Author name: Ruth Blair

The four of the last five days I have spent doing research at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center and last night was the FamilySearch Blogger Dinner.

Congratulations go to Diane Loosle on being appointed Director of the Family History Library. She is going to be studying the “role of the Family History Library and 4,700 satellite branches worldwide called, Family History Centers, and how to make them discovery centers for people of all ages, not just a research facility.”

“In 2013-14, Diane says she has some very specific goals as the new director of the Family History Library:

1. Become more family and youth-oriented through providing interactive, discovery experiences.
2. Enhance the services of the Library through new collaborative research areas and better access to research staff.
3. Continue to bring the Library resources and staff knowledge to online patrons.
4. Engage more patrons from the geographic community surrounding the library.”

There are going to be youth and family oriented changes happening at the Family History Library. They are creating research collaboration spaces and staff is coming out from behind the desk and into these spaces. You will find computers, microfilm readers and staff in one space who are researching common interests.

There are 1.7 million names from historical records added to the website every day. The FamilySearch camera teams number 237 right now and their goal is to have 1000 in five years.

Family History Discovery Centers are going to be created in metropolitan areas in high tourist and high traffic neighbourhoods. They will be engaging for all age groups and knowledge bases. Three to five will be launched in the next twelve months.

Three Oral History Studios are being tested right now. You can bring a family member to the studio and interview them to capture their story. There is an HD video camera and you will be given a pre-programed flash drive to save the video. You are allotted an hour and fifteen minutes and the cost is $8 which is the cost of the flash drive. They need to pre-program the flash drive so you can’t bring your own.

FamilySearch Family Tree now has 950 million names, 41,686 are added every day and 27% are non LDS contributors. You will be able to upload documents by the end of the year.

Soon you will be able to scan your family photos at your local Family History Center. They will crop and upload your photos to your FamilySearch online account or you can bring them home and tag them.

Some of the FamilySearch third party apps are: FamilyMap, RootsMagic, Mobile Family Tree for iOS, Leaf, and Legacy mobile.

Rootstech are expecting 110,000 remote attendees in 2014. The BIG NEWS is that registration begins on Thursday 22 August 2013.

©2013 – Blair Archival Research All Rights Reserved

If you haven’t registered for the FGS 2013 Conference yet, you still have time to register online, by mail or at the door. Mailed registrations must be postmarked by Friday, August 9. Online registration ends on Wednesday, August 14th. Pre-registering for the conference gives you access to some great benefits.

And don’t forget, if you have already registered for the conference, you still have time to get your tickets to the conference “extras.”

Only attendees who preregister for the conference can:
• Access the conference syllabus online prior to the conference.
• Guarantee a spot in the “extra” conference events (on-site tickets may be available to events if they have not sold out):
o 10 luncheons over the 4 conference days.
o 5 workshops over 3 days. There is still room in the Researching African Americans in University Libraries workshop. We have also added   extra spaces and still have a few seats left Researching Midwestern American Indians and Using Griffith’s Valuation to Identify Your Ancestors’ Origins. The other workshops are sold out.
o FGS Opening Social on Wednesday, August 21
o Friday Night at ACPL on August 23 with all proceeds going to the Preserve the Pensions Fund!
o Sunday Farewell Brunch with lots of door prizes.
• Register for a FREE genealogy consultation on Tuesday, August 20. You must sign up for a consultation in advance. See Conference Activities on the website for details.

You can also purchase extra tickets (except for workshops) for your non-genealogy spouses or friends who traveled with you to the conference.

Visit the website to register or add “extras” today. We hope to see you in Fort Wayne, August 21-24.