Tag: FamilySearch

Posted on

RootsTech 2024 – How Do You Summarize???

First you sleep …….

I have to say that the experience of the week at RootsTech 2024 was SOOOOO fun, exciting, energizing and busy, that it took until today to feel like I could even begin to think about how to summarize the wonderful experience!

I had to sleep – actually 9 hours last night, which is NOT my usual. I needed it! I had arrived on Sunday so that I could grocery shop at wonderful Harmon’s and stock my refrigerator. Monday through Wednesday mid-day were full of research for clients and myself. And I took a break on Wednesday afternoon to be ready for the evening.

What a fun evening Wednesday night was! TWO — yes, TWO — dinners. One for the Media and Speakers (I was part of both groups) and one from FamilySearch and greetings on behalf of those coordinating RootsTech. Marvelous time and great food and conversation – lots of laughter!

Glad that I had the break on Wednesday afternoon, because Thursday dawned fast, exciting and really moved! A breakfast with Storied got me excited for the day and off and running – first to the Media Center, where we could log in, write, catch up on any changes and updates. Then on to the Main Stage – to keep things short, EACH day, from late morning until about 1 p.m., there were announcements from the Sponsors about their innovations, updates and special offerings that were revealed at RootsTech first.

The Main Stage Keynotes were all special: Henry Cho had us laughing and excited, Steve Rockwood (I’m now a “Rocky” as I found out I’m his cousin – 8th cousin!) gave us the warm and emotional content of the special video for this year (have a tissue ready …. it’s lovely and will grab your heart). Lynn M. Jackson is the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriett Scott and offered information about the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation in honor of her Ancestor’s pivotal role in American history in his 11-year battle for freedom. Important and history-changing! Nancy Borowick, an award-winning photographer, uses her craft to tell stories and uplift, through speaking engagements, writing and her photos, the stories of struggles, challenges and the lives of our world family. Kristin Chenoweth – Actress and singer, writer and producer, her work spans decades of awards, productions, voice-overs, movies, television and stage, and she wowed us with songs and her warm presence. So each day, needless to say, we were given a marvelous mid-day experience that lifted the morning and afternoon sessions to a new level of relevance.

On Thursday, I had two presentations – one pre-recorded for society leadership that focused on Volunteer Motivations – and a later one “Researching in Ontario: Your Trillium Connection” about how to find your ancestors in Canada. In webinar format, there were great questions from the audience and I’ve since received more via email! And Thursday was full of attending other sessions, writing and taking pictures to share (please check out my Facebook pages – my personal one https://www.facebook.com/judy.muhn/ and Lineage Journeys – https://www.facebook.com/LineageJourneys/ for pictures from all of the days!

Friday was another busy day, with another webinar presentation – “Je Me Souviens: Researching in Quebec” where I was excited to meet French-Canadian and Acadian cousins! Some were sending texts and others emailed – so fun. Helping in the Association of Genealogical Professionals’ booth in the Expo Hall gave me an opportunity to catch up with an organization that I joined to learn and grow as a speaker and professional, with friendships that span many organizations. That night, the National Genealogical Society hosted a reception for anyone from our many genealogical societies and delegates, as well as our Board. Exhaustion was setting in so heading off to the hotel at about 9 pm meant that it was an over 15 hour day!

Saturday was another long but also productive day! In addition to posting on Facebook, writing blog posts (still in draft form as I was interrupted …) and helping to staff the NGS booth all day, meant that I got to meet and see even more people! Fun and networking dominated on Saturday as we reached out to vendors about the NGS Family History virtual conference in May. The exhibit hall was amazing with creative and fun set ups that facilitated learning and discovery!

This booth picture of the Storied company was taken during the set up on Wednesday night but you can see how fun it looked – learned a lot from them about their innovations and new products!

My fourth presentation, pre-recorded and released on Saturday, was another for society leaders: The Four Buckets of Society Management. I’m hoping to hear from those who watch the society presentations – to offer them help and support as we all are struggling to figure out how to keep going, growing and helping to educate new genealogists and family historians.

