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 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.

 

SLIG Registration Series: Academy 2021 Step by Step

As promised, here is the step-by-step guide to Academy registration for 2021.

You won't have time to read it as you go if you want to get a seat. Better to review it now, then be ready to go before the countdown clock turns green at 10:00 am on August 15th (Mountain Time). The rest should be intuitive.

1. Go to sligregistration.ugagenealogy.org and log in with your username and password. Arrive early and watch the countdown clock. 

2. No need to refresh; it changes to the green "register now" button automatically. But fair warning, if you have been on the page a long time, your browser might feel the need to kick you out; in that case, you might want to refresh about 5 minutes before we open.

3. Click on the green "Register Now" button. No image needed, right?

Note the navigation menu on the left-hand side. If you are not sure where you are, the menu colors change as you progress.

4. Select the course(s) you desire to take. Limit two at the time of registration. If your course of interest is full, you may select "waitlist only" to get to page 2.

Important: Don't waste your time trying to select more than 2 courses on page one. You will get this message and waste valuable time returning to change your selections!

5. Waitlist any course(s) desired. Note only those that are full will be accessible. 

6. Miscellaneous items:

• Optional: Select a printed/mailed syllabus IF you want one.
• Optional: Contribute to the SLIG scholarship fund if desired.
• Optional: Add yourself to the master participant list or invitations list.
• Required: you must agree with the policies or you can get off this page!

7. Review your selections - but do it quickly. Your order is still not saved!

You must click on "next" to save your selections to the database.

At any point in time before you click on "next" the course of choice could be filling from other requests. I know this sounds odd, but just know that once the course is full, one can't select it. That last seat, however, could be getting attention from many until that time. So, review quickly, and click "Next"!!!!

8. You have arrived at the Finish Line! Congratulations.

This "Payment" page is final. No surprises. What you see is what you will get.

Waitlisted items: Notice the course I waitlisted on page 2 is listed at the top. If you haven't waitlisted anything, that section will be empty.

The order: This should include discounts per course and for multiple courses, and all other items requested. Please review for accuracy. Take your time here. This is set in stone until you request otherwise. 

Please email the registrar if you need changes, or if accurate, click on the PayPal button or exit and send a check.

Note: At any time you can obtain this same information on your registration dashboard:

• Invoices will give you the full outline with payment information.
• Waitlist Summary will give you everything for which you are waitlisted - in all programs.

9. The notice you don't want to see, but might: "Sorry, some of your selections . . . "

If a course you selected was full by the time you clicked on that "next" button on the summary page, then you will be automatically waitlisted in that course, and it will be added to the list at the top - which includes any you selected on page 2.

Any course still available will be outlined below as usual. So, in this example:

• One course was waitlisted on page 2 because it was already full.
• One course was waitlisted because I selected it and it became full between then and now.
• One course was available and the appropriate discount is applied.

We look forward to "seeing" you in the registration queue!

Academy for Professionals 2021 Registration - Key Points

Repairs complete.  Waitlist auto-placement upon lost course working. Enhanced communication upon exiting. More specificity about discounts and syllabus purchases. What more could anyone want? 

How about a step by step "How do I register for the Academy" quickly and accurately? Or in other words, "Where not to dawdle and why!"

What you absolutely must know! 

• Two-course limit: Seating is extremely limited. Registration is limited to two courses on registration day through Tuesday.
• May I take more? Yes, if seats are available on Wednesday following registration. 
• How? You may waitlist additional courses of interest if they are full on the form or via the add/drop function on your dashboard. You may also email the registrar that you want a third or fourth course if they are not yet full. We will date/time-stamp everything and take requests in the order received. 
• Discounts: UGA membership discounts applyper course. The multi-course discount applies only once.
• Syllabus: Syllabus purchases are allowed only for the course for which you are registered. This seems obvious, but just in case, you won't be able to select others. In the event you are waitlisted instead of placed in a course, the syllabus might not be removed from the order. In that event, please exit without paying and let us know to remove it.
• Don't Dawdle. Click "Next" on Page 4 (Summary): Your course requests are not saved in the database until you click "Next" on the "Summary" page.  
• Be decisive: While using "previous" and "next" to go back and review and think is nice, you are losing valuable seconds or even minutes if you are in the early race at 10:00 am. Best advice? Just get the course(s) you want and run! You can always email the registrar to update something, like add a syllabus or a scholarship donation.
• Payment Page: This is the extra communication promised. The answers on this page are firm, saved, in stone, no surprises pending. Your courses are saved, and/or waitlisted if you didn't grab it fast enough. If this page is accurate, just click on PayPal or exit and send a check. If not, please email the registrar for assistance with modifications.
• Still Not Quick Enough? If a course fills between the time you select it on page one of the form and you reach the Payment page, you will be automatically waitlisted at the exact time (to the second) that you clicked "Next" on the Summary page. Remember, that is the magical button. It saves your order to the database. It also saves your waitlist time! And we know on waitlists, seconds can be crucial.
• Yes,  you will be invited to attend some of the SLIG events, and register for SLIG Extended. That information won't be coming until September.

If you need more, there is a step by step guide coming next. But don't waste time reading it as you register. Read it first, then register quickly. It is fairly intuitive. Really!

We hope to "see" you in the Academy.

Registration Opens Saturday, August 8 for SLIG and SLIG Academy 2021!

