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We had such a great time at the Salt Lake Family History Expo! There’s nothing better than sharing genealogy education and fun with friends.

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Several attendees and Bloggers of Honor chronicled their own Expo adventures on their blogs.

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A. C. Ivory of Find My Ancestor did triple duty at the Salt Lake Family History Expo as Blogger of Honor, speaker and exhibitor for the Utah Genealogical Association.

Sandy Family History Expo is Underway!

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Blogger of Honor Renee Zamora of Renee’s Genealogy Blog had a packed weekend. Luckily she wrote about it so we don’t miss a thing.

Salt Lake Family History Expo 2010 – Day 1

Salt Lake Family History Expo 2010 – Day 2

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Another Blogger of Honor, Dick Eastman of Eastman’s Online Genealogy Blog, wrote some fabulous blog posts about his time at the Salt Lake Family History Expos. He also took some great photos, so check them out.

Salt Lake Family History Expo – Day #1

Flip-Pal

Salt Lake Family History Expo – Day #2

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Rayanne Melick of Grove Creek Family History Blog, yet another great Blogger of Honor, also discussed the Expo.

Salt Lake Family History Expo 2010

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Speaker, blogger and Expo friend The Ancestry Insider provided Family Search updates on his Ancestry Insider blog. FamilySearch unveiled important news at the Salt Lake Family History Expo and he was there to intercept and pass it along to readers.

FamilySearch in a Corner

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Thanks to all of the bloggers for their great recaps.

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Be sure to join the Family History Expos page on Facebook so you can see the photo album from the Salt Lake Family History Expo.

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Next on our calendar is the California Family History Expo, October 8-9, 2010. Please join us for genealogy education and fun!

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Family History Expos is pleased to have the makers of the Flip-Pal mobile scanner as sponsors of the Salt Lake Family History Expo.

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The Flip-Pal crew is so excited to meet everyone at the Expo that they created a special informative web page just for attendees. Check out the Flip-Pal video demo and register to win a SD memory card.

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Representatives from Flip-Pal will be on hand in booth #505 to answer questions and provide demonstrations of their mobile scanners.

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You can follow Flip-Pal on LinkedIn and You Tube and Twitter. They also have a Flip-Pal blog where users’ stories about preserving memories are shared.

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Thank you to Flip-Pal and all of the other great sponsors who make our Expos such a success. See you August 27-28 at the Salt Lake Family History Expo!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information:

Holly T. Hansen, President

expos@fhexpos.com

801-829-3295

“We’re here to embrace the future of history.”

–Holly T. Hansen

Family History Expos Founder, President

Family History Expo Brings Past to Life

Aug. 27-28, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY, UT— The 2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo, Aug. 27-28, will help bring the past to life with educational workshops, speakers, and exhibitors committed to teaching the art of family history research.

Nationally celebrated author, lecturer and researcher Thomas Jay Kemp will open the event at a free opening ceremony Aug. 27 at 8 a.m. at the event venue, South Towne Exposition Center, 9575 S. State Street in Sandy.

The American Library Association recently honored Kemp, the keynote speaker, with its lifetime achievement award known as the RUSA/GPC Award. Kemp was reportedly selected for his long-time leadership role in genealogy librarianship and his significant contributions to genealogy publications. He is well-known as one of genealogy’s primary librarians and authors. Many of his sources are classics known to librarians of all types.

“Families and historical preservation are such important elements in the Utah culture. Our Expos help people find themselves by finding their own family roots,” FHExpos President and Founder Holly T. Hansen said.

FHExpos is a Croydon, Utah-based company with nearly 10 years experience educating family historians and genealogists of all levels through family history expositions throughout the Western United States.

” I absolutely love to watch the lights turn on when a participant makes a life-changing discovery. That’s what it’s all about,” Hansen said.

Presenters are hand selected for their expertise in various areas of research, family history, and genealogy. Sessions are suitable for participants at all levels of genealogy experience.