While RootsTech 2024 is over physically, the emails keep coming in and I’m thrilled to be connected to so many who came. We’re waiting to hear what the final numbers were – people in person and people online. Thank you to the RootsTech and FamilySearch teams who made so much look so easy – from my role in the Media team to being a Speaker, and helping with vendors and networking, what a marvelous experience. If you are reading this and have never attended, STRONGLY consider coming out next year: March 6 – 8, 2025!!!

Posted on

Thursday – Opening Day of RootsTech 2024

Thursday began early with a nice breakfast with the Storied company promotion – we all received lovely “encouragement” to become engaged with writing our family stories, and learned about the services and support that they offer.

It wasn’t long after, that we had to scurry over to the Main Stage for the opening event. An emotional movie (check out my Facebook post for it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSfNA86DIUM … tissues are necessary. Important and helped me to again focus on the importance of EVERY person – Your Story is More Important Than You Think. Watch it … if it doesn’t change you …. well, I can’t imagine that it won’t.

And I became a “Rocky” – when you become a fan of Steve Rockwood ….. I found out that he’s my 8th Cousin, through a …. wait for it …. yes, a French-Canadian family! I found out use the really fun “Relatives at RootsTech” feature on the RootsTech app. Check it out …. you must have a tree on FamilySearch in order to use it.

Then the fun of the Main Stage – where we heard:

  • MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT here at #RootsTech2024 FamilySearch launches full-text search that gives us the ability to search images that HAVE NOT YET BEEN INDEXED! 100 million records available via full-text search with more to come.. makes records accessible that would have taken decades to index manually. Records include land & probate records, Mexican notarial records, plantation records. Makes finding underrepresented populations easier. Other major updates and tools coming too!! Thank you, FamilySearch! Amazing 👏
  • Ancestry announced Family Groups (I’m an early adopter!) with an announcement by Crista Cowan
  • And then Henry Cho who made us laugh so much! What an entertaining time!

Then heading off to classes …. SO many to chose from. But I wanted to see what the National Genealogical Society’s new AI Expert and Educator, Steve Little, did with the FIRST session. He was awesome!

And then it was my turn to get into the special room for the Webinars and get my own presentation going – Researching in Ontario: Your Trillium Connection

What it looked like in my “room”:

And the Webinar is available here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/researching-in-ontario-your-trillium-connection?lang=eng – and a note: I mis-spoke and said that the 1941 Canadian Census is available. It is NOT – it’s the 1931 Census. So please forgive me ….. nerves, I guess.

Well, that was it for today! To bed …. it’s ten pm and I need sleep!!

Posted on

RootsTech 2024 – Early Week

The Family Search Library was the beginning of the week – focused on client research for two days and then my own family work on Wednesday, with lots of fun in this time!

Certainly, with long hours of opening and the entrance first floor – a lot of inspiration, information and content for me to see! I spent most of the first three days of the week on the third floor where the books are – books that you can only use here in Salt Lake City! So that was the first priority and then the client research that required some materials also only available while in SLC.

Then some fun ….

GEN FRIENDS – a live podcast with some of our friends online – the screen in the front of the room helped! And we all crammed into the space – recognize some of these folks?

Then it was time to meet a new cousin! Overhearing some of what I was sharing with someone else, my new cousin (of COURSE in our mutual French-Canadian families!!!) and I’m told we look like cousins (she’s at least 4th Cousin or further back – but ok, is there a family resemblance? What do you think?).

And then there was the busy Wednesday night – with TWO dinners: The Media/Speakers dinner and the FamilySearch/RootsTech dinner (couldn’t eat THAT Much!)

An early tour of the Expo Hall – still laying carpet and putting up booths!!

And then rest – anticipating that Thursday through Saturday would be busy and fast paced!

HERE WE GO!!!

Posted on

I LIVE for This Kind of Learning! RootsTech 2022 has ended … sort of.

RootsTech 2022 is now officially over … well, not really!

It is still possible to watch classes, review what happened on the Main Stage, you can still visit vendors tomorrow, and there are Relative Connections to make (you have to register for a free account at FamilySearch – but it is SO worth it!), and so much more.

I think I spent about 9 to 10 hours online today – live presentations, recorded classes, practicing where to look in the various DNA sites (how many tabs can you have open on your computer!!!), and listening along as I tried out some of the sites and offerings that were shared.

