SLIG--Professional Paths and Income in Genealogy

The Professional Paths and Income in Genealogy course will be taught by Kory Meyerink, AG, MLS, FUGA along with: Natalie Cottrill; Leland K. Meitzler; Craig Scott, CG; Elissa Scalise Powell, CG; Paula Stuart-Warren, CG; and George Ott.

You've made the decision: a career in the growing field of genealogy research! Maybe you've had a few clients actually pay you to do research, but is that what you want to do for a living? There are many ways to generate a living wage in the broad field of genealogy. This course will explore the five dimensions of genealogical careers and outline the important principles that will insure your success. Over time, your career may well include aspects of all five dimensions. Current professionals will learn greater efficiencies and ways to make more money doing what they love.

Prerequisites for this course: Students should have intermediate to advanced genealogical skills and be anticipating or already involved in a genealogical career.

• Yes You Can! Making a Living in Genealogy
• Personal Preparation: Education, Training & Credentials
• Selling Yourself: Building a Resume, Networking, Volunteering
• Marketing and Advertising
• Establishing Your Rates: Insuring a Profit
• Making a Profit: The Finances of Small Businesses
• Billable Time Management: Maximizing Your Income
• Task Management: Projects, Operations and Support: Getting It All Done
• On-site Research: Success and Profit on the Road
• Excellent Reports: Efficient Reporting & Documentation Methods
  
• Vendor and Client Relations: Managing Expectations
• The Speaker's Circuit
• Teaching Opportunities: Full or Part Time
• Genealogical Librarianship
• Employment in Archives & Historical Societies
• Writing for Pay
• Publishing: Pitfalls & Promises
• Bookselling for Profit
• Corporate Opportunities
• A Foot in the Door & Climbing the Ladder: Growing and Succeeding as an Employee

This course still has a couple of openings. Go to www.ugagenealogy.org to register.

A Big Thank You

It is with great gratitude that we note the end of Luana Darby’s 2 year service as president of the Utah Genealogical Association. Luana had been the source of wonderful renewal for the organization and an unending fount of energy and enthusiasm.

The list of accomplishments through Luana’s presidency is large. While she has been president, the organization has completed a new website and new social networking communication avenues including a stronger newsletter system, facebook, twitter, blog. Luana has personally contributed to better organization including a renewed committee structure and books for each committee chair to begin passing down the institutional knowledge that will sustain UGA in the future. And in this last year, she has presided over the purchase of a new virtual meeting system that will not only make the organization run more smoothly, but also has facilitated the development of our new Virtual Chapter, and the UGA Online Training and Tutorial Library. While Luana was in office, our journal Crossroads has been revamped and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy has remained one of the premiere sources of genealogy training in the country. And probably the biggest accomplishment of her presidency was the immensely successful hosting of the National Genealogical Society Conference which showed off Utah’s assets to the genealogy community at large, strengthened UGA’s status in the genealogy community and set UGA on a strong footing for future development.

Very few will know of the tireless hours that Luana has put in making sure that everything in this volunteer organization runs smoothly. Even while keeping genealogy clients happy, and earning her Master’s degree in Library Science, and taking care of her family, she has dedicated untold amounts of time to the success of UGA. We will miss Luana’s dedication and her cheerful can-do attitude. Thank you Luana for everything you have done to strengthen the Utah Genealogical Association and Utah’s genealogical community.

SLIG--Producing a Quality Family Narrative

We're ramping up for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy next week and want to tell you about the rest of our outstanding courses. Some of them still have last minute openings. Take a look at our website if you are interested.

Producing a Quality Family Narrative will be taught by John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA along with the help of: Ann Carter Fleming, CG, CGL; Kay Haviland Feilich, CG, CGL; and Barbara Renick.

For years you've been gathering information about your ancestors. You've made many fascinating discoveries. Now it's time to share them. But where do you start? Right here! Three dynamic instructors are eager to share their expertise and experience to help you write and publish your family history. Using lots of vivid examples and case studies, this course demonstrates how to: compile the material you've gathered; narrate the life stories of your ancestors; choose the most appropriate numbering system and observe proper documentation; edit and proofread your text; work with a publisher or self-publish, either in paper form or electronically; weave family lore and treasured heirlooms, as well as pertinent local history, into your prose; and incorporate maps, charts and illustrations. One in-class writing exercise (with follow-up critique sessions) helps you improve practical writing skills, share your special talents, and exchange ideas with the family instructors and fellow students. Your family instructors and fellow students. Your family history will never be "finished!" It's time to start sharing what you've discovered so far.

• Preliminaries: What, Why, How and For Whom Are You Writing?
• Turning Biographical Facts into Real Life Events: How to Build Historical Context
• Principles of Good Writing and Good Storytelling
• How to Use Artifacts in Genealogical Writing
• In-class Writing Exercise
• Grammar for Genealogists
• Numbering Systems for Genealogies and Family Histories
• Evaluating Evidence
• Writing Your Genealogy or Family History Using a Word Processor (Book Format, Page Layout, Style, Text, Notes, Graphics, Charts, Illustrations, Etc.)
• How to Create a Narrative of Biographical Facts
• Electronic Venues for Publishing
• Documentation: Important for Readers . . . and the Author, too!
• Editing and Proofreading
• Indexing
• Publishing Your Genealogy or Family History (Fundamentals of Self-Publishing and Subsidized Publishing)
• Using Newspapers and Cartographic Materials for Historical Context
• In-class Critique and Discussion of Writing Exercise I
• In-class Critique and Discussion of Writing Exercise II
• Writing a Quality Family Narrative: The Pitfalls and Snares
• The Larger Literary Possibilities of Family History