Registration opens Saturday, August 8 at 10:00 am MDT for SLIG and for the Academy at 2:00 pm MDT.
You can register for a course for each week of SLIG and for as many of the Academy courses as you wish.

The system is up and ready for you to review your account – or set up a new one if you haven't attended SLIG recently. Just click here.

Right off the bat, you will notice it is now a shared Utah Genealogical Association & Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy registration site. We are pleased to streamline our efforts. So, while you are logged in to register for SLIG, consider attending the UGA Summit of Excellence as well!

If you need to set up an account, you will find instructions on this page.

If you have attended anytime since Fall 2018, you already have an account. We kindly request that you take a minute to log in to update your account profile information as several changes have taken place.

To do so, please click on "Contact Info" then "Edit Profile."

Please note the following items that need your attention:

• Name Badge and Certificate Names: The Name Badge field should no longer include postnominals or titles. These are most appropriate to be included on your certificate. While you are reviewing, please also check spelling and capitalization.
• Dietary Preferences: Your account now maintains valuable information about your dietary preferences. If you attended in 2020, your information was captured from your SLIG registration. Please review and update as needed. "Other" may be used if you have multiple allergies or concerns. It will provide a text box to enter details. These selections will apply to all meals selected with registration (clearly now a 2022 issue, but let's get it all tidied up now).
• Disability Services: Our accommodations list now requests you to check if you need "Wheelchair or Scooter Access" even if you don't require assistance getting around. This helps us prepare the classroom, and make sure we have a handicapped-accessible shuttle. Closed captioning is now an option that may be checked to notify us of hearing impairments for virtual courses. "Other" provides a text box for multiple services. When applicable, our committee will reach out to confirm your needs and ensure we are prepared to take good care of you.
• Our Policies: The Privacy Policy and Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct policy have both been slightly modified. We encourage you to read through them again. Of note:
• Where SLIG was solely listed, we now refer to both UGA and SLIG so the policy may be jointly utilized.
• Where protection of copyright is addressed, we have specifically added language addressing screen captures of any kind in a virtual environment.

We'll "see" you virtually soon!

SLIG Academy 2021- Course 4: Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy

SLIG Academy for Professionals has gone virtual for 2021!
Each class has it's own day and time, so registering for more than one is an option.

Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy coordinated by Catherine B.W. Desmarais. CG will be offered Wednesdays, 5:00–8:00 pm MT, 10 February through 7 April 2021.

This course will explore the field of Forensic Genealogy. Business practices, work products, and best practices will be addressed. Types of work engaged in by Forensic Genealogists perform and the necessary skills will be presented.

Other instructors in this course include:

• Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD
• Angie Bush, MS
• Kelvin L. Meyers
• Michael S. Ramage, JD, CG

For more information on this course, prerequisites, and class schedule click here.

Registration for SLIG Academy 2021 begins on Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 pm MDT.

See you at the Academy!

SLIG Academy 2021- Course 3:The Path to Accreditation and Certification

SLIG Academy for Professionals has gone virtual for 2021!
Each class has it's own day and time, so registering for more than one is an option.

The Path to Accreditation and Certification coordinated by Paul H. Graham, AG, CG, CGL will be offered Wednesdays, 11:00 am–2:00 pm MT, 10 February through 7 April 2021.
This course will provide an in-depth look at the two U.S. based credentialing bodies. Students will learn the common skills needed for both and discuss the differences between the two. A hands-on approach will be used to build skills in the required areas for credentialing.

Others instructors in the course are:

• Paul Gorry, MAGI, FSG, FIGRS
• Allen Peterson, AG, CG
• Mauri Pratt, AG, CG
• Scott Wilds, CG

For more information about this course, prerequisites, assigned readings, and schedule click here.

Registration for SLIG Academy 2021 begins on Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 pm MDT.

See you at the Academy!

SLIG Academy 2021- Course 2: Teaching Genealogy Classes in Your Community

SLIG Academy for Professionals has gone virtual for 2021!
Each class has it's own day and time, so registering for more than one is an option.


Teaching Genealogy Classes in Your Community coordinated by Katherine Willson will be offered
Thursdays, 5:00–7:45 pm MT, 11 February through 8 April 2021.
The goal of this course is to enable advanced genealogists to understand how to provide educational classes in their communities. Students will be learning how to design, plan, and market classes. Financial planning and communication styles will also be addressed.

Other instructors in this course include:

• Daniel A. Earl, MS
• Nichelle Barra

For more information on the course, requirements and schedule click here.

Registration for SLIG Academy 2021 begins on Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 pm MDT.

See you at the Academy!

SLIG Academy 2021- Course 1: Writing and Documenting for Peer Review

SLIG Academy for Professionals has gone virtual for 2021!
Each class has it's own day and time, so registering for more than one is an option.

Course 1: Writing and Documenting for Peer Review coordinated by Karen Mauer Jones, CG, FGBS, FUGA  will meet Thursdays, 10:00 am–2:00 pm MT, 11 February through 15 April 2021.

This intermediate to advanced course will take a look at the peer-review process to help students understand how to conform to standards to successfully submit work to scholarly journals and credentialing bodies that are consistent and high quality.

Other instructors in this course include:
Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
Angela Packer McGhie, CG
Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

For more information on the course, prerequisites recommended reading, preparation for the course, and class schedule click here.

Registration for SLIG Academy 2021 begins on Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 pm MDT.

See you at the Academy!