While ALL of the classes, vendor presentations and Main Stage offerings were great, I have to give a shout out to Roberta Estes at DNAeXplained who gave a series of presentations on finding out if you have Native American DNA and from whom, a sequence of DNA presentations that showed how to use the various companies’ (Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, FamilySearch, etc.) DNA and family tree tools to help you with your research. She had a great presentation style and offered a lot of information – and I’m STILL working through all those open tabs on my computer!

And, while I’m exhausted and my brain is about to explode, I am SO happy that I dedicated myself to this time for the last three days. While I miss everyone in person in Salt Lake, the learning and comfort of doing this from home was not something that I would have passed up. SUCH a great gift for ME! I figure that I’ll be learning for a while, doing more with the tips, tricks and resources that were shared, and I’m really happy with the time spent.

Yes, your story and that of your family matters – please take the time to share it! Make a video, a book of ancestry, or share pictures from an ancestral location. I have such a deep appreciation for what I learned …. and I hope that if you are reading this, you will make every effort to research and share your family’s history.

After a bit of rest and processing, watch for more as I grow in understanding what I learned … I have TONS of ideas and websites to go through and analyze on my family. Wish me luck!

Posted on

Whew …. BUSY Day at Roots Tech 2022

RootsTech 2022 – SOOOOO much to do, see, learn!

What a day! The Friday of Roots Tech is always a busy one for me – I’ve been to RootsTech three times in person and as a presenter. The last two years of course have been virtual which certainly saves on costs but the learning is still a bit overwhelming! There are SO many courses – over 1,000 in English alone! And I know there were hundreds in other languages – French, German, Spanish, Polish … I don’t know all of them, but truly a bit overwhelming.

So today I watched the live Main Stage sessions and learned about peoples’ journeys in their own families; I learned about the upcoming additions to some of the popular websites to help us with our DNA, building our family trees, learning about how to find the origins of our families, and SO much more. My brain is about to explode!!

I’ve taken notes, printed out items offered by vendors, tried my hand at some of the DNA tools that I heard about from classes, took time (while I listened) to add to my own family tree and figure out some next steps. And I spent ‘way too much time sitting in this chair at the computer when there was actually sunshine outside – but I couldn’t help myself. THIS. IS. WHAT. I. LOVE. Gads, I can’t get enough.

OK, so it’s time to get to bed and get ready for tomorrow – the “last” day of the event. That’s for the “live” content – as the class recordings are available to us for a while and I plan to take advantage! So … bedtime……

Babies are always cute sleeping …. me, not so much!
Posted on

ROOTS TECH 2022 is ON!!!

Roots Tech 2022 is on, open ….. ready, set, GO!!!

SOOO excited, I can’t stand it! Yes, Roots Tech 2022 – FREE and VIRTUAL – is open and there is much to do, see, hear and experience.

FIRST – Pace Yourself! Here’s a marvelous post from Miles Meyer that I found to be really helpful (thanks, Miles!) – you may want to check this out: https://milesgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/03/rootstech-2022-day-1-pace-yourself.html?fbclid=IwAR3bbDsaAn0A5ltCL11NRrkRW0CJ_kgvXwHp5dJmkv2OY0bgS5kIobfifes

Some easy explanations on Miles’ page that will help. AND be sure to go through each days’ offerings and create your own list of presentations to watch, Keynotes, Main Stage and the Expo Hall. In the Expo Hall there is an opportunity to not only learn so much, but also an opportunity to win! Yes! If you visit 20 booths and do a variety of activities (chat, watch a video, explore their presentations), you can be entered to win a prize. It’s fun AND an opportunity to get more.

As an Influencer (that’s the title for those of us who are writing and sharing about our experiences at Roots Tech), you will see posts from me every day with my thoughts about what I’m hearing and seeing. My first experience was to check out the Expo Hall and the sponsor booths. Did you know about all the cool stuff at the Family Search site? Yes, the site – the one that you can access from home, put your family tree on, find documents and SO MUCH MORE!!!

https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/expohall/familysearch

Exploring around this site, you can watch a bunch of great videos, learn about new features on the FamilySearch website (amazing stuff … I hadn’t been on it in a while and WOW!) and find out about your family in new ways. I checked out “Where am I from?” and “Famous Relatives” (yes, I’m related to royalty!! ) and there is also the really fun Roots Tech tool “Relatives at RootsTech” which helps you to meet your relatives who are signed into the RootsTech event – showing your relationship to them (check it out here) – I have 9,045 relatives today and I know from previous RT experience that it will grow! SOOO Cool!!!