An exhibit hall featuring hands-on demonstrations is free and opened to the public.  Door prizes, samples, and give-away samples will be plentiful. A host of bloggers will be at the show sharing their knowledge with a major following via Facebook, Twitter, professional blogs, and other social networking sites.

The exhibit hall is free to the public, and registration for two full days of classes is available for only $65 in advance or $75 at the door. One day registration is $40. Registration and a full schedule is available on the company’s website at www.fhexpos.com. If you only have time of one or two classes register at the door for only $12 each class.

Industry Experts Lead the Way to Family History Research

Hansen said the most experienced professionals are invited to teach at FHExpos events. “We want to provide our participants with the latest and greatest tools and information out there. We’re not afraid of new technology and neither should our followers be afraid. We’re here to embrace the future of history,” she said.

Class titles will include, “Crossing the Ocean with the Internet,” FamilySearch 2010 and Beyond,” “Finding Your Female Ancestors,” “Genealogy Gifts and Games,” “Journey Takers: An Inside Look at Immigration Research,” “Finding Your Scottish Ancestors: What Do You Need to Do,” and more.

The event is sponsored by genealogy and family history giants including FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, Family Insight, Generation Maps, Limited Edition Publishers, Ancestral Quest, and Flip Pal Mobile Scanners.

Register online at www.fhexpos.com, or by calling 801-829-3295.

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Family History Expos, Inc. is a Utah-based company headquartered in Croydon, Utah. FHE has been holding successful Expos throughout the Western United States for seven years, teaching thousands to learn the art of and experience the spirit of family history research.

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Family History Expos is pleased to have Ancestral Quest™ as a sponsor of the 2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo. They are the makers of the award-winning Ancestral Quest™ Family Tree software used by genealogists with all levels of experience.

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Speakers from Ancestral Quest™ are leading two sessions at the Salt Lake Family History Expo that may be of interested to FamilySearch and PAF users:

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Friday, August 27

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FamilySearch made easy with Ancestral Quest, Gaylon Findlay, 1:30 p.m.

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Saturday, August 28

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Ancestral Quest: The Natural Upgrade for PAF, Gaylon Findlay, 9:30 a.m.

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Representatives from Ancestral Quest™ will be leading instructional sessions from their exhibit booth as well:

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Friday 11:05 – 11:25 – Getting Started with Ancestral Quest
Friday 1:00 – 1:20 – Using AQ as a Supplement to or a Replacement for PAF
Friday 4:05 – 4:25 – Reserving and Tracking LDS Ordinances with AQ

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Saturday 12:35 – 12:55 – Moving Notes Between PAF/AQ and New FamilySearch
Saturday 2:05 – 2:25 – Using New FamilySearch as a Resource for PAF or AQ Users

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You can also follow Ancestral Quest™ on Facebook.

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If you have any questions about Ancestral Quest™ or want to see the product in action, stop by booths 501/503 at the Salt Lake Family History Expo.

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Bargain Alert! You can purchase Ancestral Quest™ software at their booth for $10.00 off the regular price! Special Salt Lake Family History Expo pricing will be $24.95 for the CD, and $19.95 for downloaded copy with key.

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Remember access to the exhibit hall is FREE. We hope to see you there!

Acclaimed author of The Journey Takers, Leslie Albrecht Huber, will be speaking at the Salt Lake City Family History Expo in Sandy on August 27th! Come and listen to the story that started it all. Afterwards, Leslie will be signing copies of her book in our exhibit hall.

President and Founder of Family History Expos, Holly Hansen, says “Leslie Albrecht Huber has the ability to pull us back in history, allowing us to view it through her eyes. She is able to capture the essence of life as it may have been. The reader will find it impossible to lay the book aside as Huber shares her experience in a way that envelops, inspires, and motivates.”

This is an opportunity not to be missed. Space is still available for the Expo – see our website at http://fhexpos.com to register!

