A First Timer at the NGS Conference

That’s me. I’m a first timer at the NGS Conference & so far I’m enjoying myself.

Last night I drove down to the Marriott for a dinner given by FamilySearch for bloggers. It was a friendly evening with a delicious salad, pasta & breadsticks. Jennifer Anderson challenged my mind when she talked about the more than one billion records published. 2014 will be the Year of the Obituary. Jennifer said, “Dead men tell no tales but their obituaries do!” Sign up to help index! And help with “Lift Where You Stand’ a project slated for Sunday, July 20, 6 pm MDT – Monday, July 21, 6 pm MDT. They are looking for 20,000 participants to help index in those 24 hours. Lets lend a hand.

Myself & Cheri with our Blogging Beads

At the dinner, I was delighted to meet some fellow bloggers who I had only met through their blogs in the past. Cheri from Carolina Girl and Lisa from The AccidentalGenealogist to name two.

Opening Session

Today I went to the Opening Session where the National Genealogy Society, its mission & its plans were explained. The ‘Genealogists Declaration of Rights’ was set as a goal for the future where we have access to records on county, state and federal levels. Awards were given to volunteers & to authors of family newsletters. Joshua Taylor spoke briefly for FamilySearch. Then Dr. Sandra Treadway, Librarian & State Archivist, talked to the large crowded room about ‘The Evolving Library’. She painted a wonderful picture of the Virginia Library in the future & invited us all back in seven years to see the changes for ourselves.

These were the sessions I attended today:

·         Are Those My Virginia Ancestors? Eric Grundset

·         The Records of the Southern Historical Society, Kathy Huber

·         Repopulating the Past: Using the Collections of the Virginia Historical Society, Frances Pollard

I have the printed syllabus [much too heavy to carry around to the sessions] & the digital notes but I took my own notes as well to remember all the good tips I learned today.   

I talked to many friendly people from various parts of our country who were eager to talk & share their stories. I spoke to an older gentleman who had been to several conferences, was not impressed by anything he heard & promptly fell asleep in the folding chair next to mine; then woke up and left before the end of the session.

Of course, I visited the Exhibit Hall & of course I spent too much on books! And I’ll probably over indulge tomorrow as well. ha!

Most of all I am proud that I did not get lost once, both driving to Richmond & navigating the conference center & the Marriott. Looking forward to learning more tomorrow!