Today is the day!
Like many who were not originally planning to attend this year’s National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Salt Lake City, I’m making lemonade out of lemons and joining in the first-ever virtual NGS Live!
(Side note: In my long-range plan, I had set my sights on the closer-to-home 2021 NGS conference in Richmond, Virginia and submitted my speaker proposals back in early March just before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on schedules and events everywhere. Fingers crossed for next May!)
So, what’s an East Coast early riser to do while waiting for the 11:00 start time?
I’ve been working my way through the 514-page syllabus: absorbing knowledge like a sponge, noting resources to investigate further, and making a short list of sessions for my on-demand selections.
When the appointed hour arrives, I’m looking forward to a full day of learning from the best of the best in our field, including:
Tom Jones (Validating Unsourced Online Information)
Judy Russell (Breaker Boys and Spinner Girls: Child Labor Laws and Their Records)
Elizabeth Shown Mills (Turning Witnesses into Evidence)
Blaine Bettinger (What If? Learning About DNA Through Case Studies)
I can’t wait to apply today’s educational gains to improve my research skills. Thanks, NGS, for taking a difficult and disappointing situation and pivoting to turn it into an exciting opportunity!
Bonus source of motivation and inspiration today - look what finally appeared in my mailbox yesterday afternoon!
