SLIG Store Highlights

Many have been asking when the SLIG Store would open. After all, the shopping season is beyond "upon us." 

2020 hasn't made it any easier. Since Covid-19 has affected everything from holiday parties to company incentive plans, suppliers have been inundated with increased orders for months. Naturally, the crunch continued right into December, when we normally take inventory and order new items! Whoops!

Our local supplier/warehouse/store management team is doing the best they can. Lesson learned: open the store in March next year :) Or at least in August when registration opens, whether Covid is under control or not!

Status?

The store is open: SLIG.axomo.com

Is it perfect? I've given up on waiting for that moment. There are still a few more inventory corrections and a missing photo. But . . . we are open anyway.

What's new?

How about a portable Green Screen that straps onto your office chair when needed and stores in a SLIG2021 bag when not? Or perhaps new ways to charge your phones, an apron to wear or cutting board to use to prepare those home goodies to eat during class, great new mugs, and all kinds of apparel options in a variety of colors! To find these items, browse the "On-Demand Items" and "Featured Items" sections. 

What's on Sale?

There are a few items on "Close-out." We've reduced the price on a handful of "vintage" items like the credit card size USB with a former SLIG logo. Also in this section are those items of which we literally only have one (1) remaining in stock. (So, if you don't find your size, check the on-demand section.)

When will I receive my order?

Items in "In-Stock, Ready to Ship," and "Featured Items" are SLIG-owned and already branded. They will be pulled from inventory when you order and shipped out immediately. Sizes are limited. Since we aren't meeting in person in January, we have not restocked on favorites since they can be purchased one at a time in the on-demand section if needed.  

Items in "On-Demand," are currently taking about 7-10 days to prepare: order or pull from warehouse inventory, add the logo, and package for shipping. Shipping options include everything from ground to expedited. Due to the increased demand this year, we can't promise a specific delivery timeline, but we suggest the following if using a two-day shipping option, sooner if ground:

• To receive by SLIG Week 1: Order no later than Dec. 28
• To receive by SLIG Week 2: Order no later than Jan. 11
• To receive by the Academy: Order no later than Jan. 25

Green Screens: These haven't yet arrived at the warehouse. The expected ship from supplier to the warehouse date is Dec. 28th so getting one to you in time for SLIG Week 1 may be a bit tight, but we believe it is still possible since once received, they just need to be prepared for shipping. 

Workshop Highlight: Using Google MyMaps

Using Google's MyMaps as a Research and Analysis Tool

Cari A. Taplin, CG

Learn to use Google's "My Maps" as a research and analysis tool including how to create custom maps, tips for genealogical applications, and real-life examples. This workshop includes interactive in-class exercises to walk students through the creation of custom maps, drawing shapes, dropping and labeling pins, measurement tools, adding photos, and more.

Pre-requisites: Please create a Google account and/or know your login information prior to class. We will not have time to go over how to set up an account in class. This is the page to sign up for a new account: https://accounts.google.com.  The process is simple; you can read more about it here: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en.

Days/times: Two sessions will be available from which to choose on Tuesday, January 19, 2021; from 8:30 to 12:00 noon and from 1:30 to 5:00 pm, Mountain Standard Time.

Registration is open to anyone currently registered for SLIG 2021 or the SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021. See additional details about SLIG Extended events at slig.ugagenealogy.org. 

Cari A. Taplin, CG

Cari is related to Roy Rogers. Or at least that's what her family told her. As a result, finding her true heritage has been her focus since the year 2000. She is a native of Wood County, Ohio but now lives in Longmont, Colorado. Cari holds the Certified Genealogist credential and has served in a wide variety of volunteer and leadership positions for state, local, and national societies. 

She currently serves as the Secretary for the Association for Professional Genealogists (APG) and as the President of the Lone Star Chapter of APG. As the owner of GenealogyPANTS, she provides speaking services. Cari's personal research focuses on midwestern and Great Lakes states. When she's not working on her genealogy, she is a wife and mother of two teenagers. 

