Unleashing the Powers of AI in Genealogy

2024 Virtual Family History Conference Plenary Session

Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy: The First Year and Onward!

May 17, 2024

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changer in genealogy, offering powerful tools that have the potential to reshape the way genealogy and family history and practiced. Our community has spent the past year building tools, learning new methods, and having fun with AI.

Excitement is building for Expanding Possibilities, NGS’s 2024 Virtual Family History Conference which has two plenary sessions on AI. On Friday, in his session titled “Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy: The First Year and Onward!,” Steve Little, NGS AI Program Director, illuminates the transformative impact of AI on individual genealogical research.

Steve captivates his audiences with insights into the practical AI tools and methods revolutionizing our work. Learn how AI can enhance your research capabilities, streamline workflows, and uncover hidden connections in your family tree. Steve showcases the power of AI in deciphering complex information, identifying patterns across vast datasets, and uncovering elusive ancestors while highlighting the broader implications of AI in the field. You’ll gain a newfound appreciation for the synergy between AI and family history and a fresh perspective on using AI in your work.

“Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy: The First Year and Onward!” is a testament to the transformative potential of AI in genealogical research. Discover the power of AI in genealogy and unlock the secrets of your family history – the journey awaits!

Register for the conference today.

Watch A'Lelia Bundles and David Morrow in a Culture Conversation about Madam C.J. Walker

A'Lelia Bundles joins host David Morrow for a discussion about her great-great-grandmother, Madam C.J. Walker. A’Lelia Bundles is the author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker – a New York Times Notable Book about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother – the fact-based biography that was the inspiration for Self Made, a fictional four-part Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer. Her fifth book, Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, a biography of her great-grandmother whose parties and arts patronage helped define that era, will be published in early 2025.

 

 

Behind the Scenes with Ancestry Story Producers

Go Behind the Scenes with Ancestry Story Producers Nicka Sewell-Smith and Lisa Elzey on 16 April 2024. Get a sneak peek into how the Story Production team at Ancestry starts with an idea and turns it into a moving and memorable story. Learn the steps to crafts the perfect narrative to share with your own family.

 

 

The Power of AncestryDNA

 

With more than 25 million people in the AncestryDNA network, using DNA is an absolute must for the genealogical researcher. Join Crista Cowan, Ancestry's corporate genealogist, for a review of best DNA research practices and a deeper dive into the innovative new features and tools Ancestry has released over the past year.

 

 

MyHeritage Technologies for Researching Your Family

 

MyHeritage is sponsoring a webinar with Daniel Horowitz, their genealogy expert, at 6:00 p.m. (ET) on 20 March 2024. MyHeritage just announced several technological additions and updates at RootsTech. Horowitz will discuss the new and existing options from MyHeritage that can help you with genealogy research and family history discoveries. Register via Zoom for "MyHeritage Technologies for Researching Your Family" and plan to attend on Wednesday, 20 March.

 

Register for 20 March Zoom with MyHeritage

The Fourth Quarter NGS Magazine is Now Online!

The October–December 2023 Issue of NGS Magazine is Now Online

The October–December 2023 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 49, Number 4, is being printed and is now available online in the Members Only section of the website. Delivery of print copies depends upon USPS schedules. This issue’s theme is Sorting Out Identities.

EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych

Names are crucial but unreliable markers of identity. When several people had similar names in one area, genealogists risk choosing the wrong person (and the wrong ancestors). Individuals whose names or other identifying characteristics changed can be missed in records, and the trail may seem cold for people with unknown surnames. Sorting out identities correctly is a constant challenge.

Other markers of identity, such as occupation and economic status, can differentiate people more precisely than names alone. Shannon Green discusses three techniques that can help researchers separate same-named people from each other and merge identities that appear to differ.

A case study with a surprising conclusion demonstrates the necessity of determining places and dates as identity characteristics. During a search for the parents of a man with minimal information, Julia Bagwell zeroed in on dates and places to separate him from others with the same name.

Every genealogist has an ancestress whose unknown maiden name blocks research of her birth family. Ann Lawthers describes a variety of records that may reveal a wife’s maiden name and recommends strategies specific to the search.

Sorting out the identities of African Americans with unrecorded, changed, and differing names requires knowledge of other distinguishing characteristics, particularly their kin. Tony Burroughs explores the complex history of African American naming and the resources that may help with identifying enslaved and free ancestors.

