Are you looking for a speaker for your upcoming conference, seminar, or meeting?  I’d love to work with you!  Here are some topics which I have developed as presentations.  If you have something specific in mind, please let me know and I’ll see if I can create a presentation for you.

GETTING STARTED

Genealogy Research for the Thrifty
Not everyone can afford subscriptions to Ancestry or FindMyPast and in this session I’ll share free resources that are available. Strategies to cut down on your expenses while still making breakthroughs in your research will be shared.

What Else is in the Newspaper?
For many genealogists, research in the newspaper archives is about finding those elusive obituaries.  However there are many more gems to be found in the news than that!  We will talk about strategies to find more about our ancestors’ lives than that final obit.

The Basics of Land Records
One of the biggest draws for immigrants to America was the desire to own land.  Land records give insight into how our ancestors lived and their place in the community.  I will cover the basics of land terminology, where to look for the records, what they mean, and resources online.

Getting the Most from FamilySearch
Have you been struggling with the thousands of search results when you plug in your ancestor’s name?  I’ll share the methods I use to get a handle on narrowing those search results and focusing on the databases where you’ll have the best success rate.  We’ll talk about the Wiki and the Learning Center as resources for self-education too!

Get Your Story Out There!
Have you been writing your family’s history and wanted to share it with the world? Or perhaps you just want to give it as a gift to your grandchildren? This presentation will cover the many options available for self-publishing. We’ll cover the latest online services that can get your work published electronically or in an actual book format. Whether you are publishing for yourself, your family, or ultimately for sale to the general public there are some important steps that you need to be aware of to protect your hard work. We’ll also cover the important topics of copyright, marketing, and selling your book.

TECHNOLOGY

Blogging for Genealogists
The buzzword for years in genealogy has been “Blogging” and I will discuss the benefits of blogging your own research. I will present an overview of resources to get you started writing a blog and/or reading blogs to benefit your own genealogy research and break down your brick walls.

Documenting Your Family Heirlooms 
As family heirlooms are passed down from generation to generation it becomes challenging to know where the item originated and the story behind it. This class will cover methods (techie and non-techie) to document your photographs, documents, quilts, and embroidered samplers.

7 Ways to Use the Cloud  
“The Cloud” hovers in the news, but do we really know how to take advantage of it? This session will include explanations of what the cloud can do for you and ways to protect your privacy. These 7 ways that you can use the cloud to make your personal research more effective will also make it easier to share with other generations of your family. The cloud can also be a great resource for “crowd sourcing”. Volunteers all around the world can access scans of documents and provide invaluable transcribing and indexing efforts.

Stepping into the World of Digital Publishing  
In a world of smartphones, tablets, and an increasingly computer savvy public we all are challenged every day in how we share our family history. In this class I will present ways that you can more easily create your society or family newsletters or books in a format compatible with the world of new gadgets being used daily.

Genealogy and GIS: A Beginner’s How-To
When you dig into genealogy a repeated lesson is to know your location. We’ll uncover how using GIS can connect geospatial history with your family history research. In this session we’ll cover the exciting historical geospatial information that is now available for use in Google Earth and the many other tools available online.

IMMIGRANT RESEARCH

We’re Here in America, Now What?
Your immigrant ancestors came to America with their hopes and little money. While some families arrived with relatives or friends that had already settled in the area, many were facing a world that was quite foreign to them. I’ll present information about organizations that guided them to a job, residence, and more. We’ll also discuss immigrant newspapers and their role in strengthening the immigrant communities.

JEWISH RESEARCH

Oy Vay! You Want to Research Jewish Ancestors?
Whether you have a Jewish ancestor or are looking to assist others, this session will step you through the recommended research process. I will give tips on unique aspects of Jewish life and attendees will be guided through to the discovery of the hometown of my great-grandfather.

Getting the Most from JewishGen.org
Whether you have a Jewish ancestor or not this website could help you with your European research.  I’ll share some of the many tools available on the website and how they could relate to your European ancestors.  It’s not just for Jewish research!