Workshop Highlight: Tools for Analyzing and Visualizing

Tools for Analyzing & Visualizing Family History and DNA Networks

Kimberly Powell

Network analysis and visualization–commonly used in areas such as social media analysis, biology/medicine, and business data analytics–offers exciting possibilities for exploring ancestral connections and making sense of DNA matches. Join us as we explore the basics of network analysis, including the ways that software can be utilized to explore and better visualize relationships, connections, and clusters (networks, FAN clubs) in our family history and DNA data. 

Through short demos followed by implementation periods, we'll practice using the free open-source Gephi software to create a cluster network from your own documentary or DNA data.

If you don't want to actually try the software yourself and prefer to watch and follow along you are also welcome! We're also going to discuss how to create and organize a spreadsheet to collect data for future network analysis which will also serve as an alternative activity to use for the implementation periods.

Pre-requisites: Students should have Gephi (free; available for Mac OS, Windows, or Linux) installed and working on their computer prior to the workshop. Instructions will be sent after registration Gephi can be fairly computer resource-intensive, as is Zoom, so while you should be able to run both simultaneously on the same computer, having a second computer or tablet available for Zoom is ideal. 

Days/times: Two sessions are available from which to choose – Tuesday, January 19, 2021, from 1:30 to 5:00 pm and Thursday, January 21, 2021, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm, Mountain Standard Time.

Registration is open to anyone currently registered for SLIG 2021 or the SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021. See additional details about SLIG Extended events at slig.ugagenealogy.org. 

Kimberly T. Powell

Kimberly is a professional genealogist, author, educator, and volunteer. She is a past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists, serving seven years as a Director and on APG's Professional Development Committee. She is on the faculty of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and Boston University's Genealogical Research Certificate Program

Workshop Highlight: Organize and Write with Scrivener

Organize Your Research and Your Writing with Scrivener

Kimberly Powell

This hands-on workshop will teach you how to utilize Scrivener to help plan, organize, write, and publish your family research. We're going to walk through setting up your first Scrivener project through demonstrations interspersed with implementation periods and the chance to ask questions. Make 2021 the year you finally get your research organized with everything cross-referenced and available at your fingertips. We'll also get you started on the path of writing as you go!

Pre-requisites: Students should have Scrivener (either Mac OS or Windows) installed and working on their computer prior to the workshop. A free 30-day trial of Scrivener (30 days of actual use) is available; download instructions will be sent after registration.

Days/times: Two sessions are available from which to choose – Tuesday, January 19, 2021, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and Thursday, January 21, 2021, from 1:30 to 5:30 pm, Mountain Standard Time.

Registration is open to anyone currently registered for SLIG 2021 or the SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021. See additional details about SLIG Extended events at slig.ugagenealogy.org. 

Kimberly T. Powell

Kimberly is a professional genealogist, author, educator, and volunteer. She is a past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists, serving seven years as a Director and on APG's Professional Development Committee. She is on the faculty of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and Boston University's Genealogical Research Certificate Program

Workshop Highlight: Resume Building - on paper AND LinkedIn

Resume Building and Digital Presence

Janell Esplin

This workshop will dive into two aspects of building your professional resume – the one on paper AND your presence on LinkedIn.

In the first part of the workshop, we will discuss your professional genealogical resume. We will cover what counts as professional work and what doesn't. Our main focus is making you look good on paper. We will discuss how to present what you have done in genealogical research to show your research skills. At the end of the session, you should be well on your way to having a presentable resume to submit to a company.

The second part of the workshop will discuss your digital presence, focusing on LinkedIn. We will discuss why you should have a LinkedIn profile and how that can help you in your professional genealogical research career. 

Pre-requisites: Please come to this workshop with an up to date resume and with a LinkedIn profile created. (You might have to reset your password. Please do that before you attend.)

Days/times: This workshop is offered on Thursday, January 21, 2021. Two sessions are available from which to choose: 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, and 1:30 to 5:00 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Registration is open to anyone currently registered for SLIG 2021 or the SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021. See additional details about SLIG Extended events at slig.ugagenealogy.org. 

