Where can I find....? Cyndi's List of course!

A fantastic opportunity to study with the creator of Cyndi's List. Cyndi Ingle has created a course to help us search the internet effectively. She will help us to use the amazing technology at our disposal as genealogists.

Don't know where to look on the internet for repositories, databases etc? Come learn from the woman who pulled it all together for us in one place.

Registration opens July 9th, at 9 am MDT. Classes fill quickly so register early.

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Forensic Genealogy from Inquiry to Affidavit

Forensic genealogy has been increasing in demand over the past several years. Coordinators Catherine B. W. Desmarais and Amber Goodpaster Tauscher have created a course, entitled "The Coaching Lab: Forensic Genealogy from Inquiry to Affidavit." This is one of the fourteen courses that are being offered in January 2017.

Registration for SLIG opens at 9 AM MDT on Saturday, July 9th! 

This guided practical experience will coach students through the process of receiving, researching, and writing up a new U.S.-based probate case. Participants will learn effective ways to communicate research findings using timesaving templates to create source-cited research logs, reports, and affidavits. Family relationship charts and document exhibits will also be developed. By applying these skills to an actual case, participants will create a better workflow and increase their business productivity.

Students will also learn about the underlying laws and concepts needed by forensic genealogists working on probate, real estate and oil and gas cases. Advanced tips for finding living people and acting as a court witness will be shared. Finally, lessons learned during a forensic genealogy career will cap off the week.

Prerequisites:
Forensic genealogy is not a beginner’s specialty. Students should have at least a year’s professional genealogy experience writing genealogical research reports for multiple paying clients before considering this course. The course is also appropriate for experienced forensic genealogists who wish to improve their skills and streamline their workflow. Students need to bring a laptop computer and possess solid word processing skills.

See http://ugagenealogy.org/aem.php?lv=p&epg=118 for more information on this and the other available courses.

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Adding Social History to Your Genealogy

Registration for the 2017 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) will open Saturday, July 9th at 9 AM MDT! Go to http://ugagenealogy.org/aem.php?lv=p&epg=118 for information on all the courses you can register for. Below is one of them:

Adding Social History to Your Genealogy with Coordinator Gena Philibert-Ortega

Genealogy research is often relegated to the dates and places of our ancestor’s lives. However, when we focus solely on names, dates, and places we miss out on rich details that tell a story and also lead to additional documents. In the course of learning more about everyday lives we uncover resources that are not utilized by genealogists. This course will look beyond the typical genealogy sources and concentrate on ways that genealogists can bring their ancestors to life.

This course will assist genealogists to understand historical resources available for genealogical research; provide information about repositories that can provide documents that detail an ancestor’s community; teach ways to combing history with genealogy; provide background into our ancestor’s lives; explain ways to include social history with our genealogical narrative; and help students better understand the unique experiences of women, children and immigrant ancestors.

Prerequisites:
Must have knowledge of basic genealogy research techniques and be able to understand the basics of what is involved in a reasonably exhaustive Internet search.

What is Forensic Genealogy?

Forensic Genealogy is connecting the living with the dead. You might say that about all genealogy, but the work of a Forensic Genealogist helps adoptees find the their parents, lawyers find heirs, repatriates remains of MIA solders with their love ones.

It is an exciting aspect to genealogical research. It truly connects the generations. You'll learn the process of writing up affidavits for court cases, timesaving techniques and strategies to streamline your work. This is a not to be missed class.

Registration opens July 9, at 9 am MDT. Classes fill quickly, be sure to register early!

Counting Down The Days Until SLIG Registration

Registration opens July 9th! Now is the time to be deciding which class you want to enroll in.  With so many amazing choices, it's always a difficult choice for me. Every time I go though the pictures for last year, I think, 'oh I should have taken that class!' But, alas, you can only take one class a year. Which one will you be taking this year? I love the tagline by Melanie Frick, used in the photo above. I have made some amazing friends as we worked together, learning from our stellar instructors.

Enriching Our Research with Historical Resources!

Our ancestors were more than names and dates. Come and learn the repositories that can fill in the story behind those names and dates. Gain insight and understanding into what their lives were like!

Registration opens July 9th at 9 am MDT! Be sure and register early as classes fill quickly.

Is your UGA membership current? Don't forget to renew before registration opens to take advantage of the discount for UGA members.

