RootsTech SLIG Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to our RootsTech SLIG Giveaway Winners!

Visitors to SLIG's virtual booth at RootsTech last week were invited to enter one or both of two giveaways. We are pleased to announce the two recipients who were selected by random drawings:

• Paid tuition to participate in the Intermediate Foundations course at SLIG Fall Virtual 2022: Cynthia Hilomen of California.
• Early registration for any one course from among those offered at SLIG Fall Virtual 2022, SLIG 2023, or SLIG Academy for Professionals 2023: Karen Ramon of Massachusetts.

Didn't win? Didn't enter? Check out the scholarships providing tuition for upcoming SLIG events at SLIG Scholarship Opportunities. The deadline for applying for SLIG scholarships is May 1.

Curious to watch the random drawings in action? Find them here: 

SLIG at RootsTech 2022

Got questions about the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy? Get answers to all your questions at our virtual booth at RootsTech 2022 from March 3rd through 5th. SLIG committee members will be available live to talk with you about SLIG Fall Virtual 2022, SLIG 2023, and SLIG Academy 2023. Look for us at the RootsTech Virtual Expo Hall.

While you visit the SLIG virtual booth, be sure to enter one of this year's giveaways. Register for an opportunity to win:

• A guaranteed, tuition-paid seat in the Intermediate Foundations course taught by Annette Lyttle, MA, at SLIG Fall Virtual 2022; or
• A guaranteed seat in the course of your choice at SLIG Fall Virtual 2022, SLIG 2023, or SLIG Academy 2023. This prize does not include the tuition, simply the opportunity to register early for the course of your choice and skip the registration day rush.

Not signed up for RootsTech 2022 yet? It's entirely virtual this year! Check out all the details at RootsTech online. See you there!

SLIG 2022 Sponsor Highlight: FamilySearch

SLIG Night at the Family History Library has been a longstanding SLIG tradition. This year, David Rencher, Lynn Turner, and the FHL staff provided us with an online night at the FHL, including a virtual tour of the library highlighting recent enhancements.

Highlights from the opening plenary:

• David Rencher, FHL Director and FamilySearch Chief Genealogical Officer, spoke about some of the changes necessitated by COVID shutdowns and protocols. FHL has a new set of webpages and has made their lookup service and research helps available remotely.
• Lynn Turner, FHL Assistant Director, led viewers on a virtual tour of the library and provided additional details;
• The FHL webpage quickly updates information about changing hours, closures, etc. (http://www.familysearch.org/en/family-history-library/) 
• FHL relaunched its previously discontinued lookup service on 24 May 2021. Over 38,000 lookups were done for remote clients between that date and the end of the year. (https://www.familysearch.org/en/family-history-library/family-history-library-records-look-up-service).
• Information about online consultations is available on the webpage under "Research Help." (https://familysearch.org/en/family-history-library/family-history-library-research-consultations)
• Over 50,000 books have been brought out of storage and shelved on the third floor–mostly family histories.
• Height-adjustable workstations and more book scanners headline changes to the research environment within the library.
• The scanning operations center is working on scanning and getting online about 30,000 public domain family histories.

Highlights from the breakout sessions:

• General Topics (David Rencher and Lynn Turner):
• RootsTech
• RootsTech will be virtual in 2022 with over 1,200 presentations, including many in international languages. (https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/next/)
• Registrants will have free access to all sessions through the end of 2022.
• Future RootsTech formats are difficult to predict, with a hybrid format possible.
• Offering RootsTech virtually extends its reach much farther than is possible in person.
• Last year, about 5,000 research consultations were done during the RootsTech week. This year, the target is to do 8,000 consultations.
• On-the-ground teams have intentionally sought out presenters in other parts of the world.
• Collections (Bria Corry and Natalie Reese):
• The collections team includes six to seven full-time employees, some interns, and volunteers.
• The book digitization team is moving in-house to the FHL, hoping to digitize 10,000 books this year.
• Anyone can donate a book, PDF, or Word document. Societies sometimes make large donations. (https://www.familysearch.org/en/family-history-library/donations-page#literary-donations)
• Items in off-site storage can be requested to be pulled for use. Those items then remain in the library.
• International–B1 and B2 floors (Debbie Gurtler and Raymon Naisbitt):
• It doesn't matter which floor you are on; you can request a specialist from any geographic area, and they will come to you.
• The international reference section has been consolidated on one floor.
• All maps are now in one location on B1.
• U.S./Canada–2nd and 3rd floors (Jason Harrison and Todd Knowles):
• Statewide census books and family genealogies are back on shelves.
• Almost everything is on the shelves, though some rare or unusual books are in Special Collections.
• FHL is revisiting agreements, as many contracts were made before digitizing technologies.