Janell Esplin

Janell is Talent Acquisition Manager at Ancestry. She leads a team of recruiters who actively support Ancestry’s Content, Emerging Business, DNA Operations and Member Services. She has been in the Talent Acquisition space for 5 years. She has brought over 50 genealogists to the Ancestry family and over 160 other openings across the organization. She has a passion for supporting her team and business partners to ensure that candidates have a great experience when working with Ancestry. 

Janell loves to help candidates find the right role at an amazing company, Ancestry. Prior to joining the Ancestry family, Janell was a Recreation Director in the human services field. Janell has a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences: Psychology from Utah Valley University. Janell currently serves on the Human Rights Community for a local residential facility, where she services as Chairman. She is an avid soccer fan and in her spare time loves to read and spend time with her family.

Workshop Highlight: Organizational Tools

Get Your Life Back: Organizational Tools for the Professional Genealogist

Jessica M. Taylor

This workshop will dive into tools to help you balance your work life AND succeed as a professional genealogist. We'll discuss scheduling and life balance tools, communication tools, project management, to-do lists, and more.

Our focus will be less on the organization of genealogy documents and more on the management of everything else related to your genealogy career.

Peg adds: it seems this workshop and the tools Jessica plans to cover would help any of us, whether doing client research or trying to manage our own research projects around an otherwise busy schedule!

Pre-requisites: none

Days/times: This workshop is offered on Thursday, January 21, 2021. Two sessions are available from which to choose: 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, and 1:30 to 5:00 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Registration is open to anyone currently registered for SLIG 2021 or the SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021. See additional details about SLIG Extended events at slig.ugagenealogy.org. 

Jessica M. Taylor

Jessica M. Taylor, President of Legacy Tree Genealogists since 2004, has helped thousands of clients across the globe discover more about their heritage through professional genealogy research. With a bachelor's degree in Family History – Genealogy, Spanish and Portuguese language proficiency, years of residence in China and Brazil, and a love of history and mystery, Jessica brings an upbeat global view to the genealogy business industry. Jessica currently serves as Vice president of the Genealogy Business Alliance, Treasurer of the Association of Genealogy Educators and Schools, is on the board of directors for the Archival Researchers Association and volunteers as a SCORE small business mentor.

Workshop Highlight: Land your Dream Job

Land Your Dream Job: Preparing to Apply for Professional Genealogy Positions

Elly Catmull and Christy Fillerup

Real-life advice on how to be hired by and succeed at a professional genealogy firm. We'll help you assess the skills you have and identify which areas to strengthen. We'll go over education and training options–what is the best path to a genealogy career? We'll deep dive into what makes a great cover letter and resume using your real-life examples. We'll help you choose the best sample reports to showcase your skills. You'll have an opportunity to take a sample research test and even practice interviewing. By the end of the workshop, you'll know what to expect from the interview process and we hope you'll feel confident and ready to pursue your genealogy career!

Pre-requisites: Please come prepared with a working draft copy of your cover letter and resume. Please also have one or two sample reports handy, if you have them. We'll send attendees a short research test to take before the workshop.

Days/times: This workshop is offered on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Two sessions are available from which to choose: 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, and 1:30 to 5:00 pm Mountain Standard Time.

Registration is open to anyone currently registered for SLIG 2021 or the SLIG Academy for Professionals 2021. See additional details about SLIG Extended events at slig.ugagenealogy.org. 

Elly Catmull

Currently the Director of Client Services at Legacy Tree Genealogists, Elly has been involved in hiring project managers, researchers, and editors over the nine years she’s been with the company. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Family History and Genealogy from BYU and providing job opportunities to genealogists has become one of the greatest joys of her life.

Christy Fillerup

As the Lead Research Team Manager, Christy oversees hiring professional genealogy researchers. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations with a minor in History. Her genealogy background also includes 15 years of professional research, seven years editing genealogy publications, and four years as SLIG Director. She is passionate about supporting fellow genealogists in their career goals.

SLIG Extended 2021: Workshops

We are pleased to announce the technical and professional workshops to be offered during SLIG 2021 Extended. We have selected a handful of our most popular topics over the past few years, along with some new ones, and are offering multiple sessions to hopefully accommodate demand.