There are many additional benefits to being a UGA member. Like our monthly DNA Special Interest Group, available to members only. Come check it out!

Virtual Practicum Registration Opens Tomorrow for 2016 Students/Teachers

 Tomorrow, 25 June 2016, registration for our Virtual Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum opens up for our 2016 students, instructors, and coordinators. Be sure to visit our website at http://sligvirtual.ugagenealogy.org/ for additional details.

 Note: The registration for the general public opens up on 9 July 2016.

Congratulations to Cyndi Ingle!

Congratulations to Cyndi Ingle, who recently completed the ProGen 24 Study course!

Cyndi will be joining the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in January 2017 to coordinate her course, entitled "Refining Internet and Digital Skills for Genealogy."

Cyndi believes that a prepared and organized genealogist is a productive genealogist. Similarly, a prepared and organized digital workspace is a productive research instrument for that genealogist. The Internet and computers of all types require an understanding of all the ways in which they can be used to take advantage of their maximum potential as exemplary research tools.The five days in the course are organized into categories intended to help the participant structure their computer and then their time spent online. Each day we have built into the schedule time to work on the computer for practical application of the things learned that day. The course will cover organizing computers and digital filing; effectively searching the Internet, online databases and records repositories; and technology tools that enhance the research experience such as spreadsheets, tables, timelines, maps, and foreign language translation. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a research plan or project and discuss whether or not a complex research problem can be solved solely online utilizing the tools learned throughout the week.

Requirements:
Students must bring a laptop (preferred) or mobile device on which to practice new skills in class. Students should have existing accounts for tools that will be used in the class, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, FamilySearch, Ancestry, Scrivener, Word, and Excel. The course will not address specific types of hardware and operating systems. Examples will be given on a Windows laptop, demonstrating concepts which can be used across various platforms and software types.

Optional:
Students may bring specific examples of past online problems that they want to explore. Internet service (Wi-Fi) will be provided at the facility; however, students may elect to bring their own Wi-Fi hotspots to ensure personal connectivity.

Registration opens July 9th! See http://ugagenealogy.org/aem.php?lv=p&epg=118 for more details.

Interested in Norwegian, Danish or Icelandic Research?

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic roots! This January you have the opportunity to study with Elaine Hazleton and Jeffrey M. Svare and learn more about the records available to you to help further your family research.

Registration opens July 9th. Classes fill quickly be sure and register early.

Click here for more information.

Wondering What To Do With Your DNA Results?

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is a great place to come when you are looking to perfect your DNA skills.  You will spend a week learning from Genetic Genealogist, CeCe Moore, where you will learn how this all applies to your family tree.

I enjoy studying DNA with CeCe, she is an engaging instructor who patiently helps us solve the exercises in her class. I always come away with a better understanding.

Registration opens on July 9th. Classes fill quickly so be sure to register early.

Virginia, Anyone??

Barbara Vines Little is coming to Salt Lake to enlighten us about resources available for Virginia researchers. Take this opportunity to study in depth with this amazing woman.  For more information click here.

Registration opens July 9th! Classes fill quickly be sure to register early.

NARA, Library of Congress, DAR, Hoorary!

Learn what records are available in Washington DC. This class will help familiarize you with resources available at The National Archives, the Library of Congress and the Daughters of the American Revolution Library that you can access via the internet. These archives are rich in resources to help in telling your ancestors story. Be sure to check out this amazing class offered this year at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

For more information please click here.

Registration opens July 9! Classes fill quickly so be sure and register early.

SLIG 2017 Highlight: DNA Bootcamp

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) is delighted to welcome back CeCe Moore as a coordinator for a new course in 2017! 

"DNA Bootcamp" is for those who have learned the fundamentals of genetic genealogy and are now ready to dig in and put their education to work. 

This fast-paced course will not only expand upon your knowledge, but will also explore online company tools and third party sites through exercises and hands-on practice in the computer lab.

Please note that this course has the following prerequisites: Attendees must have a strong grasp of foundational genetic genealogy concepts and access to autosomal DNA results from all three DNA testing companies (AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA and 23andMe). Completion of any of the institute genetic genealogy courses will be good preparation for DNA Bootcamp (as long as you applied what you learned after the course ended). 

For those who have experience working with DNA for genealogical purposes, but have not attended an institute course, exceptions can be made by submitting an essay to the instructor detailing your proficiency in this subject.

