Family History Education

Did you know that family history education is only a few keystrokes away? You may be thinking that you don't live in Utah and therefore, can't take advantage of the world class Family History Library. Well, there may be some things that might be missed, but with the ability to connect remotely to the library for classes and such, your excused for not doing family history are dwindling! :)

FamilySearch.org has a great wealth of information and education. One of my favorite places is the FamilySearch Wiki. When I don't know how to help a patron, or when I'm starting research in a new place, the Wiki is my first stop.

FamilySearch posts it's list of webinars (past and upcoming) in the FamilySearch Wiki. There are other ways to get this information, but this link might turn out to be a gold mine for you! What I love about it is that even if I can't attend a webinar I can still get my hands on the handouts. I know we live in the land of the Internet, but sometimes a piece of instructional paper can feel so friendly and familiar in our hands! That's why I love their handouts!

Take some time and check out the FamilySearch Wiki. You might just find a new best friend!

SwedGen to Teach at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City

 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Do you have Swedish ancestry? SwedGen is a genealogical society in Sweden that has given lectures and research assistance for Swedish American descendants all over the United States. We are fortunate that SwedGen will be making a stop this year in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The free events in Salt Lake will be held at the Family History Library on Thursday, October 8, 2015. Lectures will include the following:

9:00 am, Online Swedish Resources, by Charlotte Borjesson
10:00 am, Swedish Military Records, by Anneli Andersson
11:00 am, Finding Living Relatives in Sweden, by Anna-Lena Hultman

Learn more about this exciting opportunity for learning here!

Salt Lake Family History Library Classes for March 2015

There are some great classes scheduled for the month of March at the Salt Lake Family History Library. For more information beyond the titles, click here.

March 7:  New England States Research Series. 

March 7:  Arbol Familiar Para Principiantes Webinar

March 14:  Hispanic Research Methodology: A Case Study Webinar. 

March 21:  Hispanic Research Series Webinar. 

March 28:  German Research Series. 

February Classes at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City

This is from the FamilySearch Blog...

During the month of February, the Family History Library will be hosting a number of free online family history classes as well as a Boy Scout genealogy merit badge workshop. These classes and workshops are designed to help individuals and families find their ancestors and teach important family history techniques. They are free to the public. Information about specific classes is listed below, as well as information on how to register for classes.

The Family History Library Announces Free Classes for February, 2015

February 7:       Registros civiles y censos. This class provides instructions on how to use Spanish civil registers and census records. It is for Spanish-speaking guests and is taught in Spanish. Class starts at 1:00 p.m.

February 21:     * Boy Scout Genealogy Merit Badge Workshop. This workshop begins at 10:00 a.m. Register for this 90-minute class at least one week prior to the workshop to find out which requirements should be completed before attending. For registration information, call 1-801-240-4673.

February 21:     Qué dice? Cόmo leer la escritura antigua. This class provides tips and guidelines for reading old Spanish handwriting. It is for Spanish-speaking guests and is taught in Spanish. Class starts at 1:00 p.m.

February 26:     FamilySearch Historical Records Collection Webinar. This class begins at 6:00 p.m. It provides an overview of what the FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has to offer researchers and some tips on how to get the most from your searches.

February 28:     * British Research Series. These classes include “British Resources on FamilySearch.org,” and “British Resources on Ancestry.com.” Classes run from 9:15 a.m. to noon.

February 28:     * German Research Series. These classes include “Learning to Read Old German Script” (2 hours) and “Extracting Information from German Church and Civil Records.” Classes run from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

February 28:     African-American Research Series. The topics include “Keynote Speaker,” “Beginning African-American Research: Post 1865,” and “Southern Plantation Records.” Classes run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

These classes and workshops are designed to help individuals and families find their ancestors and teach others family history techniques.

*Registration is required for classes with an asterisk. Register by 9:00 p.m. the Thursday before the class date by sending an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or calling 1-801-240-4950. Go to https://familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library for additional information.

Spanish Genealogy Classes

Family History Library

In January 2015 there will be two Spanish genealogy classes offered by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 1:00pm
Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 1:00 pm

Click here for more information.

Webinar Exploring Norwegian Parish Registers

Image: Hesse 1309

Do you have Norwegian ancestors? Are you interested in searching the parish records of Norway? This webinar is for you! This webinar will be taught on Wednesday, October 22, 2014  at 7:00 pm (Mountain Time) by Anka Magee, BA, AG., from The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information on times, etc. click here.

Extracting Information from German Records

Do you have German records and have no idea what they say?  Fritz Juengling, PhD, AG., will be teaching a class called Extracting Information from German Records on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 7:00 pm (Mountain Time). Take advantage of this free international webinar presented by The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Click here for more information.

Free International Webinar on Doing Danish Research -- September 11, 20, 25, 2014

Is Danish Research on your radar screen but you have no idea how and where to start? Take advantage of these free international webinars presented by The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Click here for more information.

Year End Happenings!

Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah

Both Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org have changes happening at the moment! Click this link to find out what the big changes are and scroll to December 18th. The FamilySearch announcement has extra information for indexers! Thanks AncestryInsider!

Online Research Classes from FamilySearch

Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

Vision: Deliver free online training to the world!

 Family History Research Online Training (Travis Jordan, Family History Center Open House, April 1, 2011)

We no longer have the excuse that we don't know how to do research in our particular area. If you haven't looked at the online research classes offered by FamilySearch, you are in for a big surprise! There are now 135 online classes in different formats and many of them have PDF handouts to boot! I download the handout and take my notes right on that. FamilySearch is working right now to produce a series of 30 beginning genealogy lessons that should be available in 2011 (Travis Jordan, Family History Center Open House, April 1, 2011). Until then, go explore the great classes that they do have! Hey, I'm off to work on my Russian geography!