Each workshop will be taught with periods of instruction followed by time to practice the skills and ask questions. Workshops last 3.5 hours and will include a short break. They will be delivered via Zoom on Tuesday, January 19, and Thursday, January 21, 2021.

Registration is open to anyone attending SLIG or the SLIG Academy for Professionals in 2021 and opens Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 12:00 noon Mountain Time at sligregistration.ugagenealogy.org.

Please review the schedule published below or on the website prior to registration.

Note: Sponsored events will be announced separately and will not require registration to attend.

Organize Your Research and Writing with Scrivener

Kimberly Powell

This hands-on workshop will teach you how to utilize Scrivener to help plan, organize, write, and publish your family research. We’re going to walk through setting up your first Scrivener project through demonstrations interspersed with implementation periods and the chance to ask questions. Make 2021 the year you finally get your research organized with everything cross-referenced and available at your fingertips. We’ll also get you started on the path of writing as you go! 

Pre-requisites: Students should have Scrivener (either Mac OS or Windows) installed and working on their computer prior to the workshop. A free 30-day trial of Scrivener (30 days of actual use) is available; download instructions will be sent after registration. 

Tools for Analyzing & Visualizing Family History and DNA Networks

Kimberly Powell

Network analysis and visualization—commonly used in areas such as social media analysis, biology/medicine, and business data analytics—offers exciting possibilities for exploring ancestral connections and making sense of DNA matches. Join us as we explore the basics of network analysis, including the ways that software can be utilized to explore and better visualize relationships, connections, and clusters (networks, FAN clubs) in our family history and DNA data. Through short demos followed by implementation periods, we’ll practice using the free, open-source Gephi software to create a cluster network from your own documentary or DNA data. 

Pre-requisites: Students should have Gephi (free; available for Mac OS, Windows, or Linux) installed and working on their computer prior to the workshop. Instructions will be sent after registration. Gephi can be fairly computer resource-intensive, as is Zoom, so while you should be able to run both simultaneously on the same computer, having a second computer or tablet available for Zoom is ideal. If you don’t want to actually try the software yourself and prefer to watch and follow along, you’re also welcome! We’re also going to discuss how to create and organize a spreadsheet to collect data for future network analysis which will also serve as an alternative activity to use for the implementation periods.

Using Google's MyMaps as a Research and Analysis Tool

Cari A. Taplin, CG

Learn to use Google's MyMaps as a research and analysis tool including how to create custom maps, tips for genealogical applications, and real-life examples. This workshop includes interactive in-class exercises to walk students through the creation of custom maps, drawing shapes, dropping and labeling pins, measurement tools, adding photos, and more.

Pre-requisites: Please create a Google account and/or know your login information prior to class. We will not have time to go over how to set up an account in class. This is the page to sign up for a new account: https://accounts.google.com. The process is simple. You can read about it here: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en.

Resume Building and Digital Presence

Janell Esplin

In this session, we will discuss your professional genealogical resume. We will cover what counts as professional work and what doesn't. Our main focus is making you look good on paper. We will discuss how to present what you have done in genealogical research to show your research skills. At the end of this session, you should be well on your way to having a presentable resume, to submit to a company. In the second part of this session, we will discuss your digital presence, focusing on LinkedIn. We will discuss why you should have a LinkedIn profile and how that can help you in your professional genealogical research career.

Pre-requisites: Please come to this session with an up-to-date resume and with a LinkedIn profile created. (You might have to reset your password. Please do that before you come to this session with that already done.)

Get Your Life Back: Organizational Tools for the Professional Genealogist

Jessica M. Taylor

This workshop will dive into tools to help you balance your work life AND succeed as a professional genealogist. We’ll discuss scheduling and life balance tools, communication tools, project management, to-do lists, and more. Our focus will be less on the organization of genealogy documents and more on the management of everything else related to your genealogy career. 