Registration for 2017 SLIG opens on July 9th! For more information on the institute, seehttp://ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=408.

Questions About Your New England Research?

Researching in New England? Have questions about what records are available that can help you with that research? "Diving Deeper into New England" is a class you should consider. Josh Taylor will be demonstrating tools for in depth research in New England. You will also have an opportunity for personal consultations to help move your research forward.

Click here for more information.

Registration opens July 9th. This class will fill quickly so mark your calendars!

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Researching Ancestors from Overseas

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) is delighted to have John Philip Colletta coordinating his course "Settlers in the New World and Immigrants to a New Nation: Researching Ancestors from Overseas" in 2017. John is a dynamic speaker who entertains and educates his students.

This course explores sources and methods for reconstructing the lives of ancestors who came from foreign lands. From the 1590s, when Europeans first settled in territory that would become the Southwest and Florida, through the British colonial period of the 17th and 18th centuries, to the newcomers of every nationality, hue and creed who made the United States their home in the 19th and 20th centuries, this course embraces the panorama of immigration history.

Issues discussed include: discovering and locating the town of origin overseas; leaving home, crossing an ocean, and reaching the place of settlement; putting down roots; ferreting out biographical detail that personalizes each immigrant’s experience; and preparing for research in European records to trace family lines back in the Old Country.

John Colletta along with Joshua Taylor exploit an exciting panoply of online, microfilm, print and original sources to provide practical instruction, helpful tips, and individual counsel.

You can also find John Colletta speaking at the Association of Personal Historians Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference is being held from October 23-27, 2016. For more information see: thehttp://www.personalhistorians.org/conference/c2016/annual_conference.php.

In less than a month, registration for SLIG will begin! See http://ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=413 for more information.

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Researching your Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic Ancestors

Elaine Hazleton and Jeffrey M. Svare are accredited genealogists with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. They have combined their expertise to co-coordinate this course, which will discuss not only the most-frequently used records such as the church and census, but it will also include in-depth instruction into the probate and court, taxation, land and property, military, minorities, and DNA resources. 

Additional information will be shared about local organizations, National Archives online catalogs, as well as Scandinavian-American organizations and their record availability. Case studies regarding the use of these records will provide an in-depth knowledge you have never had before! They have also tapped the expertise of Finn Karlsen, retired, Norwegian Regional Archives, Trondheim, Norway, who will also be providing instruction.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic roots!

Registration opens July 9th. See http://ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=413 for more information on the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

Get Ready! Registration Opens in One Month!

 Registration is one month away! Are you prepared? 

 Have you chosen which course to attend? Better yet, have you chosen a back-up? Some of the courses will fill up quite fast on registration day, so it is wise to have a back-up course in the wings if need be. We are very excited to offer these 14 courses for your choosing, and such a broad range too! From DNA to Social History, to the more traditional, we have it all.

 Registration opens Saturday, 9 July 2016 at 9:00 MDT, so mark your calendars and set your watches!

 Visit our webpage for more details at

www.slig.ugagenealogy.org

Download the 2017 flyer - Full Page

Property, Pensions, Estates, Oh MY!

If topics such as court records, estate laws, legislative records, pensions and property laws fill you with more questions than answers.Than come and study 

with Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL 

and Richard G Sayre,  CG, CGL, FUGA, this January. 

You will study in depth the information available in court and legislative records and gain an understanding in how they will help you to solve questions in your family trees.

This class will fill quickly, registration opens July 9th.   

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Researching in Washington, D.C.

Researching in bunny slippers! That is the beauty researching without leaving home.

Pamela Boyer Sayre is the coordinator for this course, which presents some of the massive resources that are available in Washington, DC-area and other federal repositories and how to access many of them through the Family History Library (FHL), websites, and published sources.

Records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Library of Congress (LC), the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library, and many other repositories will be explored. Students will learn to use finding aids, online catalogs, websites, interlibrary loan, and the holdings of the FHL to find, analyze, and understand federal records spanning the eighteenth to twenty-first centuries.

From her website, Sayre and Sayre, Pamela Boyer Sayre, Certified Genealogist, Certified Genealogical Lecturer, and Utah Genealogical Association Fellow. She is former director of education and publications for the National Genealogical Society and a former board member of both NGS and the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Find out more about her at http://www.sayreandsayre.com.