School records can provide a glimpse into our ancestor’s younger days.  There are many different kinds of records out there and your ability to access them depends on your ancestor’s locality and what has been made available to researchers. To learn more about what types of records might be available, consult The Source’s chapter on Business, Institution and Organization Records. You can read The Source through the Ancestry Wiki.

When searching the Family History Library Catalog, conduct a place search for where your ancestor lived and then click on the link “Schools”.  This will show you a list of what school records are available through the Family History Library and possibly through microfilm loan at your local Family History Center. In looking through school records for California, there is everything from school-land warrants to Bureau of Indian Affairs school records to superintendent reports.

You may also want to look at the state archive or library for the state you are researching.  Some school documentation may have been archived at these institutions. To find a state archive click here.  Some state archives might even have online indexes to their records.  An example of this is the Colorado State Archives.

Googling the state you are researching plus the words “school records” may also help you find information on various websites.  In Googling Nebraska School Records I was lead to the website I Dream of Genealogy which has records for a few counties in Nebraska, including school censuses, superintendents reports, pupil lists and histories.

Don’t forget to check genealogy subscription sites and free sites like the US Genweb and Cyndi’s List for even more resources to researching school records.

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Time is Running Out!

Have you signed up for the California Expo?

We look forward to seeing you at the Salt Lake Expo next week, August 27-28, 2010.

See you at the Expo!

Family History Expos is pleased to have Limited Edition Publishers as a sponsor of the 2010 Salt Lake Family History Expo. They are a full-service publisher dedicated to producing handcrafted books (both hard and softcover) ideal for your family history needs.

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Speakers from Limited Edition Publishers will be conducting the following sessions at the Expo:

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Friday, August 27

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Digital Photography for the Family Historian, 3:00 p.m.

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Saturday, August 28

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Social Networking for the Genealogist, 8:00 a.m.

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Incorporating Oral History Into Your Genealogy, 9:30 a.m.

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Technology for Genealogists, 2:30 p.m.

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Representatives from Limited Edition Publishers will be on hand in booth #205/304 to answer your questions and show you examples of their products.

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Remember, the exhibit area is FREE, so come on down and check out Limited Edition Publishers and all of the other great vendors at the Salt Lake Family History Expo, August 27-28, 2010.

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We are pleased to announce the Bloggers of Honor for the Salt Lake Family History Expo, August 27-28, 2010.

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Our Bloggers of Honor provide information and updates about the Expo to members of the genealogy community. They help us make each Expo a virtual event by sharing on Twitter, Facebook and blogs about the sessions, Expo news, exhibitors and more. If you’re attending the Expo, stop by the Beacon of Bloggers in the Exhibit Hall and meet our Bloggers of Honor. They’re a great group!

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Salt Lake Family History Expo Bloggers of Honor:

A. C. Ivory – Find My Ancestor

Renee Zamora – Renee’s Genealogy Blog

Dick Eastman – Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter

Sue Maxwell – Granite Genealogy

Leland Meitzler – Genealogy Blog

Rayanne Melick – Grove Creek Family History Blog

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Other bloggers in attendance at the Salt Lake Family History Expo

Lisa Alzo – The Accidental Genealogist

Arlene Eakle – Arlene H. Eakle’s Genealogy Blog

Holly Hansen – Family History Expos Blog

Gena Ortega – Gena’s Genealogy

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Are you a blogger who is attending the Salt Lake Family History Expo? Please let us know so we can add you to the list of attending bloggers.

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See you at the Salt Lake Family History Expo!

Probably due to the mistaken notion that they are of a more recent origin, yearbooks are often the neglected wallflower of the genealogy world. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to yearbook publisher, Lifetouch Publishing, yearbooks have been around since the 1600s when students acquired books filled with school memorabilia and hand written notes. The first use of the term “yearbook” was in the 1700s. By 1880, yearbooks, often called “senior books” or “annuals” were books produced by a senior class that sometimes included pictures or blank pages for you to paste in the pictures of your friends. Yearbooks have changed through the years and have reflected what was going on in the world at the time of their publication.


