the great family search conference
brenda kellow
december 15, 2013
The Great Family Search Conference, held at the Plano Family History Center on Roundrock, was one of the most informative sessions I have attended in a long time. This free all-day conference featured David Rencher of the Family History Library, FamilySearch from Salt Lake City. There were also eleven other presenters making it impossible for me to attend all of them. Most attendees ordered the CD that featured a handout of all the talks when we ordered our lunch. These presenters knew their subjects.
Some of the subjects taught were on congressional records, pensions, descendant research, using Google, beginning genealogy, organizing family stories, helpful Mobil apps, researching the census records, immigration and passenger lists, land, reunions, and presentations from expert Arturo Cuellar on conducting Hispanic research.
FamilySearch.org is the place to go to research family history, and it doesn’t cost anything to do it. You can submit your family history, preserve a family story or just investigate what others have submitted.
- FamilySearch.org has the world’s largest collection of records for historians from over 100 countries.
- Click Family Tree to learn about preserving and sharing your photographs.
- Lessons and guidance is always available by clicking on Live Help.
- If you need research-specific help online, on the phone, and in over 4,600 Family History Centers worldwide click on Get Help.
- Volunteers are always the backbone of every organization and they certainly need and appreciate volunteers at FamilySearch.org. No experience is necessary. You decide how much you can help by clicking on Indexing. It was those wonderful volunteers who indexed the 1940 census for us in such a short time.
RECORDING MEMORIES: In my most recent column, I discussed the Genealogy Center’s blog titled “Have You Recorded Your Memories,” dated November 22, 2013, available online at http://glhtainplano.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/have-you-recorded-your-memories/. Doug Fugate, librarian at the Genealogy Center, wrote that insightful article. If you would like to subscribe to the blog, after accessing Doug’s article, you can sign up for an email subscription. Just look to the right side toward the bottom and click on “Email Subscription.” Enter your email and periodically a blog written by Cheryl Smith or Doug Fugate will arrive in your email inbox.
PLANO LIBRARY WEBSITE AND PHONE APPS: In response to several personal inquiries about readers being unable to access the library site or catalog I compiled the following to help with the problem.
The library website is www.planolibrary.org. Genealogists choose Genealogy from the left side of the library’s homepage. There is no longer a link to the genealogy page per Cheryl Smith. It is their new look. On the left side you will see the second tab that says “Catalog and Account Login.” Click there and then click “Catalog.” It will open to the Plano Public Library System Catalog. To reach the Blog, on the left side go to the seventh (7th) tab and click on “Genealogy.” From there you can access the Blog, and also Department Home, Classes and Seminars, Collin County Images, Partners and Donations, Resources and Services. Clicking on other tabs on the left will bring up more things you might want or need. I hope this helps.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
