Have you ever asked yourself the question...

Why should I attend the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy?

There are so many educational opportunities available for genealogists. Why attend an institute? Especially when there are educational events you can attend from the comfort of home.

I attended my first institute in 2009 and have been to one or more every year since. I never realized how an institute could elevate my genealogical education!

I have participated in lectures, webinars, one-day as well as multi-day national conferences and those are good educational opportunities as well. But after experiencing my first institute, I am determined to attend at least one institute a year.

You are probably asking, "what is so special about an institute"? 

I love being able to immerse myself in a genealogy topic with others of like mind for an entire week! Learning from nationally known genealogy instructors is a wonderful experience and attending in person provides the opportunity to learn from the experts and from your classmates. There is a synergy that can't be duplicated sitting at home. Since I started attending in 2009, I have seen my proficiency at research and methodology improve dramatically! It was the best decision I ever made in advancing my genealogy knowledge and expertise.

With thirteen courses to chose from, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy offers something for everyone! With only eight courses left with seats remaining, now is the time to register. For more information, see http://www.infouga.org/aem.php?lv=p&epg=87.

Changes in SLC for early January arrivals

Believe it or not, January is a peak time of the year for some programs in Salt Lake City, most notably the city-wide Outdoor Retailer Winter Market convention which draws well over 20,000 attendees to view the latest and greatest in outdoor recreational equipment.  This huge program literally fills the city, from hotels to restaurants to a handful of street closures near the Salt Palace Convention Center.  If you have attended before, you have probably noticed them "moving in," as the program has typically begun the week after SLIG.  

But Outdoor Retailer, OR as most locals affectionately call it, has decided to make a bold move this year.  After what appears to be several months of deliberation, they have changed their dates to the second week of January. They will be wrapping up as we are moving in.  

While this won't affect most of you, and fortunately it does not affect SLIG as a program at all, it will affect those who enjoy coming early to do an extra week of research. Our lodging block is now full over those early dates, and we are unable to obtain more rooms over those dates.  If you are planning to come early, please be aware that this program will affect your ability to obtain a room - we recommend that you book now before the rest of the world figures out the date change - and make sure you have that booked before booking your airline travel.  

Alternately, researchers might consider staying over to do additional research on the week following SLIG. Although the Family History Library is closed on Martin Luther King Day, it is open to 9:00 pm Tuesday through Friday the rest of the week, and to 5:00 pm on Saturday.  Because of the move, we were able to add some rooms to our block over those dates and should be able to obtain more as needed.  Our block now extends through Saturday, January 23, 2016.  As one researcher told me just recently, "MLK Day will give me a day to get organized and do research in my room between SLIG and my library week."  Not a bad way to view it.

Should you need any assistance, or have any questions about the changes and how it will affect SLIG this year, please feel free to drop us an email.

SLIG Lodging Reservations Open

Reservations for SLIG 2016 lodging will open tomorrow, July 11th, at 9:00 am (MDT).

Reservations for lodging at the Hilton SLC Center hotel will be taken via a new process this year. Utilizing a form created for UGA to process your requests, you will be able to place your reservation inside a group rooming list rather than make your reservation individually.  And why, you ask, would you want to do that?  To save exactly 12.6% or $16.88 per night in taxes normally charged on top of the nightly rate, making the Hilton group rate of $134 per night a true $134 per night.

A one-night's deposit will be required to reserve your room.  While that is a new policy this year, it is not a new policy to groups using the Hilton; it was waived for our first year upon request.  You may pay that deposit with a check, credit card, or your PayPal account upon making the reservation.  The balance due will then be paid directly to the hotel using the credit card you provide upon check-in. Those wishing to pay the balance by check may do so, but with an earlier deadline.

The new system allows you to select your type of room, check-in and check-out dates, method of payment, list your roommate's names, log back in to update them at any time, add special requests to your reservation.  The very thorough form was built for SLIG by EasyNetSites - we appreciate their cooperation in making this possible for our attendees!

The group rate is guaranteed until December 10, 2015, or until rooms are no longer available, whichever occurs first.  And we all know how that works when space is limited, so reserve your room early to assure you have what you require.

Additional details and links to the hotel website may be found here.