With my first trip through the Exhibit Hall this year, I noticed that there were a number of new-to-me  companies offering a variety of goods and services, but I also noticed that a number of the new companies I saw last year had not returned in 2015.

I really enjoy seeing what is out there in the genealogy world and always end up with a bag full of product sheets and business cards. A common theme of many of these new companies is to both collaborate with others and to make family history a more engaging process for youth.

First, I want to make clear that I am NOT recommending any of these companies, with the exception of the first one in the list because it is FREE. The rest of the companies are listed with a short summary of their product/s and a link to each company website. I have not received any compensation of any type for mentioning them, but they represent new choices to be investigated if you, personally, are considering similar products.

1. Lucidpress.com was one of the four finalists at RootsTech this year. Its website says it is a design and layout app that allows the user to create “beautiful print and digital documents.” Their conference brochure advertises “Bring your family history to life with rich interactive stories.” Signing up is free and there is a “try it” link, which I did not try.  I would have liked to have seen a short video about this product, but the link at the bottom of the home page to “Watch the full story” goes to a YouTube video that is no longer available. Google Apps Marketplace says the app is free.

2. rootspoint invites users to “embark on a journey to uncover your stories. This is a subscription-based site that is offering some specials right now on membership, which you can view on their webiste. Membership provides access to the 1940 U.S. census, 1841-1902 UK censuses, U.s. military records (I didn’t see a description of which records those are), U.S. family histories and “9200 upcoming databases from the U.S. and Canada.”

Tomorrow’s post will present a few more new companies and their products.