It’s time to really start getting excited because in just twelve days, I will be back in Salt Lake City patiently waiting for the Family History Library to open on Monday morning and in just 15 days, RootsTech 2016 will finally be here.
I have two lists, one pretty much fixed and ready to go and the other in a state of flux. The ready-to-go list is my list of “to do” items in the library. Details of what I will be looking for are boring to everyone but me, so I will skip those. Suffice it to say that the list has been honed and updated so that I can make the most of my time in the library.
The list in flux is my list of RootsTech sessions of interest. As usual, there is a wide variety of topics and it is nice to see a couple geared towards bloggers and others that target integrating technology to make the best use of genealogical data that has been collected. There are also quite a few sessions on genealogical research, but those that touch on straight genealogical research must cover advanced techniques to capture my interest. There is always something new to be learned, but after 35 years of experience, I think I am a bit beyond beginner and intermediate levels!
Here are some of the intriguing possibilities and presenters on my (very) tentative schedule:
Using the Genealogical Proof Standard for Success, James Isom
Mindmapping Genealogy Research Plans and Results, Thomas MacEntee
Using Technology to “See” Research More Clearly, Peg Ivanyo
How to Protect Online Family Photos, Maureen Taylor
Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors’ Identities Indirectly, Tom Jones
Multi-Media Story Telling, Devin Ashby
Mapping Ancestral Graves with Google Maps– LAB, Gregg Legutki
Technology Tools for Land Research, Pamela & Richard Sayre
Professionalize Your Blog or Website: Dos & Don’ts, Laura Hedgecock
Managing Your Digital Research Environment, Nancy Loe
There are also sessions by many of my favorite speakers. Lisa Louise Cooke is presenting Evernote and Google Maps, Judy G. Russell is talking about finding female ancestors in the myriad of male-created records and D. Joshua Taylor will be covering tech mistakes to be avoided and news with Find My Past’s PERSI digitization project.
That doesn’t even begin to cover all the vendors in the Expo Hall. I learn as much viewing demonstrations and trying out new technologies presented by all the vendors as I do in the lecture-style class sessions.
Somehow, I don’t think there will be time to do everything!
Usually, I travel just with my iPad, but this year, I will be hauling a laptop with me to the conference. My hubby, Dave, is quite happy about this because last year, I typed up the blog posts and took photos on the iPad, which he then entered into WordPress for me. He just isn’t quite as enthusiastic as I am about blogging. This year, I will be able to blog and post directly from Salt Lake City. I hope you will follow my daily adventures at RootsTech 2016.