Land Your Dream Job: Preparing to Apply for Professional Genealogy Positions

Elly Catmull and Christy Fillerup

Real-life advice on how to be hired by and succeed at a professional genealogy firm. We'll help you assess the skills you have and identify which areas to strengthen. We'll go over education and training options–what is the best path to a genealogy career? We'll deep dive into what makes a great cover letter and resume using your real-life examples. We'll help you choose the best sample reports to showcase your skills. You'll have an opportunity to take a sample research test and even practice interviewing. By the end of the workshop, you'll know what to expect from the interview process and we hope you'll feel confident and ready to pursue your genealogy career!

Pre-requisites: Please come prepared with a working draft copy of your cover letter and resume. Please also have one or two sample reports handy, if you have them. We'll send attendees a short research test to take before the workshop.

SCHEDULE:

SLIG Extended Technical and Professional Workshops
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
8:30 - 12:00 pm	Organize Your Research and Writing with Scrivener (Kimberly Powell)	Using Google My Maps as a Research and Analysis Tool (Cari Taplin)	Land Your Dream Job: Preparing to Apply for Professional Genealogy Positions  (Elly Catmull and Christy Fillerup)
1:30 - 5:00 pm	Tools for Analyzing & Visualizing Family History and DNA Networks  (Kimberly Powell)	Using Google My Maps as a Research and Analysis Tool (Cari Taplin)	Land Your Dream Job: Preparing to Apply for Professional Genealogy Positions  (Elly Catmull and Christy Fillerup)
Thursday, January 21, 2021
8:30 - 12:00 pm	Resume Building and Digital Presence  (Janell Esplin)	Get Your Life Back: Organizational Tools for the Professional Genealogist (Jessica Taylor)	Tools for Analyzing & Visualizing Family History and DNA Networks  (Kimberly Powell)
1:30 - 5:00 pm	Resume Building and Digital Presence  (Janell Esplin)	Get Your Life Back: Organizational Tools for the Professional Genealogist (Jessica Taylor)	Organize Your Research and Writing with Scrivener (Kimberly Powell)

SLIG Theme 2021: Commitment to Excellence

Understatement: this past year has been a difficult one for most. We have faced a combination of challenges that many of us never thought we would see in our lifetime – from fires and earthquakes to civil unrest, financial upheaval, political turmoil, the pandemic, and more.*

And yet, I have seen some really amazing things during that time. Organizations have worked hard to ensure that we, as genealogists, continued to have quality education available. Instructors have pushed through personal challenges, from deaths in the family to long-hauler Covid-19 symptoms, to ensure students can continue to benefit from their expertise. Opportunities to attend conferences and institutes have become available to those normally unable to attend due to the cost of travel or other responsibilities. 

The transition to virtual isn’t an easy or smooth road for any organization. There are contractual obligations to navigate, numerous changes and decisions to make, and in our case, a few technical glitches and missed deadlines to sigh about. Thankfully, our amazing faculty graciously granted us the flexibility needed to manage the process. 

Beyond that, they went the extra mile to make 2021 something special.  Coordinators worked to revamp courses to better fit the technology, utilized the opportunity to bring in experts previously not available, and modified workshops and added instructors to ensure adequate virtual assistance. Coordinators and instructors have tackled the virtual change with eyes toward opportunity, not challenge, and responded with creativity to both technology changes and expansion requests. 

This consistent demonstration of their commitment to excellence—to providing the best possible education to each and every one of their students—is what makes SLIG a success and will likely make SLIG 2021 more memorable than most. To each of them, “Excellence is not an act, but a habit.”

And so, in spite of challenging times all around us, we come to SLIG to improve our skills, gain inspiration, and become more exceptional at what we do. In so doing, we benefit from the example of the experts who teach and mentor us, and their daily commitment to excellence. 

I hope we may be inspired to increase our commitment to excellence in our studies, research, community service, and professional work in a way that will strengthen us in spite of challenges that may lie ahead.

Peg Ivanyo, Director

*Disclaimer: these are the personal thoughts of an oft-behind and reflective director. Please do not take offense if I’ve missed an important event that affected your life, or could have used better wording to describe the very sad events of the year.