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Think Outside the Box at NGS and Jamboree
Major genealogy conferences like NGS and Jamboree can be both invigorating and overwhelming! It’s tough to catch all the classes I want by my favorite lecturers on the topics I need most. But at some point each day, I’m also done sitting in a boxy classroom for a little while.
We at Genealogy Gems suggest a proven “fix” for these problems: Outside the Box Sessions! We partner with favorite fellow exhibitors to schedule short live presentations on our hottest topics at our extra-large shared exhibit space. Those who attend any Outside the Box session can sign up to receive a free e-book of handouts from all the sessions.
From what you’re telling us, Outside the Box works for you! Bonnie wrote to us: “I attended several of your [Outside the Box] sessions, at least one from each of you and often more. They were terrific, at least as good and often better than conference sessions. And the e-book of session notes, with the myriad of internet links, is frosting on the cake. Thank you.”
A packed and lively schedule of Outside the Box sessions will run at the following upcoming events in the free exhibit hall:
National Genealogical Society conference (13-16 May)
Southern California’s Jamboree (5-7 June).
Click on the conference names above to see the full scoop on each, including classes on:
- Google searching,
- family reunion ideas,
- DNA,
- German research,
- Google Earth for genealogy,
- identifying and caring for old photos,
- Evernote for genealogy,
- using your iPad for family history
- and more!
Since the exhibit hall is free, this is a wonderful opportunity to stop by and see what genealogy conference are all about, and pick up some excellent free training sessions while you’re there!
10 Maps for Family History at David Rumsey Map Collection
Imperial Airways Map of Empire & European Air by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, 1937. Online at DavidRumseyHistoricalMaps.com. Click on the image to see full citation information.
Among more than 15,000 maps and images newly posted at the David Rumsey Map Collection, these caught my eye as particularly useful for family history. Do any of them look relevant to YOUR genealogy?
1. A massive group of German Invasion plans for England, Wales, and Ireland in WWII;
2. A 1682 map of the areas around Mexico City;
3, Two important early atlases of Swiss Topography;
4. An 1886 Imperial Federation Map of the British Empire;
5. A 1912 wall map of rebuilt San Francisco, The Exposition City;
6. An extraordinary mining map of West Kootenay, [British Columbia], 1893;
7. Harry Beck’s groundbreaking London Underground map 1933;
A 1937 Imperial Airways Map showing air travel routes internationally.
Genealogy Gems Premium members can learn more about using maps for family history in our full-length video class, 5 Ways to Enhance Your Genealogy Research with Old Maps. Here’s an excerpt from the video below about finding and using old Sanborn Fire Maps:
Iowa Newspapers Stacking Up With No Plan to Film
According to a news story by IowaWatch.org, current Iowa newspapers are piling up at the archives of the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines, with no current plan to microfilm or otherwise preserve them.
“Traditionally, the papers would have been sent off [for microfilming], but a 2009 budget cut ended that 50-year practice,” says the report. “A bill proposed last year would have provided funds for the backlog, but the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees the historical society, put on the breaks. It rejected the proposed funding citing pending completion of a master planning process and assessment study to evaluate what it has in the archives and how to preserve those materials in the future.”
Over 1500 bundles of newspapers await microfilm preservation, at an estimated cost of around a quarter million dollars. Officials state that they are reviewing a master plan for preserving all important materials in the state archive, not just newspapers. Click here to read the full story.
What can you do to ensure that today’s newspaper history lives on in your family
- Digitize current obituaries and articles that mention your family.
- Image meaningful headlines and write a journal entry about why they are important to you.
- Keep track of these images, full source citations and your thoughts in organizational software like Evernote and attach them to your family tree in your own software and in your online trees.
Meanwhile, make the most of what historical newspapers had to say about your family. More of these papers are accessible online, either directly as digitized content or through microfilm rentals or research services you can learn about online. Learn more in Lisa’s book, How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers.
