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Month: March 2022

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RootsTech 2022 : Now That The Dust Has Settled…

It’s been two weeks since RootsTech 2022, so I’ve decided it’s time to come out of RootsTech Recovery mode and tell you a little bit about my experience. Well, so carried away by the excitement was I that I basically went nocturnal for the entire time! I got up at 3 in the mornings to catch the live sessions, because I live in a very unfriendly time zone for things that happen in the US. But it was worth it. See here for some of the highlights!

There was a LOT going on! Live sessions, the Expo Hall, Relatives at RootsTech and of course over 1500 pre-recorded lecture sessions as well as cultural education through food and dance. In my last blog, I stressed the need to pre-prepare to keep the FOMO in check, and I’m very glad that I took that time to know what my priorities were.

I remained super-focused on what was live during those days only. This meant I could really relax and get into the moment, without panicking that I would never get to everything I wanted to see.

RootsTech 2022 Keynote Speakers

The keynote speakers were inspiring as always. The way they told their stories, interweaving the importance of their families’ influence and often learning something new about them (courtesy of FamilySearch) was both exhilarating and moving. I especially enjoyed Maysoon Zaid, Matthew Modine and Diego Torres.

RootsTech 2022 Sponsor talks

It was also great to hear of some of the new tools and resources available from companies. There is a new DNAPainter tool from Jonny Perl ‘Shared cM Investigator’, which predicts how much DNA your parent would share with your DNA match. Ancestry is collaborating with Photomyne to improve the gallery experience. MyHeritage has released Live Story (your ancestors narrating their own life story!). The Society of Genealogists gave a wonderful presentation about the exciting Roll Pedigree project. They are scanning, indexing and placing online the beautiful collection of roll pedigrees in their collection, some dating back several hundred years.

Other RootsTech 2022 Live Sessions I especially enjoyed…

I made sure to attend all three of the Talking Family History sessions. I’m already a subscriber to Talking Family History which is run by Michelle Patient and Fiona Brooker. Therefore I knew the time would be well worth spending here. They ran Q&A sessions on DNA, Australian and New Zealand research and Brick Walls, with lots of discussion.

Prerecorded lectures

I have barely scratched the surface here. But you know what? That’s fine. I prepared for this. I have my playlist sorted. My plan is to work my way through those sessions I’ve marked on a needs basis throughout the year. As I work on Irish projects, I’ll go watch the Irish sessions, etc. I can relax.

RootsTech 2022 may be over. But it’s barely begun.

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Preparing for RootsTech 2022 – The Most Exciting Weekend of the Year!

Discover your family story preparing for Rootstech

There are so many amazing genealogical events every year that give us all the opportunity to learn, connect and advance our skills from beginner hobbyist to professional. With the challenges of the past couple of years, the genealogical community has pivoted beautifully. Virtual offerings have increased accessibility to all.

The biggest by far has been RootsTech, the annual conference run by FamilySearch. Last year, there were over 1.5 MILLION registrants for over 1500 virtual presentations. This year, the number of registrants looks likely to beat that! The virtual nature of the conference makes it accessible not only because of the comfort of watching without travelling, but you can spread most of your viewing out indefinitely.

100% Virtaul 100% Rootstech

I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for RootsTech this year! I’d like to help ensure that everyone gets the best out of this totally free event so that they can climb their family tree more successfully after attending. It was amazing to attend RootsTech London in 2019, but I’ve had equal pleasure and value from attending virtually since.

As with anything though, the key to getting the most out of something is to prepare before going in. So today I’d like to help you prepare for RootsTech. Read on to learn what has helped me navigate this huge and somewhat overwhelming experience so that you get the full benefit!

Preparing for RootsTech – Sessions

Sooooo many sessions to choose from, where do you start? Firstly, when do you start? Now. Sign in to your FamilySearch free account, and register for the conference if you haven’t already done so.

First, let’s tackle the live sessions. At the top of the page is a ‘Main Stage’ tab. This is where all the time-sensitive content is. There are some great keynote speakers, such as Matthew Modine, Azumah Nelson and Diego Torres. There are also presentations on what’s new from some of the key industry players that you won’t want to miss. I’m especially looking forward to hearing about some of Jonny Perl’s new tools at DNA Painter! As a global event, you will be relieved to know that session times will display in your local timezone (so you don’t need to count on your fingers to work out what time that really is for you!). Add the ones you want to see into your diary so you don’t forget to tune in.

Next, check out the list of pre-recorded sessions. Unsurprisingly, it’s under the ‘Sessions’ tab, which will take you to this screen:

search sessions preparing for RootsTech

From here you can filter in multiple ways to zero in on the sessions that are of most interest and select them. They are then in your own personal playlist. These sessions are all pre-recorded and can be watched at your leisure for at least the next year.

Preparing for RootsTech – Connecting

One of the key themes for RootsTech is connecting with family. This can be achieved by becoming a better researcher through the learning you take away from the sessions. But you can also directly connect with relatives also attending. This can make up for being unable to network in person at the virtual event and in some ways is better. You don’t need to spot them in a crowd, you can find them using the ‘Relatives at RootsTech’ feature.

find your family rootstech

If you have your ancestors entered on the FamilySearch Family Tree, and consent to being part of ‘Relatives and Rootstech’ when you register for the conference, the tree will be searched to find others who descend from the same ancestors.

Remember this is a collaborative tree, so I recommend checking that you are connected to the correct people. So go check that you’re happy with where you are sitting in the tree first so you get the right relatives on your list. So far I have a couple of thousand relatives identified with a handy summary of how and from whom we connect, with the ability to message them.

You can also see if and how you are related to famous people, for example, Charles Dickens!

Preparing for RootsTech – Research Help

get help at Rootstech

Everyone attending RootsTech has the opportunity to book a 20-minute one on one session with a professional genealogist for assistance with a brick wall. This is great because we all have brick walls in our research!

Preparing for RootsTech – Bargains

And last but definitely not least, don’t forget to visit the Expo Hall to visit the multitude of sponsors. Many of them have special offers available at their stand and people you can speak with to get information about their offerings. For those who are as into further education as me (and of course you are, you’re attending RootsTech aren’t you?), I am especially tempted to pick up more discounted courses at the National Institute of Genealogical Studies, even though I’m already working my way through three certificates at the moment! I can’t wait to see what else I can save money on!

So here we are, two days out. So use the time to get prepared and have a great time!