2022 SLIG Wrap Up Keynote: "Coping with Covid and Genealogical Research–Flexibility Needed"–Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

The theme for 2022 SLIG has been "Flexibility," taking its cue from Genealogy Standard 16. (Board for Certification of Genealogists, Genealogy Standards, second edition revised [Nashville: Ancestry, 2021], p. 14.) Rick Sayre's keynote at the 2022 SLIG Wrap-Up Event spoke to that theme.

Highlights of the keynote address included:

• Genealogists repeatedly add to and otherwise modify their research plans, meeting Genealogy Standard 16 on flexibility.
• The Covid pandemic has changed much. Many have struggled over the last two years pursuing their genealogical research. Yet the Genealogy Standards and the Genealogy Proof Standard are enduring. Genealogists must find ways to meet those standards in their research.
• The Board for Certification of Genealogists has certified and renewed certification during the pandemic at a pace comparable to earlier years. People are finding ways to achieve quality research despite challenges in records access.
• While we might love attending onsite institutes, we might actually get a more comprehensive educational experience in the flexibility of a virtual offering. Moreover, holding institutes virtually permit more persons to attend than might be possible otherwise.
• Rick personally changed his mindset when asked to transition to a virtual course. He asked, How can the rest of the faculty and I offer this experience virtually and ensure it meets instructional objectives? He would not offer a course if it could not be done well.
• To the degree that instructional objectives were met at SLIG 2022, that was due to the flexibility of SLIG, the SLIG staff, faculty, and, importantly, students.
• Rick gave an example from his own research illustrating guidance from the Genealogy Standard regarding flexibility.
• He provided several examples of what genealogists can do to further their research to meet the flexibility expected by Genealogy Standard 16. These include:
• Become proficient in online research.
• Seek out research partners, such as one's spouse, DNA cousins, or the staff of local societies and archives.
• Read peer-reviewed journals.
• Join or form a study group.
• Exploit webinar archives, such as the Legacy Family Tree Webinars collection.

We greatly appreciate Rick's keynote presentation and his gracious flexibility in reworking his maps course for a virtual setting.

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Richard G. Sayre, CG. CGL, FUGA, is a long-time genealogical researcher and instructor. He coordinated and taught in advanced methodology, land, military, and beginning courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research from 2003 to 2017. Rick co-coordinates advanced land courses with Pam Sayre and legal courses with Judy Russell at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. He is an instructor at the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records. He also lectures at national conferences and presents nationwide seminars. Rick's areas of expertise include the records of the National Archives, Irish research, land records, government documents, federal land law, military records, and urban research.