10 Reasons To Attend The International German Genealogical Partnership 2023 Conference! (In No Particular Order)

More than 100 presentations, and no two the same! The topics cover the range of the German experience on multiple continents and during multiple time periods. Most will be presented during the conference weekend. But another set will be recorded for viewing at your convenience. And ALL will be accessible for 3 months after the end of the conference. You also can buy the USB and watch the programs for years to come.

The conference app, Whova, that makes it easy to connect with other attendees, whether in Fort Wayne or online. You’ll set up your Whova account weeks before the conference, giving you plenty of time to post on the message board, plan your schedule and a lot more.

A DNA panel that’s not about chromosomes. We want to explore attitudes in different cultures toward DNA testing for genealogical reasons. And — maybe — foster some change.

Sponsors and exhibitors with a story to tell. You can visit those present in Fort Wayne and explore their products and services. Then join your fellow attendees in cyberspace to wander the virtual exhibition hall. Even more to explore there!

The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library. The second-largest family research center in the United States is a hop and a skip from the conference center where IGGP will be meeting. Virtual attendees can set up appointments for research assistance and catch up with some of the many recorded webinars about genealogy. Anyone attending in person is welcome to head over and check out the collections or do research. Or make a research appointment with the genealogy librarians.

Speaking of librarians — the family researcher’s best friend — IGGP is offering its first Librarians’ Day on June 8, the day before the conference opens. We hope librarians at facilities small or large, archivists managing collections small or large, or those curating collections at local historical societies will participate, either in person or virtually. The speakers will share tips for locating German genealogy resources, and allow you to show off your new knowledge when a patron comes to you for help. PS: And maybe you’ll want to hang out with us at the conference, too.

Make new friends. Connection sessions bring together people with an interest in the same topic, encouraging you to share your experiences and get help from others. And no one will know if you exchange email addresses and stay in touch after the conference ends. Because it’s all about connecting. Take a look at the list of sessions; just about every corner of the historic German empire is covered, with a few extras to boot!

Party time! One of Fort Wayne’s top events, Germanfest, is in town the same weekend as the IGGP conference. Gather with your new friends and take the short walk to the park where you can enjoy the beer, the food and the entertainment provided by local German organizations. Then join us at the IGGP gala Saturday night to celebrate our wonderful partnership and honor those who have done so much for German genealogy.

All the extras and new elements we’re giving a try. There will be document translation and transcription assistance. We’re running our first hands-on workshops. Programs timed so that virtual attendees can be online when they are wide awake. Syllabus and individual handouts in Whova. Museum displays you can visit and learn from. Presentations in German AND English. Extending the excitement with speaker Q&As in the weeks after the conference. Etc. etc. etc.

If we’re being honest, this is THE most important reason to attend the IGGP 2023 conference, in-person or virtually. It’s German genealogy and only German genealogy all day long for three wonderful days! Whether you ride an elevator or rush to the bathroom during a break or grab a box lunch to quickly eat, everyone will be there for German  genealogy. It’s a big family reunion!

This is a conference not to be missed by anyone doing German genealogy research anywhere in the world. Register Today 

You can learn more at: https://iggp.org/.

 

The following is a press release written by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society:

The 2023 award recognizes the NYG&B’s efforts to advance New York State as a go-to destination for family history research. 

June 6, 2023—The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) has been awarded the National Genealogical Society’s (NGS) 2023 Genealogical Tourism Award. The award recognizes an individual’s or an organization’s efforts to communicate the importance of repositories–libraries, archives, and research sites–as go-to destinations to fully advance family history research.  

“From its delightful small towns to its dynamic urban centers, New York State is an exceptionally diverse place for people from all over to discover and explore their personal history,” said D. Joshua Taylor, President of the NYG&B. “We are honored that NGS has recognized the NYG&B for our efforts to connect people to their genealogical and historical heritage and deepen their engagement with the past all across New York State.” 

Following an independent nomination process, the NGS Awards Committee selected the NYG&B in recognition of theNYG&B’s resources, historical documents, research presentations, and the work of its staff in creating a significant facility for family historians, genealogists, and researchers as well as the organization’s value to New York State andthe country.    

“When we look across the nation for leadership in advocating for records retention and travel to locations where our ancestors lived and worked,” said NGS Executive Director Matt Menashes. “The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society is a beacon for family history researchers. Its guided research trips to repositories in Albany and New York City have introduced many genealogists to the State’s most important collections in local libraries and archives. We are pleased that we can recognize their work with this award.”  

“New York State has always been an epicenter and crossroads for immigration and emigration, with many people bothsetting down roots here and coming through on their way to different parts of the country,” said William C. Hallett, Chairman of the NYG&B. “As ever-greater numbers of people delve into their family genealogy and history, the 

NYG&B’s singular programming, extensive records and collections, and publications build strong links between those looking for their own New York story and communities across the State.” 

