"Hitting the Books"

Photograph by Eric Wenger, 11 June 2016, inside the Hess Homestead, Lititz, Pennsylvania

In my last Tuesday Tip, I shared the role that webinars and lectures play in my continuing education plan, highlighting the recent RootsTech conference. Although I love the convenience and non-existent price tag of those resources, I do have two in-person learning experiences planned for 2018:

• In late April, I will be attending at least a portion of the local Lancaster Family History Conference. I already asked Eric to send me on the field trip “The Underground Railroad of Lancaster County” as my birthday gift. (Flowers and jewelry just don’t cut it for this girl! The photo above was taken on another Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society tour.)

• My main educational experience for this year will take place in July when I attend the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). I am thrilled to be enrolled in the course “Women and Children First! Research Methods for the Hidden Half of the Family,” coordinated by Judy Russell (The Legal Genealogist). This course description outlines what I will be learning that week, and I can’t wait to apply my new knowledge to solving challenging research problems. Especially after writing my recent biography of Caroline Rock, I am excited to dive into this topic!

My continuing education plan is rounded out by reading and podcasts:

Reading

• NGSQ (National Genealogical Society Quarterly)

• APGQ (Association for Professional Genealogists Quarterly)

• BCG website resources (Board for Certification of Genealogists)

• Blogs/websites/Facebook groups of top genealogy professionals

Podcasts (I often listen and learn while multi-tasking with housework.)

• My personal favorite is Genealogy Connection, from the producers of The Genealogy Guys Podcast.

• Here is a list of genealogy podcasts from Cyndi’s List.

If you have a favorite resource for continuing genealogical education, feel free to comment. I am always on the lookout for new information!