We greatly appreciate the efforts of the FHL staff in making this virtual visit possible and FamilySearch for their ongoing support of SLIG as a course sponsor.

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David Rencher, CG, AG, FIGRS, FUGA, is Director of the Family History Library and Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. A professional genealogist since 1977, he is one of the rare few who have earned both credentials: Accredited Genealogist with ICAPGen in Ireland research and Certified Genealogist with the Board for Certification of Genealogists. He is the Irish course coordinator and instructor for the Institute of Genealogical Research (IGHR), the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and the British Institute of the International Society of British Genealogy and Family History. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a BA in Family and Local History. He has served as a member, a director, and/or an officer of a multitude of genealogical organizations. David has been named a fellow by the Utah Genealogical Association and the Irish Genealogical Research Society.

Lynn Turner, AG, is Assistant Director of the Family History Library. Lynn graduated with a BA in Family History and Genealogy from Brigham Young University with an emphasis in Spain and Latin America. He is an Accredited Genealogist through ICAPGen in Spain research.

SLIG at RootsTech 2019

Come visit us at RootsTech this February 27^th. through March 2^nd. We will be at booth 1516 to talk about our great line up for 2020. Have questions? Never been to an institute before? We have all the answers. 

Want to hear some of our SLIG 2019 instructors in action? They’ll be presenting at RootsTech too. Visit RootsTech online for a complete schedule.

SLIG 2019 Instructors at RootsTech 2019

Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD

Angie Bush, MS

Anne Gillespie Mitchell

Stephanie Saylor

Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS

Paul Woodbury

Visit Us at RootsTech 2018!

Vist us at booth 1207 / 9

  The annual RootsTech genealogy conference is happening Feb. 28-Mar. 3, 2018 and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy will be there too! Please stop by our large booth and talk to us about our exciting 2019 courses. Lots of choices and we are premiering “SLIG Academy for Professionals” the week immediately following SLIG.

  Our booth is easily found just inside the main entrance to the Expo Hall to the right of the Find My Past area. See you there!

Come visit us!

Several SLIG 2019 and SLIG Academy Course-Coordinators will be at this year’s conference and we highly recommend attending their classes.

 Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

• 9:30 am “That First Trip to the Courthouse” Ballroom B 

• 1:30 pm “Picture This! Images We Can Freely Use” Ballroom J

 Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

• 3:00 pm “Finding your Land in the West—Online resources” Room 155E

Thursday, March 1, 2018

• 11:00 am “Mapping tools—The Geo-Referencing Revolution” Ballroom F

• 1:30 pm “The National Archives Website—Much More than you expected” Ballroom I

D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

• 9:30 am “Big Data: Buzz Word or Family History Revolution?” Ballroom F

• 3:00 pm “Records - different sizes, types and names” Room 155B

Thursday, March 1, 2018

• 11:00 am “Call to Action: Diversity in Family History Tech” Room 250D

Paul Woodbury

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

• 11:00 am “How Close Are We Really? Evaluating Shared DNA” Ballroom J

Thursday, March 1, 2018

• 3:00 pm “On Target: DNA Testing Plans” Ballroom J

Friday, March 2, 2018

• 4:30 pm “"Looks Like We’re Cousins": DNA Collaboration” Ballroom F

Angela Packer McGhie, CG

Friday, March 2, 2018

• 11:00 am “Alternative Sources for Vital Events” Ballroom F

Saturday, March 3, 2018

• 1:30 pm “Beyond Population: Using Special Census Schedules” Room 255B

Angie Bush, MS

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

• 3:00 pm “You’ve Taken a DNA Test, Now What?” Ballroom E

Thursday, March 1, 2018

• 12:00 pm “DNA User Experience Stories” 23&Me Demo Theater

• 1:30 pm “Your DNA Support System” Room 155E

Friday, March 2, 2018

• 1:30 pm “(LAB) From Click to DNA Connection” Room 251B

• 4:30 pm “(LAB)Try Your Hand At Genetic Genealogy” Room 251B

Saturday, March 3, 2018

• 11:00 am “Connecting Your DNA Matches” Room 250D

• 1:30 pm “DNA: What’s new and what’s next” Room 155E

Times and locations subject to change. Please visit the RootsTech App for current information. Official RootsTech website here.

Visit Us at RootsTech 2017!

 Do you have questions about our upcoming courses? We will be at RoorsTech all week to answer those and any other questions you may have. Please visit us in the Expo Hall at booth 1429/1528 (near the Demo Theater) and discover how you can elevate your genealogical education to new heights!

RootsTech Expo Hall