The NYG&B’s mix of online and in-person programming includes webinars, courses and workshops, conferences, and research trips and tours. Among its offerings are the fundamentals of tracing ancestors in New York; deep dives into different regions of the State; talks by expert genealogists and historians; New York’s largest statewide genealogy conference, held annually; and heritage tour trips to New York City and internationally.  

Through its Digitize New York initiative, the NYG&B is also working with historical societies, churches, town hall offices, and others across the State to digitize and share at-risk historical records—helping to preserve important records and improve access for people conducting New York family history research. 

Additionally, the NYG&B publishes many other resources and other historical works that can help people in their family history search and journey, including research guides for all 62 New York counties. These guides offer detailed county-specific information, such as maps, repositories, local government offices, societies, and other organizations with records and collections useful for genealogists and others researching their past.  

The following book review was written by Bobbi King:

If We Can Winter This
Essays and Genealogies, The Gordon Family of County Leitrim, Ireland and 
The Norris Family of County Tyrone, (now) Northern Ireland

By Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Published by Scattered Leaves Press, Salt Lake City. 2022. 268 pages.

Ms. Carmack’s family saga features Delia and Mary Gordon, emigrants to America seeking escape from the ruinous times of the Great Famine in Ireland. While their story is a commonplace one among the multitudes of Irish immigrants who worked their way across the Atlantic towards the promise of an uplift for their lives, Ms. Carmack’s personal treatment of her great-grandmother Delia and great-grandaunt Mary reminds us of the daring and dauntlessness of unremarkable folk who defied the unknown and whose efforts left their descendants thriving in considerably more secure and prosperous circumstances.

The first half of the book introduces the Gordon family of Ardvarney, County Leitrim, although “introduce” might not be the correct word. If We Can Winter This is an extensively revised version of My Wild Irish Rose, the author’s account of the lives of Rose Norris, her mother Delia Gordon, and Delia’s sister Mary Gordon. The new book has more researched information on more cousins, but with the author’s added musings about the Whys: why this behavior, why that action, why that decision, good and bad, what are the back stories of complicated relationships. Whys that strike familiar to all genealogists who yearn to know the answers to the ancestral questions.

Each essay-chapter describes a distinct fragment of the sisters’ lives. The essay “On Their Own” describes their living in Greenwich, Connecticut, and ponders how they found employment as domestic servants. Irish girls were well-regarded among wealthy households as reliable domestic servants; Irish children attended national school to at least the eighth grade, lending literacy as a desirable attribute of the servant girls.

Part IV recites the genealogy of the other side of the author’s family, the Norris family (Delia Gordon married David Norris). The Norris family’s origins are in Tamlaghtmore, County Tyrone. The author departs from the essay/story structure as she presents the Norris family in standard genealogy report fashion, a nice change of reading pace. The report style illustrates this very useful and effective way to compile and publish family genealogies.

Ms. Carmack resides among the upper-crust of genealogical writers. Her name is likely familiar to many readers, with good reason. 

This, her latest book, is a particularly handsome example of how to put forward a family history. The usual elements are present in superior form: introduction, citations, notes, index, bibliography. Photos are placed in context to their stories (the house photos are particularly affecting), maps offer geographic clarity, the writing is of a highly-personalized style, easy to follow and captures the reader. 

A family history book to learn from, and a family history book to enjoy.

If We Can Winter This may be purchased from Scattered Leaves Press at http://warrencarmack.com/?page_id=341, Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/If-Can-Winter-This-Genealogies/dp/0997207671 and from most any other book stores by specifying ISBN 9780997207675 (ISBN10: 0997207671).

The following is a press release written by the National Genealogical Society:

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, 6 JUNE 2023—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) and Genealogy ConferenceKeeper.org, Inc. (ConferenceKeeper), announce an agreement to merge before the end of the year. ConferenceKeeper is the most complete, entirely free, online calendar of genealogy conferences and events. "We are thrilled to welcome ConferenceKeeper and its manager extraordinaire Tami Osmer Mize into the NGS family," said President Kathryn M. Doyle.

Created in 2012, ConferenceKeeper was the brainchild of Jen Baldwin. In 2015, Baldwin passed it on to Eowyn Langholf Walker and Tami Osmer Mize. Mize has been its sole manager since 2016 and will continue in this role as a consultant for NGS.

ConferenceKeeper will continue to support local genealogical societies, libraries, and genealogy-related businesses by providing a wider audience for their programs. The website will offer its calendar of thousands of genealogical education opportunities as a free resource for everyone interested in furthering their knowledge of family history research. ConferenceKeeper will also continue to accept genealogy-related advertising. NGS member organizations will benefit from a special advertising rate and increased visibility for their events.

"ConferenceKeeper and NGS make a great match," said Mize. "Both organizations are dedicated to furthering genealogy education. With this agreement, the ability for ConferenceKeeper to reach an even wider audience will benefit those seeking education and those providing the opportunities. The efficiencies we gain together and the additional support that we can provide for genealogy organizations make this a win-win for both NGS and ConferenceKeeper." 

