The following announcement was written by Wholly Genes, Inc.:
The 5th Annual Genealogy Conference and "Land Cruise" will be held in a beautiful historic resort in the Shanendoah mountains of Virginia, 26-30 Aug 2009. At less than $400 per person (_including_ meals) for this four-day event, it is not likely that you'll find a more cost-effective way to learn how to be a better researcher, with presentations by some of the most popular and experienced professional genealogists in the country. The schedule even includes an all-day research trip to Washington D.C. so you can put some of your new skills to immediate good use at the National Archives, Library of Congress, and DAR Library, among others.
The conference lecture series has just been announced and includes these presentations:
- "Research at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library" by Patricia O'Brien Shawker, CG (1 hour). Established in 1896, the DAR Library has collections that can be accessed onsite and on the web. The onsite collections include the analytical index; Bible records; county, local, and state histories; family genealogies; and seven subscription based databases. Researchers can access their library catalog and their Genealogical Records Committee (GRC) reports index online.
- "One Family's Footprint in the Federal Records" by Patricia O'Brien Shawker, CG (1 hour). This lecture will illustrate how a broad range of federal records can be used for genealogical research. Record Groups covered, among others, will include: the General Land Office, the Interior Department, the Post Office Department, the Bureau of Customs, the Weather Bureau, and cartographic records.
- "The Library of Congress - An Overview with Research Examples, Parts 1 and 2" by John Philip Colletta, Ph.D. (2 hours). This two-part lecture takes the mystery and trepidation out of using our huge national library. Reading room by reading room-there are twenty of them-it explores the institution's innumerable treasures. Rare published works, newspapers, cartographic and manuscript materials, prints and photographs, the European Reading Room and Law Library, as well as the extraordinary online collections are all examined. Specific research cases illustrate how discoveries made at the LC may lead to other repositories, such as the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., the Martin Luther King, Jr., Public Library, and other local specialized collections.
- "Using Original and Derivative Sources: How to Evaluate Evidence" by John Philip Colletta, Ph.D. (1 hours). Finding the sources we need to reconstruct the lives of our ancestors is just half the challenge; the other half is making sense of them once we have found them. This lecture discusses original and derivative sources and explores the assets and drawbacks of each. Using three examples, it demonstrates how to derive the full informational content from a source; the importance of knowing the origin and purpose of the source; how to analyze and correlate information in order to resolve conflicting "facts;" and how to test hypotheses to learn the true story of each ancestor. It all results in an understanding of the Genealogical Proof Standard.
- "Using Records in the National Archives: A Researcher's View" by Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL (1 hour). A researcher‘s view at how and why records are arranged at the National Archives. How to use the multitude of finding aids available both from home and "on site.". Guide books, preliminary inventories and descriptive pamphlets are discussed.
- "But I Know He Got a Pension! Working the National Archives Pension Indexes" by Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL (1 hour). Are you missing your soldier on the pension index? A look at the variety of pension index cards and what they mean. The arrangement of records at NARA is of great importance. Because the Unindexed Bounty Land records do not appear on microfilm or in published sources they are often over looked by researchers.
- "Researching Your Colonial Wars Ancestor" by Craig Roberts Scott, CG (1 hour). Before the Revolution, the French and the Indians, among others, made a point of trying to wrest land away from the American Colonists. The result was the creation of a strong militia system, muster rolls, payrolls, accounts and bounty land. All records that can provide insight into our ancestors.
- "Researching Your Military Ancestor" by Craig Roberts Scott, CG (1 hour). From the Revolution to the present the federal government has been generating records on persons in the military. Both while in the military service records and later in the form of pension records, pension ledgers and payment vouchers. The records differ by time period and by branch of service.
In addition, there will be at least two evening roundtables with Craig Scott on research topics to be determined later, plus one-on-one opportunities and shared meals with the speakers, welcome and farewell mixers, and other events. Users of The Master Genealogist (TMG) software will also find a number of presentations on that software and its companion programs.The resort includes a variety of free past-times for spouses or family members (including swimming, tennis, hiking trails, etc.) and there will be special excursions to local attractions (caverns, vineyards, orchards, etc.) and for those who opt out of the research trip to D.C.
For more information about the 2009 Genealogy Conference and "Land Cruise", sponsored by Wholly Genes, Inc., please visit: http://www.WhollyGenes.com/conference.htm.