Well, I’m off to do more exploring! Join me?

Posted on

IT’S LIVE – RootsTech Connect 2021 has begun!!!

Find cousins, check out the Expo Hall vendors, take classes and see Keynotes!

IT’S LIVE – IT’S FREE and it’s going to be awesome!!! There are over 500,000 (YES, you read that right!) from all over the world – 226 countries and counting! There are well over 11 languages for presentations but there are people representing WAY more languages in the world that are participating.

This is EPIC!! While RootsTech has been the largest genealogical conference in the world when we could meet in person at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, going virtual and FREE means that anyone/everyone, in whatever timezone or location – as long as they can register (FREE – here) and have internet access – can listen to classes, Keynote speakers, find cousins and so much more.

Here are some recommendations:

First – check out the Home page (https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/rtc2021) where there is a video presentation to help you figure out what to do at RootsTech Connect – where classes are, the schedule of Keynote Speakers, how to find relatives and more.

Second – Look at the course offerings and save them in your own list, called “My Playlist” – and …. wait for it …. the HUNDREDS of pre-recorded sessions are available now … FOR A YEAR!!!! Yes! Fill your Playlist with everything that you want to learn and take you time looking at them. However, for those of us who are speakers, if you want to use the Chat feature to reach out to us, you MUST do that during the event – today through Saturday! Then that feature closes. However, all of us (at least as far as I know) have attached PDF handouts to our talks and those have our website and email information. Please reach out as we are happy to help!

Third – Look for cousins! I have over 5,000 cousins and growing, now that it’s open and live! It’s called “Relatives at RootsTech” – and you MUST have a FamilySearch tree to participate. But look at all of the cousins who are registered that you can connect with! Save a copy of how they connect to you to use perhaps to break through that brick wall you’ve been working on. You can “friend” them and then maybe meet up during RootsTech to talk about family, records and more!

Fourth – Have fun! The Expo Hall is FULL of vendors wanting to connect with you, join Chat rooms to learn more or connect with speakers, ask questions. When you are on the RootsTech site there are people there to help you too! In the lower right corner of your screen is a button CONNECT (white with red) that will get you to someone live who can help you if you get lost.

Wow – take advantage of the whole thing!!! There is much to do, many to connect with, lots to learn and it’s just day one!!! Have fun!

Posted on

Exciting Content at RootsTech Connect 2021!!!

LOOK at some of the Keynote Speakers coming to RootsTech Connect 2021! There will be these “live” segments and then HUNDREDS of classes, workshop series and more! An Expo Hall with vendors that you can connect with and the always wonderful Relative Connections that happen when you link your FamilySearch tree with your registration. There are well over 100,000 people registered from all over the world at this point and with FREE registration, there will be more. You could find a breakthrough in your genealogy because there’s a cousin out there in Poland or Brazil or Australia or Sierra Leone who knows something you don’t!

Can you tell that I’m excited? Gads, am I! And please find your way to my presentations – three of them. The virtual setting of this year’s event made us think about what is reasonable for people sitting in on virtual technology – so sessions are about 20 minutes long. So my sessions – The Big Five: Researching the Largest Tribes – is broken into three parts: Part 1 is an overview of Native research generally, and how to think about your families and where the hints may lie. Part 2 is about the Cherokee and Choctaw. Part 3 is about the Chippewa, Sioux and Navaho. Watch one, watch all! And there’s a PDF handout there to give you some resources. And please feel welcome to use the Chat feature that will be with each of these, to connect, ask questions or just meet other family historians who are doing similar work.

Click on the pictures above to register and join the fun! Or click here to register – it’s FREE!

Posted on

On The Road – Preparing for RootsTech 2019!!!!!

The Expo Hall is HUGE!!!

SOOO excited – RootsTech2019 is almost here!!!!

The countdown is ON! I’m finalizing my presentations, collecting my equipment, reviewing and updating my talks – I’m so pleased that Lineage Journeys/I was selected to speak again. I’m presenting You CAN Take It With You: Mobile Apps for Genealogy and Native, First Nations, Indian: Researching Indigenous People . 