"We look forward to ensuring that family history researchers will have access to links to local, regional, and national conferences and events here in the United States and worldwide through ConferenceKeeper," said Doyle.

I believe virtual conferences are the wave of the future. I recently attended a 3-day genealogy conference in Salt Lake City. With the air travel, hotel expenses, restaurant meals, and conference admission, I spent more than $1,500 US. I also spent 5 days away from home: one day traveling to the event (in the cheapest airline coach seats I could find), three days at the conference, and one more day returning home. I am sure that attendees from overseas spent much more than I did.

(I am not talking about webinars that typically last for an hour or two. In this case, it was a traditional conference that lasted for one or more entire days.)

Obviously, many people are not able to pay that much money or to take that many days out of their lives to attend such an event, regardless of their interest level. Luckily, technology can provide an alternative.

Holding events online is called a "virtual conference." The presenters often remain in their homes, using their own computers and video cameras to deliver their talks, videos, and slide shows. Attendees also typically remain in their homes or go to a nearby library or office and watch the conference events live on computers. Travel expenses and meals are close to zero. Even a conference syllabus is usually available online as a free electronic download.

In addition, the virtual conference organizers do not need to spend thousands of dollars for renting a modern conference center. The end result is lower costs all around. The attendees benefit again because admittance to virtual conferences is usually much, much cheaper than attending a conference in person.

Is an online virtual conference just as effective as attending a conference in person? I will suggest it is not. There are several elements missing in a virtual conference. I know I certainly miss the camaraderie of talking with other attendees in the hallways or in social situations before, during, and after the daily conference events. Nonetheless, I will suggest that the virtual conferences do provide MOST of the benefits of an in-person conference and do so at a fraction of the price of traditional events.

There are two financial considerations:

1. The ever-increasing expenses of travel, hotels, and restaurant meals

2. The ever-decreasing expenses of producing live virtual conferences

Here is a suggestion to future conference organizers: you might want to hold your next event in the online world.

Kathy Roughan spent much of the Covid lockdown copying local land ownership records, known as ‘cancelled books’, from Clarecastle, which date as far back to the to the 19th century.

Ms Roughan physically copied thousands of entries into a spreadsheet, which then became part of the permanent digital archive for the Clarecastle Ballyea Heritage archive at: https://clarecastleballyea.clareheritage.org/.

Thanks to her efforts, others can now trace the record of their properties and home in the locality online.

Through her research, Ms Roughan said she has learned much about her family history. She is from Clarecastle originally and did a Master's Degree in History at the University of Limerick but now lives in Australia.

"I’ve been able to log the progress of particularly my grandmother’s family who I know very little about. So, for me alone it was worth doing just for that,” she said.

You can read more in an article by Paul Hyland published in the independent.ie web site at: https://tinyurl.com/mpk6293d.

Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com:       

Whew!  This is about the longest newsletter in the past year or so.

2023 Annual Symposium Genealogical Program

GENE-Y'ALL-OGY

Southeastern Genealogy Research

Join us for a day-long in-person or virtual symposium to explore the

resources and challenges for researching Southeastern heritage.

Featured Speaker: Robert S. Davis, Jr.

When:  Saturday, August 12, 2023

Time:  9:00 am - 3:30 pm  EST

Where:  First Baptist Church, 3500 Walton Way Extension

             Augusta, GA 

Cost:   In person, the symposium includes a hot Southern lunch and snacks

           AGS Members $47 and Non-Members $57 

Cost:  Virtual 

AGS Members $25 and Non-Members $35

Registration: Online at http://www.augustagensociety.org or by mail by 4 August 2023.  

 

Vendor tables will be available.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that it would delay the release, and narrow the scope, of some of the most detailed data from the 2020 census — until next year.

Detailed numbers dealing with household types — such as if the household is a family — broken down by race and ethnicity, and whether homes are owned or rented, won’t be released until September 2024, more than four years after the data’s collection in the once-a-decade head countof every U.S. resident, the Census Bureau said.

Also being delayed until September 2024 is the release of numbers on household and family sizes. This data set will also be much more limited than anticipated. It will only be released for the entire United States and individual U.S. states because a controversial new privacy methodimplemented by the Census Bureau couldn’t guarantee individuals wouldn’t be identified at smaller geographies.

The following was written by Library and Archives Canada:

After a tremendous take off for the launch of the 1931 Census on June 1, traffic increased rapidly. Our system started showing signs of slowing down, followed by difficulties with loading images. Unfortunately, this affected our users’ online experience, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We are as disappointed as our users, given the tireless work that went into preparing for the 1931 Census release and the anticipation around that release.

We are actively working on finding technical solutions and testing is ongoing.

While we do not have a timeline to offer at the moment, giving our users a great online experience with the 1931 Census data is our top priority.

Thank you for your patience.