Culture Conversation with Megan Smolenyak and Lisa Fanning's MemberConnects! Panel Now Posted to NGS YouTube Channel

 
Check out the recordings of our recent Culture Conversation with Megan Smolenyak and our MemberConnects! event with Lisa Fanning, Alison Wilde, Tristan Tolman, Kathey Williams, Tynan Peterson, and Rhone Kevorkian on the NGS YouTube Channel. There's plenty more on the channel as well, including SLAM! Idea Showcase videos and other webinars.

Join GRIP for Free Virtual Evening Events to Explore Genealogy Research Tools

You’re invited to free virtual evening events with the GRIP Genealogy Institute this week. Discover tools to help you with genealogy and family history research 24-27 June 2024 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) live via Zoom. Join Lynn Turner, AG, FUGA, for updates from FamilySearch, Richard K. Miller showcasing Goldie May's efficiency, Carly Morgan on organizing with Family Tree Notebooks, and Ellen Goodwin from Artifcts revealing why our stuff matters.

 

Don't miss out! Learn more about each session on the GRIP website and register now.

 

Explore GRIP Virtual Evening Events

 

Already know you want to attend certain sessions? Sign up via Zoom with each of the links below:

• Monday, 24 June - "What's New at FamilySearch"
• Tuesday, 25 June - "How to do More Genealogy in Less Time with Goldie May's Genealogy Tools"
• Wednesday, 26 June - "Family Tree Notebooks: A Simple Way to Get Organized"
• Thursday, 27 June - "Unlocking and Sharing the Stories and Family History Behind Our Stuff"

We look forward to seeing you at one or more of these sessions!

NGS Announces Upcoming Publication of Forensic Genealogy: Theory & Practice

Forensic Genealogy: Theory & Practice—the first comprehensive text on this field of study—will be released this summer. Published by the National Genealogical Society (NGS), it is an expert overview of all areas of forensic genealogy practice. Genealogists and family history organizations can pre-order the book through the NGS online store.

 

Learn More and Pre-Order

 

Forensic Genealogy: Theory & Practice is the brainchild of Michael S. Ramage, JD, CG, and Catherine Becker Wiest Desmarais, CG. Contributing authors include Kelvin L. Meyers, FTxSGS, Angie Bush, David Gurney, JD, PhD, Cairenn Binder, and Rich Venezia. The authors deeply dive into the specialty areas and skills required to build a career as a forensic genealogist or understand the field better.

 

Part one of the book examines forensic genealogy’s major subspecialties, including missing and unknown estate heirs, real estate issues, and military repatriation as well as emerging and less-commonly practiced subspecialties such as copyright and trademark, reparations, and tribal-membership research. Part two focuses on the nuts and bolts of establishing and running a business as a forensic genealogist. The authors also cover best practices of casework and the convergence of Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS) and evidentiary rules in legal cases. The authors offer a seventeen-page glossary of terms for those new to the field.

 

Forensic Genealogy: Theory & Practice is a must-have for genealogists wishing to establish a career as a forensic genealogist and those interested in this specialized field. Edited by Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, the book can be pre-ordered now.

Congratulations to the NGS 2024 SLAM! Idea Showcase Winner and Honorable Mention

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is excited to announce our 2024 SLAM! Idea Showcase results and highlight outstanding projects and programs by societies, libraries, archives, museums, and other organizations.

 

Watch the playlist on YouTube, including the program hosted by Judy Russell to kick off the NGS 2024 Family History Conference, or view the individual videos and PDF handouts linked below. See what sparks new possibilities for you and share this with family history friends and leaders of genealogy organizations you are part of.

 

Congratulations to this year's winner and honorable mention, and thank you to every organization that shared ideas to inspire the genealogy and family history community.
 

View the 2024 SLAM! Playlist

 
2024 Winner

Buffalo and Erie County Public Library and the Western New York Genealogical Society won with "Buffalo's Neighborhoods: Exploring Our Migrant and Immigrant Heritage." Watch the video and download the handout.

 

This project provides valuable history online for free as a digital exhibit and offers an example of a library and society working together and collaborating with other local partners. The inclusion of genealogical resources from a variety of organizations significantly expanded the information included in the project. It also provides lesson plans for schools in the area that have been shared with teachers to encourage the next generation of genealogists and historians, a great extension of the project into other programming and education.

 

2024 Honorable Mention

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) received the honorable mention for "Digitize New York: A Model for Record Preservation and Access." Watch the video and download the handout.

 

This project assists local governments, historical and genealogical societies, and religious institutions who want to preserve their materials. An organization can get materials processed at one of the NYG&B's digitization centers or get digitization equipment on loan at no cost. This model advances the overall scale of preservation while allowing local organizations to achieve at-risk record preservation at smaller scales. The NYG&B hopes it will serve as a guide for organizations of all sizes that want to save records and make them accessible.
 
2024 Participants

You will also want to check out these five entries featuring an index generating revenue for a society, an outreach tool showing people how they may be connected to someone, leadership and management training, and a way to honor pioneer ancestors while promoting genealogy research.

• BYU Family History Technology Lab and Connected Tempe - "Connected MyTown Pages" video and handout
• Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies - "CCGS Society Management Workshop" video and handout
• Michigan Genealogical Council - "Michigan Genealogical Council Pioneer Program" video and handout
• Niagara Peninsula Branch of Ontario Ancestors - "The Master Index" video and handout
• Texas State Genealogical Society - "TxSGS Genealogical Society Leadership Forum" video and handout

Thank you to sponsors FamilySearch, Family Tree Maker, and VIVID-PIX. NGS deeply appreciates the 2024 SLAM! Idea Showcase Committee for their work on this year's competition.