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| Who Do You Think You Are Live 2013 |
This time last year I was preparing for my study tour –
first stop was
Who Do You Think You Are Live, a
major genealogy conference held in London each year. (Follow my blog posts about it
here) I have just returned from another (personal) trip
overseas – hence the hiatus in blog posts.
I hope everyone has a successful year for their family history research,
perhaps it will be the time to break down that elusive brick wall.
If you are planning a research trip overseas or indeed just
a holiday, you may wish to consider timing it to include attending a conference
or genealogy seminar day. Shows such as
this indeed inspire and invigorate our family history research with the
opportunity to hear and meet with expert speakers and professionals in their
field as well as explore the vendor hall which includes commercial companies as
well as family history societies, booksellers and more.
To help plan your trip sites such as
Conference Keeper (for
genealogy) is a good resource to
look at.
In addition, one day courses and seminars may fit into your
schedule better.
The Society of Genealogists in London
publish their program of events twelve months ahead. You can
view and book these courses online. The Federation of Family History Societies in conjunction
with GENUKI publish a calendar of events at
GENEVA
In preparation for your trip, further tips include
*Completing your Australian end of your research as much as
possible, including date of arrival of pioneer ancestors.
* Completing online research as much as possible, using
commercial websites, search engines and sites such as
FamilySearch. You need as much information as possible
including full names, dates and specific places.
*Visit the websites of these facilities, many offer advice
for visiting and it is worth noting simple things like opening hours to make best
use of your time. You may consider that
paying a full membership fee with all of its benefits may be better than paying
a day’s research fee for example.
*Following these organisations on social media including
YouTube, Facebook and Twitter will keep you up to date and assist in your
planning. You may wish to allow time to
attend a free exhibition for example.
*For smaller organisations such as Family History Societies
or Cemeteries it may be advisable to make contact well ahead of time, this may
provide the opportunity for a staff member or volunteer to do some research on
your behalf ahead of your visit.
*Do not overlook the local public library on your visit. Public libraries provide access to unique local history collections that may not be readily accessible elsewhere.
*Have your key information available. A small computer, ipad or smart phone will be
of benefit on your travels. Internet
access via purchase of a local sim card or look for local wifi spots should also be considered.
DropBox is a ” free service that lets you bring
your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily”
Ancestry now has an app which makes it easy to access your
own online tree. Other apps of possible
use is the
Research Logger which keeps track of the research that
you have done.
*Set yourself a goal.
*If you are lucky enough to be visiting relatives, ask to see all their related documents and photos and make copies. Recording an oral history interview and taking photos is also a great idea.
*Don't forget your camera, for relative visits and photo taking in cemeteries and "now" photos of the places where your ancestor once lived. Make sure the battery is charged and carry a spare. Some cameras now have the ability to record the GPS location with the photo. It can also log the GPS data of where the camera has been. Make sure you have turned this on.
*Download your photos to a small computer and/or online sharing sites such as Facebook or Flickr. This serves as security in case you lose or damage your camera or photo card.
Genealogy tourism is trending as part of the future of the
genealogy industry. We are already
seeing this in the growth of conferencing at sea with Australia’s
Unlock thePast Cruises
The Genies Down Under Podcast Edisode 29 February 2014 will feature as its main topic "Ancestor homeland stuff: how to plan a visit of a lifetime" which may be of interest
.
In the meantime I am look forward to “attending” some
conferences vicariously in coming weeks - the
WDYTYA Live event February 22- 24
online via twitter and blog posts and
Rootstech
the major genealogy and technology conference
held in Salt Lake City Feb 6-8.
Best wishes with your genealogy research in 2014.