Yearbooks hold a treasure of genealogical information, for example they provide the maiden name of women; they allow you to verify that an ancestor was in a particular place in time; and they can confirm the names of other family members (cousins, siblings that attended the same school), friends, or acquaintances. It’s important to look for yearbooks not just for your student ancestor but also the ancestor who worked as a teacher, coach, or administrator at a school. Depending on what the owner wrote in their yearbook, other genealogical information may be found. One writer of yearbook history notes that a yearbook in her collection, a 1930 Everett, Washington High Yearbook, included where the previous owner had written information next to photos that included the married names of women and names of spouses.

When looking for yearbooks, remember that yearbooks did not always look the way they did when you graduated from high school. Yearbooks might be available for junior high or middle schools, high schools, college and universities, military groups, fraternities and sororities. Alumni directories, more common during the 1800′s through the 1910′s, include lists of students and biographical information. Art and literary magazines, popular during the early 1900′s, were magazines filled with articles written by students. These works may have been published on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Picture yearbooks became popular when the ability to reproduce pictures inexpensively made these types of books feasible. These include individual student and class pictures, writings and remembrances, and have been popular since about 1940.

Where can you look for yearbooks with pictures of your family member? First, try the school’s library, see if they have kept their yearbooks over the years. A nearby public library might have yearbooks as part of their local history collection. Try looking for yearbooks owned by historical societies, genealogy societies, or as part of a genealogy website. The website San Francisco Genealogy has a list of volunteers who will look up information in San Francisco yearbooks for you. I Dream of Genealogy also has indexes of yearbooks. You can select a state and then a school and see a transcribed list of names found in that yearbook. Old-Yearbooks.com is a free site that has digitized yearbooks and other school ephemera.

Subscription genealogy websites such as Ancestry and WorldVitalRecords both have yearbook collections. Recently WorldVitalRecords, in partnership with E-Yearbook added 8,000 yearbooks to their collection.  This collection includes school yearbooks as well as military yearbooks. E-Yearbook is a subscription site that allows you access to millions of pictures from middle school, high school, college and military yearbooks. Genealogy Today’s Family Tree Connection subscription database includes yearbooks and other school records. You can search the database by last name or by resource. Over 3.5 million names are a part of this database and new resources are constantly being added.

The Family History Library has a limited collection of school yearbooks, approximately 75. A keyword search of the term “yearbook” brings over 800 hits in the Family History Library catalog. These yearbooks include a wide range of sources including membership organization records and church directories.
Although yearbooks are limited in how much they can tell about an ancestor, a persistent genealogist who looks for yearbooks will be rewarded with information about their ancestor’s student days and a picture to add to their collection.

Family History Expos is pleased to have Thomas Jay Kemp give the Keynote Address at the upcoming Salt Lake Family History Expo! You may know him best as the familiar face behind NewsBank, inc., which includes GenealogyBank. Kemp has also been working as a genealogy and local history librarian for over 45 years.

Recently, he received the prestigious RUSA/GPC lifetime achievement award from the American Library Association. He was recognized for his decades of genealogy librarianship and numerous publications throughout the field.

During his career, Kemp has served as the Library Director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Special Collections Library at the University of South Florida, Tampa and the Godfrey Memorial Library. He is currently the Director of Genealogy Products at NewsBank, inc.

Those who have heard Thomas Jay Kemp speak in person know of his talent and vast knowledge of information services and historical resources. Expo attendees are in for a treat as we have such a legend in genealogy kick off our great event.

The theme for the Salt Lake Family History Expo is Let Your Light Shine! With our fantastic Keynote Speaker, dozens of genealogy sessions and exciting exhibits, we plan to help you do just that. Won’t you join us? See you at the Expo!