Hope you will join me at RootsTech 2019!!!

There is so much to say about how fun RootsTech is – AND it can be overwhelming! The Expo Hall, Salt Palace is so HUGE so you have to be very disciplined about selecting your classes, planning your days there and probably allowing time to be at the Family History Library (really, it’s a very short walk!).

The Exhibitors area is also HUGE – but so worthwhile! There are always discounts for purchasing items at the event (think “DNA kits”!) , getting your family tree printed out on large paper, exploring jewelry with a family history theme, activities, booth workshops, books, tapes, things to buy, people to meet, freebee stuff to get …. yeah, overwhelming. But here’s what I learned from attending last year – my first year: 1- Wear comfortable shoes. You are going to walk A LOT! 2 – Plan ahead. RootsTech has a mobile app with the classes, exhibitors, special events, everything you’d want to know and you can create a schedule using it. DO IT! 3 – Either pre-print your handouts or plan to use the app – you can take notes on your phone or tablet from the app. Yeah, it’s pretty fun! 4 – Plan ahead for your personal needs. There is plenty of food on site – vendors, sit down places, variety. But maybe bring some snack bars or energy bars. And if you are thinking about saving money, some of the hotels include breakfast in your registration (be sure to check!) but many hotels have refrigerators in the room so bring things for meals. There is a grocery store nearby or you could use one of the many food delivery apps to have food delivered to you (yeah, there is a delivery fee and you have to sign up for most). But I brought breakfast foods so that I didn’t have to go out early – I could relax over breakfast in my room (PB&J is easy to bring, as is tea!).

Don’t take it just from me! Here’s a video from our RootsTech hosts about what to think about: The Road to RootsTech

There is also an option to check out some of the content from home – it’s really better to come there, but if you can’t, explore this option: Virtual Roots Tech! VERY reasonably priced, you get great content and you can learn from home. Saves on travel, hotel costs while also giving you access to experts and subjects that are of interest. There are 18 recorded sessions for only $129! A great value!

Hope to see you there – but if you buy the Virtual Pass, watch in the background! Maybe you’ll see me waving!! And watch here during the event, as I will be posting that week about what I’m hearing, seeing and learning as well is pictures of people I meet and the fun we are all having. If you attend, reach out via cell phone/mobile app – I may be with the GeneaBloggers Tribe, the Archives of Michigan, in the Ambassadors area, or around the exhibit hall – let’s meet up!

Posted on

Amazing Speakers, Content in RootsTech 2019

Stage image

There is A LOT that is fun at RootsTech beyond the genealogy research, learning and cousin-connections happening …. it’s ALL fun, right? But the general sessions take it up a notch with some content that is inspiring, with music, prizes, and lots of enthusiasm.

A really great feature of the RootsTech website and team is that they produce a bunch of great videos that share about aspects of the conference. Here is one about the plans for the keynotes/speakers and entertainment that will be happening:
RootsTech 2019 video. As an overview, on Wednesday, Steve Rockwood (CEO of FamilySearch) will start things off with updates, what’s coming and the opening of the vendor hall. Thursday, Patricia Heaton, star from Everybody Loves Raymond, will be sharing about being a “real life” mom and a book she has written about family, motherhood and her experiences. Friday could be really emotional as star Saroo Brierley, from the movie Lion (have you seen in?? Boy becomes lost from family, is taken in by another family, later in life seeks out his birth family … very cool film!), will offer his perspective on family, belonging and connecting. Friday night is a special evening event that includes dancer Derek Hough, who will encourage everyone to get on their feet and learn some dances (…. lots of music, motion and fun!). Saturday’s closing general session will feature Jake Shimabukuro, an incredible Hawaiian ukulele artist who is fun, entertaining and VERY skilled (can you imagine Bohemian Rhapsody on ukulele!?!!!).

I was SOOOO wowed by the content of these general sessions that the energy carried me through long days. The excitement of it all is infectious and, if you are going, you will SOOO want to be in the room. They are moving these to 11 a.m. this year – so that there are workshops before these keynotes and then you go out for more after. Really great stuff! Are you coming? Let’s meet up – Lineage Journeys are gearing up!!!!