SLIG 2017 Course Coordinators on Legacy Family Tree Webinars

 Legacy Family Tree Webinars is a great resource for genealogist with an array of genealogical topics broadcasted weekly. Each Wednesday (and sometimes Fridays & Saturdays) Geoff Rasmussen hosts the live hour and a half episode including questions from the viewers. This is FREE to you! If you would like the handouts and access to hundreds of past webinars then, you can sign up for a yearly subscription for a small fee. Legacy Family Tree Webinars has top genealogists providing topics that range from pre-1850 census records and vital records research to early land records and New England research, and hundreds more, too many to name here.

 SLIG is proud to have four of our 2017 course coordinators appearing on Legacy Family Tree Webinars this year. They include Gena Philibert-Ortega (twice!), John Philip Colletta, Thoms W. Jones, and Judy G. Russell. We encourage you to sign up for these FREE webinars and broaden your genealogical learning.

• Gena Philibert-Ortega; "Researching Women - Community Cookbooks and What They Tell Us About Our Ancestors", Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Info and registration here.

• John Philip Colletta; "The Germanic French - Researching Alsatian and Lorrainian Families", Saturday, July 30, 2016. Info and registration here.

• Thomas W. Jones; "Solutions for Missing and Scarce Records", Saturday, July 30, 2016. Info and registration here.

• Judy G. Russell; "The Treasure Trove in Legislative Petitions", Wednesday, September 14, 2016. Info and registration here.

• Gena Philibert-Ortega; "Social History Websites That Bring Your Ancestor's Story to Life", Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Info and registration here.

Where will I find the information I need?

Need help finding and understanding records? Want to take your research beyond unsourced online trees?

This course is an overview of records available to help you solve the mysteries in your family trees. Learn strategies to help you locate the records you need and receive help in understanding what you find.  

Registration opens July 9th.

Puzzled about going to the next level? This is the class for you.

If you are ready to learn advanced methods for genealogical research, this is the class for you.

I had been researching about 25 years when I stumbled upon the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). Having collected a lot of records, this class helped me to take the next step beyond collection to analysis and using that analysis to answer questions I had about my research.  It helped me to write up my findings so future generations won't have to redo all the work I have done.

This class always fills quickly so be sure to register early on July 9th.

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Virginia from the Colonial Period to the Civil War

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) is delighted to welcome Barbara Vines Little as a Coordinator for 2017. Barbara has been a professional researcher since 1982. She is a past president and director for the National Genealogical Society and a former president and governor for the Virginia Genealogical Society. 

This new course will focus on Virginia resources and the background information (law, social customs, geography, etc.) needed to properly interpret them. Substitutes for missing records, Virginia records in out-of-state repositories, and unique manuscript records in small, local repositories will be addressed. Emphasis will be placed on records available either online or through microfilm loan programs; however, researchers will also be introduced to records available only in manuscript form at either the local level or in larger research repositories.

Prior Virginia research experience is not needed, but attendees with at least intermediate general research experience will gain the most from the presentations.

If you have Virginia ancestors, you will not want to miss this course! Registration opens on July 9th.

SLIG 2017 Highlight: Taking Your Research to the Next Level

Are you ready to take your research skills to the next level?

Paula Stuart-Warren and her expert team of instructors combined the most requested and acclaimed sessions from their past intermediate course series and combined them into one intermediate-level course. 

This is suited for learners beyond beginning stages, who have used online material extensively, aren’t quite ready for an advanced course, but hope to build toward that level.

Learn how to find and understand the records needed to complete missing family history details. Venture beyond online checks and relying on unsourced online trees. Learn about valuable records and strategies to locate them, the benefits of preparing research plans, and how to analyze findings. 

In-depth instruction on 19th--21st century U.S. resources and the methodology for using them prepare learners for more advanced courses. Hands-on experience and a homework project reinforce the lessons. Course instructors offer one-on-one consultations at the Family History Library. A computer lab provides guidance with your personal research.

Paula is a dedicated educator and has teaching genealogists how to elevate their skills at SLIG for over twenty years. She has been a Board-certified genealogist since 1988 and was awarded a fellowship from the Utah Genealogical Association in 2011. To learn more about Paula go to http://genealogybypaula.com.

Registration opens July 9th!