Many genealogical researchers, as they gain experience and knowledge, consider how to make money with a full-time career. This video presents the important considerations about developing a business plan and a marketing plan, how to set up your business offerings, organization of records, accounting considerations, and more. This webinar was first released 28 January 2020 on the Genealogy Guys Learn website.

Lost in a sea of digital files, family photos, and paper records? Can’t find the records you know you have? Scanning photos and records more than once? This archives-based system helps you organize ALL of your genealogy research and records in just six folders. No need for color codes, numbering systems, or other complicated schemes with ideas from a professional genealogist and archivist.

In this presentation, Adwoa Ulzen-Setrakian, founder of spanDNA and Human Temple Therapeutics LLC, explores how genetic genealogy has become a powerful tool for families of African descent to reclaim their histories and restore connections severed by displacement, migration, and historical traumas. Through a family-centered approach, Adwoa demonstrates how commercial DNA testing can do more than uncover personal ancestry—it can reconstruct the bonds of kinship across generations and continents. Drawing from real-life case studies, Adwoa will share stories of how African-descended families are using genetic genealogy to facilitate reconnecting with lost relatives, restoring collective memory, and explore opportunities for healing from intergenerational wounds. Attendees will learn about the unique challenges faced by these families, especially when traditional records and oral histories fall short, and how spanDNA’s method helps bridge the gaps using DNA analysis, compassionate research, and a collaborative, community-based approach. A key focus will be the culmination of these efforts at gatherings such as the upcoming Transatlantic Genealogy Summit 2025, where families who have reconnected through DNA will come together to celebrate their shared heritage, foster deeper connections, and continue building their family legacies. Attendees will walk away with: Insight into how genetic genealogy can be a transformative tool for family legacy-building, particularly within the African diaspora. Practical knowledge of how to use commercial DNA testing platforms to connect with genetic relatives and uncover ancestral histories. A better understanding of how family reunions and summits, such as the Transatlantic Genealogy Summit, can serve as a powerful culmination of genealogical research and DNA connections. Real-life examples of success stories and the emotional impact of restoring long-lost family ties. This presentation may inspire families to see themselves as protagonists in their own stories, capable of uncovering veiled memories and reclaiming their place within the larger, interconnected human family.

This video explains the types of records you may find for your ancestors in the Slavic world. Even Black Sea and Volga Germans will have records written in Cyrillic. I’ll talk about tools you can use to learn to decipher and read these records.

Genealogy involves detailed investigation of individuals and family units, not unlike the crime scene investigators seen on television series. We have to employ the same – and other – approaches to help solve problems and develop hypotheses/conclusions about an ancestor or family unit. The Genealogist as C.S.I. draws parallels for organized research, analysis, documentation, and solving problems. This webinar was first released 8 June 2020 on the Genealogy Guys Learn website.

Digitized, shelved, and some in obscure places. Online indexes and searchable images. Genealogical and historical society periodicals remain as important tools. This session illustrates the kind of treasures in those periodicals that might not be found anywhere else. Decades upon decades of articles have covered culture, migration, ethnicity, military, churches, cemeteries, family connections, queries, and other aspects of town, city, county, and state ancestral research. Indexes and record explanations with hundreds of names that are not on major genealogy websites. The webinar demonstrates how those periodicals are useful and vital for research, how to access them, and special considerations for using them to benefit your research.

This talk gives an overview of the investigative genetic genealogy process: what it is, where it is used and the basics of how it is undertaken. Nathan briefly discusses some real-life key cases that have used IGG and then moves on to his own fictional writing, focussing on the Venator Cold Case series, which uses this methodology to catch serial killers. He explains his meticulous research process, the experts that he consults and his process of writing.

Quilts with inked or embroidered names are referred to as signature quilts or friendship quilts. These quilts were used as gifts and fundraisers. Today these quilts are being used to tell stories of families and communities. In this presentation we will explore the history of signature quilts, how to research them, and repositories that collect them. Quilts are more than a bed covering, they also can be a genealogical source.

Did you know that the Google Translate tool you rely on as a genealogist also comes in a convenient browser extension? With this extension, you can instantly translate text right on the page you’re viewing, without the hassle of switching tabs or opening a new window. It’s a seamless way to break down language barriers while staying focused on your research!

Writing about your genealogy research can be challenging. Assembling genealogical conclusions requires time, persistence, and dedication. Learn how generative AI tools can help – whether you’re writing a biography, research report, or proof argument. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude can turn research logs into reports and timelines into narrative. Providing text to the AI tools help increase accuracy and limit errors. Generative AI tools can increase your writing efficiency, but your personal style may be lost. Learn how to maintain your unique voice while increasing productivity. We will also discuss when to disclose writing assistance from AI tools and how to cite them. Correction: In slide 36, Nicole mentions that the land Daniel Elder patented was within the Ottawa area of British Columbia. Ottawa was actually the location of the land patent office as the capital of Canada, and that’s why the location was included in the land patent. The land he patented was in British Columbia along the Railway Belt.

From overbearing privacy laws to poor funding to archives, genealogists’ access to the historical records we need are always under threat. Learn why genealogists need to take an active role in fighting for records access, what genealogists have already been doing, and what we can do going forward!

Did you mark your wish list in the Sears Christmas catalog as a child? FamilySearch Catalog lists everything available in the FamilySearch Library. Many of these items are also available online, at FamilySearch Centers and Affiliated Libraries. Items include books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications. This session will go through the steps on how to search by location, surname, title, author, subject, or keywords, and combinations of these. Learn to find where the items are located and what type of media they are stored in. Search online in film images, and adjust their image or zoom in and out. When you find records for your research, mark each to view later in a to-do list of items which may be printed to the library when you got in person. See how the FamilySearch Wiki will help find records for an area anywhere. Just like the Christmas Catalog had something for every member of the family, this catalog has something for everyone, no matter where you are researching.