Genie Workshops

"How-To" classes and workshops on genealogy abound this month.

Sat., Feb. 9th
Breaking Through the 1870 Brick Wall 
Time: 10 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Magnolia Plantation 
African-American genealogy workshop sponsored by Lowcountry Africana and Magnolia Plantation & Gardens in Charleston that might help you get through to your slave ancestors. Fee.

Tues., Feb. 12th

African-American Genealogy Workshop

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location: Beaufort Branch

Are you looking to accelerate your family history search? Get started with African American genealogist specialist, Fallon Green. Registration is required!  Free! Everyone is welcome! Please call Stacey Edmonds (843) 255-6458, or email sinman@bcgov.net.

Interested in learning more about how to start your family history research?  Then perhaps you'd also be interested in participating in the final "Introduction to the 1940 Census" workshop being held the following week.  

Tues., Feb. 19th

BDC@ Lobeco Branch -- Final “Introduction to the 1940 Census” workshop

Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Location: Lobeco Branch

Sign up to find yourself - or your ancestors – for the final session of the 1940 US Census workshop. Basic computer skills are helpful. Limit of 10 people. Free; Anyone over age 12 interested in learning the ins-and-outs of using 1940 census data to compile a family history is welcomed to attend but registration is necessary. Instructor: Grace Cordial, BDC Manager. Register in person at Lobeco Branch Library, by calling 255-6475, or by e-mailing gmolter@bcgov.net.

Can't make it to any of the genealogical workshops mentioned above?  Perhaps this online presentation "The Most Overlooked Record Types in South Carolina" can help get you started.

Happy Ancestor Hunting!

State Library to Offer Free Webinar Series on SC Government Resources

On December 17th, I wrote an entry in this blog about information to be found within state government documents on the internet.  I just got the announcement that the SC State Library will be holding free webinar classes in February and March on how to find information about health, business and employment, and the state budget in government documents!


Online classes will be:
February 7, 2013 11:00 am to noon – The State of Health in South Carolina
February 14, 2013 11:00 am to noon – South Carolina Budget Sites
March 7, 2013 11:00 am to noon – Business and Employment in South Carolina

For details, see: 
South Carolina State Library - State Library to Offer Free Webinar Series on SC Government Resources 

Emancipation Nation Update

The streaming Emancipation Nation: Celebrating Freedom on Constitution Day webcast had 7,000 individuals participate in person or via modern technology.  There were 124 watch parties  (including one here in the BDC) held in 32 states and 3 countries. Missed the presentation but still interested in this important topic?  A YouTube video of the discussion is now available at emancipation.neh.gov/live. 

Personal Digital Photograph Preservation Webinar

In honor of Preservation Week, we want to remind our readers that anyone can sign up for a free webinar Preserving Your Personal Digital Photographs sponsored by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) group.

Digital photos are fragile and require special care to keep them accessible. But preserving any kind of digital information is a new concept that most people have little experience with. Technologies change over time and become obsolete, making it difficult to access older digital photos. Learn about the nature of the problem and hear about some simple, practical tips and tools to help you keep your digital photos safe.

The online instructor is Bill LeFurgy, Digital Initiatives Manager, who has worked for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program at the Library of Congress since June 2002.

The webinar will air on Thursday, April 26, 2012 beginning at 2 pm.  It's a good idea to register TODAY - just in case there are some glitches in using your computer.  ALCTS is a Division of the American Library Association.

Here are the technical requirements: 

• Computer with Internet access (high-speed connection is best) and media player software. Headphones recommended.
• If you receive a Codec error when playing the recorded file with Windows Media Player, download the gotowebinar codec file from: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com The Codec acts as a patch that allows the recording, which is created with a higher version of Media Player, to play in version 7. 
• For more information on playing the recording, see the FAQ. 

Register here https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/666813208

For questions or comments related to these ALCTS webinars contact Julie Reese, ALCTS Events Manager at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5034 or jreese@ala.org.

Free Online Class: Social Media for Family Researchers

Just a reminder that there's still time to register to participate in a free one- hour class "Social Networking for Genealogists" with Debbie Bloom, the Walker Local History Room Manager at Richland County Public Library.  The class will be presented live over the internet tomorrow beginning at 10 am. 

The class is a look at some of the online tools genealogist can use for research, such as blogs, readers, iGoogle, wikis and Facebook.

• Register today! at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/136972398

Got A Bridal Gown? A Cross-Stitch Sampler?

 

In honor of Preservation Week, we want to remind our readers that anyone can sign up for a free webinar Taking Care: Family Textiles sponsored by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) group. The webinar will discuss how to care for the various types of textiles found in family collections including clothing, flags and furniture coverings and framed textiles. The session will cover how to safely store and display textiles and how to determine when the services of a professional conservator are needed.

The webinar begins at 2 pm EDT tomorrow.   It's a good idea to register TODAY - just in case there are some glitches in using your computer.  ALCTS is a Division of the American Library Association.

These are the Technical Requirements given for participating in the free webinar:

• Computer with Internet access (high-speed connection is best) and media player software. Headphones recommended.
•  If you receive a Codec error when playing the recorded file with Windows Media Player, download the gotowebinar codec file from: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com The Codec acts as a patch that allows the recording, which is created with a higher version of Media Player, to play in version 7. 
• For more information on playing the recording, see the FAQ. 

Register at  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/318517225.
 

For questions or comments related to these ALCTS webinars contact Julie Reese, ALCTS Events Manager at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5034 or jreese@ala.org. 

Register Now: Social Networking for Genealogists Webinar 4/25

Q: Want to learn how to use Facebook and other social media to uncover your family's history?

A: Sign up for the following free online class taught by an experienced local history/genealogical librarian who just loves helping customers discover dead (and sometimes living) relatives!  And even better, you can do it from your home or office computer. 

"Social Networking for Genealogists" is a look at some of the online tools genealogist can use for research, organization and constructive time wasting [their words, not mine!] including: blogs, readers, iGoogle, wikis and Facebook. 

This free one-hour class will be presented live over the internet on Wed., Apr. 25th beginning at 10:00am. 

Presenter Debbie Bloom wears lots of hats.  She is the Walker Local History Room Manager at the Richland County Public Library.  She is the author of the DeadLibrarian blog and is a Facebook administrator for the South Carolina Genealogy Research page, NY Genealogy Research page and the Richland County, SC History and Genealogy page. 

Register today! at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/136972398

Hosted by the South Carolina State Library.

If you still need convincing, please note that Dennis Adams and I worked with Debbie on compiling a "South Carolina Obituary Resources" page which is still hosted on the South Carolina State Library's website.  I can attest that registrants are in for a real treat.   Debbie is very knowledgeable and full of excitement about her topic.  And, don't forget, this is a free service of our South Carolina State Library.  All you have to do is sign up, make sure your computer meets the technical requirements before the webinar starts, and be at your computer Wed., Apr. 25th from 10 am until 11 am. 

Attend RootsTech from your home computer

The Ancestry Insider just posted how all you genealogists out there can gain free online access to some of the sessions at the RootsTech Family History and Technology Conference being held in Salt Lake City tomorrow through Saturday, Feb. 4th.  Click here to learn more. 

A very neat feature is that most of the sessions have hand-outs.  For example, the session "Do I Trust the Cloud" has a PDF (or .doc) document that spells out the basics of cloud computing, the benefits, and the concerns attached to cloud computing - as it relates to privacy and personal data within the genealogical process.

Don't forget to make the adjustments from Mountain time to Eastern time.