When I attend OGS conferences, I usually take in one or more workshops, which traditionally have been held on the Thursday before the regular programming takes place on Friday and Saturday. I looked over the workshops being offered for 2011 and have selected two to attend: those being offered by Lisa Louise Cook and Mark Lowe.
Here is the complete news release describing the 2011 workshops:
According to Conference Chairperson Diane Gagel, the 2011 Ohio Genealogical Society Annual Conference features eight intensive learning opportunities for beginning and advanced genealogists. “We think we have assembled a great lineup of workshops for attendees at the upcoming annual conference,” she states, pointing out that they will be led by experts in each of the workshop subjects.
The 2011 Annual Conference of the Ohio Genealogical Society will be held March 31 to April 2, 2011, at The Hyatt on Capitol Square, in Columbus under the theme “Genealogy through the Centuries.”
Persons just getting started, or attending their first conference, will be interested in “Beginning Genealogy: Learn the Basic Tools for Family Research.” In this workshop, attendees will be given an overview of methods and sources used to begin family history research, including genealogical forms and basic resources used to trace ancestry in the United States. Presenters: Jana Sloan Broglin, CG, and Diane VanSkiver Gagel, MA.
For the first-time conference attendee, the workshop, “Is This Your First Genealogy Conference?,” will be of interest. Presenter Drew Smith, MLS, will discuss how to maximize the value of your first genealogical conference experience with this one-hour workshop.
Lisa Louise Cooke will present a workshop on “Google: A Gold Mine of Genealogy Gems, Part 1 & 2.” She will cover innovative ways to work smarter and find more research golden nuggets than you ever thought possible with the power of Google. She also will instruct workshop participants on how to use free Google tools that will facilitate genealogical collaboration, online research, project management, relative interviews, and more.
“Researching and Writing Your Ancestors’ Stories” will be presented by Leslie Albrecht Huber for both beginning and intermediate genealogists. Can you write an interesting story of your ancestors when all you have are a few bare-bones documents? Yes! In this workshop, learn how to dig deeper in the records, create the context, and bring it all together to write a story that will leave your family sitting on the edge of their seats.
“Origin of Ohio Settlers as Told by the 1850 Census” will be covered by Tacy A. Shoemaker Lewis for beginning and intermediate attendees. She will discuss a study by Professor H.G.H. Wilhelm of the birthplaces of the non-Ohio born residents of the state listed in the 1850 census. When plotted on maps, very interesting pictures emerge, clearly delineating settlement groups and migration patterns.
“Tracking Generations through 19th Century Irish Land Valuation Records,” by Richard Michael Doherty is aimed at intermediate researchers interested in Irish genealogy. With the loss of Ireland’s nineteenth century census records, researchers must rely on other sources to track families. Learn about four types of Irish land valuation records, their usage and key characteristics of each, and a methodology for identifying and linking to other pertinent Irish records.
J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA, will conduct “Developing a Research Plan,” a workshop for intermediate and advanced researchers. He will use real-life examples and patterns that busy professionals use to conduct research effectively. Acceptable standards, resources, and examples will be emphasized.
“Advanced Genealogy Discussion Group” will give advanced researchers the opportunity to discuss in-depth the genealogical methodology presented in a case study from an article by Thomas W. Jones, “The Husbands and Parents of Eleanor (nee Medley) (Tureman) (Crow) Overton,” NGSQ 94 (December 2006): 287–304. The format of the group will be that of a graduate seminar with every participant expected to contribute. Workshop leaders will be Donna Redhead Gruber, CG, Kelly Coghan Holderbaum, and Robert L. Keener.
The complete conference program and registration form is downloadable from the OGS website at www.ogs.org.
