy, no matter what. So, be aware that all types of experienced genealogists will be in your audience—and know that even the most experienced are open to learning new things! Watch other presentations—both online and in-person. What techniques are the speakers using? What works, what doesn’t? What techniques can you incorporate into your presentation? Choose your topic. It should be one that you are especially passionate about. One in which you can spend hours talking about. The one that you can become an expert on. One classic example is The Legal Genealogist—that’s Judy Russell. When genealogists think of all things legal in the genealogy community, we immediately think of Judy. She’s that go-to person, and the…

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Will You Be There? The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit

TORONTO: For Immediate Release The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit (CANGEN) is pleased to announce their inaugural conference, to be held October 21-23, 2016, at the Courtyard by Marriott, Brampton, Ontario. The Summit showcases Canadian genealogists who have an expertise in the record sets relating to the early settlers of Canada. On Friday, October 21, we have arranged a day at the Archives of Ontario. And better still, for those with Loyalist ancestors who are mind boggled with the documentation required for your UEL certificate, former UELAC Dominion Genealogist Kathryn Lake Hogan will be offering a workshop at the Archives. Kathryn will share her expertise on what documentation is required and how to access the records at the Archives. Our Opening Plenary speaker on Friday evening is genealogist and author Jennifer DeBruin who will share with us some of the struggles of our Canadian ancestors. This energetic talk will be followed by a social time. A time to get to meet fellow Canadian genealogists, an opportunity to get to know the speakers better, or browse the vendors/exhibits in the marketplace. Saturday’s programming offers five streams of research. Registrants are welcome to mix and match: Ruth Blair – who will talk on researching Irish ancestors Mike Quackenbush – who will talk on researching English ancestors Louise St Denis – who will talk on researching French Canadian ancestors Kathryn Lake Hogan – who will talk on researching Canadian ancestors Christine Woodcock – who will talk on researching Scottish ancestors Sunday starts with Louise…

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New Course: Research US Midwestern States Ancestors

  We have a new course starting in May at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Written by Cari Taplin, CG, Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors is designed to give students a basic understanding of some of the historical events that occurred in each state, especially events that shaped the state’s history, boundaries, laws, and records. The states included in this course were all part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803: Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each state is unique in its geographical formation, social attitudes, political structure, ethnicity, industry and historical records. The modules included are aimed at giving researchers information to aid understanding of these states individually and to provide tools for researching family history, not only in terms of the individual, but also in their broader social context. Professional genealogist and course author Cari Taplin, CG points out, “As the country expanded from east to west, our ancestors traveled through and sometimes stayed in the midwestern states. Researching in those states is vital to most family history research. The rich and unique history of each state is interesting and can be very rewarding. Learning about the nuances of the region will improve your research skills and bring life to your genealogy.” To learn more about this course, see our website. Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors starts May 2nd. Register today!

Copyright, Plagiarism, And Fair Use: A Genealogist’s Not So Simple Guide To The Truth

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student For those of you who have read my blog posts here for the past 2 years you are going to realize this post is different from my past posts. Today’s post is a subject that I am not sure gets enough real coverage in the genealogical field. I don’t want you to feel like I am beating the proverbial dead horse here, but since it is still brought up, maybe there is a disconnect on the issue somewhere. We all know that we shouldn’t plagiarize. We all know that there is this thing out there called “fair use.”  But what those terms actually mean seems to be where the confusion lies. As an example, a friend recently posted on Facebook a conversation she had with a stranger. She graciously wrote the encounter up and allowed me to republish it here (for privacy reasons, please do not tag her name if you know who it is): I spoke with a woman this morning who had recently taken down her business blogs because she was tired of people complaining about copyright infringement over her using pictures from magazines and things she’d found online. After all, she said rather indignantly, why would they put things online if they didn’t want people to copy and use them? [Let me just insert my gratitude here for our knowledgeable and conscientious genealogy community] Or here is a favorite thing once said to me: It’s my family!  Why shouldn’t I be allowed…

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