History Tools and Genealogy

Preserving Your Family Papers 

Speaker: Sarah Hedlund

Every family has papers and photographs sitting around—Dad’s letters from the war, Mom’s recipe cards and photo albums, various diplomas and certificates from three generations, diaries, scrapbooks—what do you DO with all this stuff? How do you know what to keep and what’s okay to let go? And how can you continue to preserve your family’s story for future generations? Archivist Sarah Hedlund from Montgomery History’s own Jane C. Sween Research Library and Special Collections takes you through the basics of organizing and preserving your family’s documents and photographs, focusing on proper storage and conservation techniques you can implement at home, as well as advice on knowing when to call in a professional.

The Writer’s Perspective: Local Non-Fiction Authors Talk About How They Write and Get Published

Speakers: Bob Plumb and Jim Johnston

Bob Plumb and Jim Johnston have, between them, Published dozens of articles on history in the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and four books. Their books have been published by commercial publishers, academic presses, and self-published. If you’ve ever thought about writing an article or book on a non-fiction subject or if you just want to know how the process works, Plumb and Johnston will give you the benefit of their personal experiences in this informative session.

Developing a Persona and Historical Character for Your Site or Museum

Speaker: Several Speakers Bureau Reenactors/Speakers

Explore the process and fun of creating and developing an accurate and interesting persona for a historical character. Explore choosing a character, how to research the character’s life and times, and the necessity of keeping the interpretation fresh and interesting.

Genealogy: What’s It All About

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies in the U.S. today. This talk explains why so many people are searching their family histories and provides a brief description of how to get started.

Beginning Census Research: An Introduction to the U.S. Census Records & Indexing System

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

The U.S. Census was taken every ten years, starting in 1790. Discover what information is available in the U.S. Census, how to access census data, and how to utilize that data in furthering family history research.

Genealogy on the Internet

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

Resources on the Internet can greatly enhance the efforts of those researching their family histories. Learn about the most popular internet sites, how to find other valuable sites, and how to evaluate the information found.

Organizing Your Genealogical Research Papers

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

This talk provides suggestions for organizing all the papers accumulated in doing family research, including filing and indexing systems, research calendars, and planning for future research.

Planning a Genealogical Research Trip

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

Traveling to one’s family home for research is expensive and time consuming. Learn what research to do before you travel, what to take with you, and what resources to look for at your destination.

Researching Your Family Records at the LDS Family History Center

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

The Mormons have assembled a wealth of information that is invaluable to people researching their families. This talk discusses the databases and other resources available at the Family History Center and how to access them.

Should you take a DNA test to discover your ethnic origin?

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

DNA testing is the new rage. This talk provides an overview of the kind of tests available, where you can get them, and what you should know before signing up.

How to Get Started in Researching Your Family

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

This talk is a two hour lecture that can be delivered in two parts if desired. The talk discusses the genealogical research process: how to record and evaluate information, cite sources used, maintain a research calendar and develop a research plan and then how to get started with family research and where to research.

FamilySearch.org – A free genealogy web site

Speaker: Lorraine Minor

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has assembled a wealth of information that is invaluable to everyone researching their families and made it available at their free genealogy website FamilySearch.org. Learn what is available and how to use the web site.