Immigrants often changed their names after arrival. Roslyn Torella investigates the typical reasons for changing names, the ways in which many names were changed, and the tools and resources for discovering the original surnames of immigrants.

Wrapping up the topic of sorting out identities, columnist Kathy Petlewski presents two case studies. One shows how changes in the spelling of a surname over time affect research, and the second recounts the evolution of the given names of eight siblings, including two who changed their first names entirely.

In other articles and columns, Robert Raymond explains the powerful set of tools researchers can adapt to improve outcomes, for searching the seven billion indexed historical records on FamilySearch; Cara Jones covers the value of local historical societies in genealogical research; Paul Woodbury provides instructions for DNA analysis, annotations, and citations; and Carla Cegielski outlines word lists, keyboards, and apps that can assist with translating records.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

• People Are More Than Names: Techniques for Differentiating Identities by Shannon Green, CG 

• Names, Dates, and Places: The Foundations of Genealogical Research by Julia M. Bagwell, CG

• Finding the Elusive Maiden Name by Ann G. Lawthers, Sc.D 

• The Challenges of Tracing African American Identities by Tony Burroughs, FUGA

• Rediscovering an Immigrant’s Original Surname by Roslyn Torella

• Search Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch by Robert Raymond

Departments

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Kathryn M. Doyle

• EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych

• NEWS

• REFERENCE DESK
• Making Sense of Name Inconsistencies by Kathy Petlewski, MSLS
• SOCIETY FORUM
• The Importance of Local Historical Societies in Genealogical Research by Cara Jones, CG
• DNA DISCOVERY
• DNA Analysis, Annotations, and Citations by Paul Woodbury

• TECH TIPS
• Translation Tools by Carla S. Cegielski

NGS Magazine is published quarterly to update members of the National Genealogical Society on NGS activities and to provide genealogists with special information and guidance on conducting effective genealogical research. The magazine is sent to libraries by subscription. Online access to NGS Magazine is available only as long as membership is active.

Celebrate Family History Month with New Resources from NGS!

 

Celebrate Family History Month   Get Tips to Help You Scan, Record, and Write

October is Family History Month—a perfect opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of your past. NGS is excited to support your genealogy journey as you explore, preserve, and share your family's unique history.   Whether you're curious about old photos and hoping to scan them, looking to record family members’ memories, or aiming to write stories that are part of your family's legacy, this is the moment to begin or restart a project. It's easy to put off these tasks, thinking there's always tomorrow. But as we're often reminded, the best time is now.   NGS created three resources to inspire you this month with steps to help make projects successful. Download Recording Family Memories and Stories: Get guidance to plan and record interviews and capture meaningful conversations. Scanning and Labeling Family Photos: Dive into our handy tips to preserve and digitize your family’s visual history. Writing and Sharing Family Stories: Find your voice and tell your family's cherished tales with our prompts and ideas.   Get Family History Month Resources   Sharing stories within your family cultivates a deeper connection between members in the past and present and the generations to come. (Remember to respect privacy. Discuss plans to ensure everyone is on board when conveying personal anecdotes and information.)   So, gather your family, dive into those photo albums or boxes, and collect the stories that weave the fabric of your family history. NGS is here for you every step of the way.   And pass this on—download free images on our site you can post on social media with #FamilyHistoryMonth and the link to ngsgenealogy.org/family-history-month.   Celebrate this October and invite people to join you!

It's Official! ConferenceKeeper.org Is Now Part of NGS

As of 1 October 2023, ConferenceKeeper.org is now officially part of the NGS family. ConferenceKeeper is the most complete, entirely free, online calendar of genealogy conferences and events. 

Created in 2012, ConferenceKeeper was the brainchild of Jen Baldwin. In 2015, Baldwin passed it on to Eowyn Langholf Walker and Tami Osmer Mize. Mize has been its sole manager since 2016 and will continue in this role as a consultant for NGS.

ConferenceKeeper will continue to support local genealogical societies, libraries, and genealogy-related businesses by providing a wider audience for their programs. The website will offer its calendar of thousands of genealogical education opportunities as a free resource for everyone interested in furthering their knowledge of family history research. ConferenceKeeper will also continue to accept genealogy-related advertising. NGS member organizations will benefit from a special advertising rate and increased visibility for their events.

"We are thrilled to welcome ConferenceKeeper and its manager extraordinaire Tami Osmer Mize into the NGS family," said President Kathryn M. Doyle.