Poolside Chats

Poolside Chats: A Genealogy Webinar Series

The “Poolside Chats: A Genealogy Webinar Series” is organized by the Technology-Outreach Committee and presented to the FSGS membership and the public on a monthly basis. We have had webinars on topics such as DNA in genealogy, cloud-based technology, Florida territorial records and everything in between – and we are just getting started.

Genealogy education today can be accomplished in a number of mediums, webinars being one of them. This educational opportunity can provide you with information about resources, new technology and its relationship with genealogy, methodology, new websites and new databases coming online, and much more.

The "Poolside Chats: A Genealogy Webinar Series" is organized by the Technology-Outreach Committee and presented to the FSGS membership and the public on a monthly basis. We have had webinars on topics such as DNA in genealogy, cloud-based technology, Florida territorial records, and everything in between - and we are just getting started.

Genealogy education today can be accomplished in a number of mediums, webinars being one of them. This educational opportunity can provide you with information about resources, new technology and its relationship with genealogy, methodology, new websites and new databases coming online, and much more.

All you need to participate is a computer with speakers and a connection to the internet. So, we invite you to sit back and enjoy the presentations being brought to you by knowledgeable presenters and made possible through your membership dues.

All webinars start at 8 PM ET unless otherwise noted.

Upcoming Webinars

Past Webinars

A Path to Your Next Research Steps: Using Timelines to Organize, Analyze and Evaluate Evidence

A Path to Your Next Research Steps: Using Timelines to Organize, Analyze and Evaluate Evidence

By Annette B. Lyttle | May 17, 2018
So you’ve done all this research – now what? How do you figure out what you have and what to look for next? Learn how timelines enable you to organize your information, evaluate your evidence, analyze research results for accuracy, and identify next research steps.

Annette Burke Lyttle owns Heritage Detective, LLC, providing professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing. She speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state, and local levels and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories.

Naturalization Know-How: The Laws and Records of U.S. Citizenship

Naturalization Know-How: The Laws and Records of U.S. Citizenship

By Rich Venezia | April 19, 2018
Many records were created when immigrant ancestors became American citizens. Learn what they are and how to find them.

Rich Venezia is a New Jersey native who now calls Pittsburgh home. He was a member of the research team of “Genealogy Roadshow” (PBS) for the second and third seasons. He started Rich Roots Genealogy in 2013. Rich specializes in 20th-century immigrant ancestry, with main focuses on Italian, Irish, Pittsburgh and New Jersey/New York research. He also assists clients with dual citizenship applications for Ireland and Italy. He is President of North Hills Genealogists in Pittsburgh. He lectures nationwide and delivered a TEDx talk on genealogy and empathy in June 2017.

Enslaved Blacks in White Church Records: An Overlooked Resource

Enslaved Blacks in White Church Records: An Overlooked Resource

By Wevonneda Minis | April 15, 2018
Slaves often attended their owners’ churches. Learn to use records of those churches for details about a slave’s parents, owners, attendance, dismissal, sale and more.

Wevonneda Minis is a South Carolina-based genealogist with twenty-five years of experience. She researches, writes and speaks professionally. Ms. Minis focuses on general research methodology, African Americans, slave-holding families, South Carolina, Georgia, and several types of records.

Genetic Genealogy: Advanced

Genetic Genealogy: Advanced

By Diahan Southard | March 15, 2018
Have you mastered the basics of autosomal DNA testing? There are several advanced tools that can help you glean more information from your DNA test.

A microbiology graduate, Diahan Southard has spent 16 years in the genetic genealogy industry. In her current position as Your DNA Guide, she provides personalized, interactive experiences to assist individuals and families in interpreting their genetic results in the context of their genealogical information.

Read ‘Em or Weep: Promise and Pitfalls in Newspaper OCR

Read ‘Em or Weep: Promise and Pitfalls in Newspaper OCR

By Mary Kircher Roddy | January 18, 2018
Learn where to find free and pay newspaper sites online. Understand how to put OCR mistakes to work for you to increase search results. See a method to make sure you do thorough searching in every newspaper every time.

Mary Roddy, a Certified Public Accountant, earned a certificate from the Genealogy and Family History program at the University of Washington. She speaks frequently in the Western Washington area and at regional and national conferences.

Chancery Records: The Secrets They Hold, The Families They Reveal

Chancery Records: The Secrets They Hold, The Families They Reveal

By Barbara Vines Little | December 21, 2017
How to locate and work with Chancery records, which often include evidence of migration, descriptions of multiple generations of family members, details of family life.

Barbara Vines Little, CGSM, FNGS, FVGS

Civil War Medical Records

Civil War Medical Records

By Craig R. Scott | November 6, 2017
A primer on how to locate Civil War medical records.

Craig is the President & CEO of Heritage Books, Inc. a genealogical publishing firm with over 5,100 titles in print. A professional genealogical and historical researcher for more than twenty-eight years, he specializes in the records of the National Archives, especially those that relate to the military.

Reverse Engineer a Genie Book: Creating Narrative from Evidence in Documents

Reverse Engineer a Genie Book: Creating Narrative from Evidence in Documents

By Anita R. Henderson | October 19, 2017
When you’re ready to write the stories of your ancestors, where do you begin? Most researchers start with the research itself. Sounds good, but that approach can be intimidating. After all, you have multiple binders and years of research under your belt. Where do you begin? How do you choose among all of your findings to tell a good story? In this session, you’ll learn a different approach to genealogy writing. By reverse engineering your genealogy book, you’ll be sure to:
write for the right audience
tell relevant stories
use only the necessary evidence to support your story
accomplish the goal you envision
Learn a proven technique to write an engaging genealogy book that appeals to non-genealogists. Explore three books written by researchers just like you to uncover how these authors used this reverse engineer practice and turned evidence into creative prose for their books.
A Day Out With Your DNA

A Day Out With Your DNA

By Diahan Southard | September 21, 2017
While DNA testing for genealogy is no longer a new idea, many companies are offering a new way to look at your DNA. In this lecture we will cover the biggest and brightest options, and help you decide where you should take your DNA, and how to make the most of it.

After getting bitten by the DNA bug as a high school student, Diahan went on to study at Brigham Young University where she earned a bachelors degree in microbiology. She worked before and after graduation for the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, one of the first efforts to create a correlated genetic and genealogical database.