Downsizing? Organizing & Care for Personal Collections

Emily Sienkiewicz

Do you have photos, slides, film, documents, textiles, furniture, artwork, silver, ceramics, stoneware, crystal, or various other types of materials to care for; not sure how to organize or store those materials? Learn expert tips from Heritage Room staff with archival preservation experience on how to best organize and store your heirlooms for the future. Downsizing and not sure what to keep, sell, or donate? Staff will share tips and best practices for curating a personal collection future generations will value. Examples of storage materials and organizational workflows will be reviewed. Be sure to come in-person to see examples and get some hands-on experience. This program is one of the events in our Preservation Week …

Steve Szabados’ Writing Your Family History for the Nonwriter

Emily Sienkiewicz

Were your ancestors royalty or members of the working class? Were they rich or barely surviving? Whoever they were, we need to preserve their memory. This program will discuss a process and format that makes transforming your research efforts into a written family history easier. Learn a method to easily save your information and tips to help them “come alive.” If we do not preserve the memories and stories of our ancestors for future generations, who will? Zoom Link: us06web.zoom.us/j/83538877682 Steve Szabados is a genealogy lecturer and author. He has been researching his ancestors since 2000 and has traced ancestors back to the 1600s in New England, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and the 1730s in Poland, …

Kathy’s Corner: Digitizing that collection of inherited family photos

Emily Sienkiewicz

This popular monthly session focuses on a challenge for every family historian: Sorting and digitizing collections of inherited family photos and artifacts. Our speaker, Projectkin member Kathy Stone has decades of experience as a professional photo organizer and is now working on her family history projects. As a pro, she appreciates the challenge of actually getting projects done. In these “Corner” events, she answers questions and coaches members as your personal “sherpa over Mt. Inertia.” Our programs build on the 8-step approach she shared in a post and the 2023 Kathy’s Corner series. (Projectkin members have access to event recordings through the Members’ Chat Room in the Projectkin Forum.) Now the focus will be on …

Informal Archives: Capturing Family Memories

Emily Sienkiewicz

This workshop aims at collectively exploring different shapes and forms of informal family archives and oral histories’ role in keeping family memories alive. Informal family archives could include (but are not limited to): letters, photographs, clothes, audio recordings, videos, etc. Participants are encouraged to bring along and share one item from a family collection and share memories and stories associated with it. We will be discussing: tangible and intangible memories, what is an archive? And what we practically need to create one. For details see www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/informal-archives-capturing-family-memories-tickets-723721609817

Archiving a Life Story: How to Preserve Family Records

Emily Sienkiewicz

Your family’s records give clues about their lives and what they valued. This program will teach you how to arrange your “stuff” into an organized personal collection, from start to finish. Learn how to preserve documents, photographs, and artifacts for future generations with practical tips and best practices. By preserving and organizing family records, you can help pass on your family’s story. This class will be held in person as well as virtually via Zoom simultaneously. Registration is required and closes 1 hour before the start of the program. Please indicate whether you will be attending in person or virtually when registering. An email address is required when registering to attend on Zoom.

Finally Get Organized! Conquer the Clutter Using Your Natural Learning Style by Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal

Emily Sienkiewicz

The Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society welcomes Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal with her presentation, “Finally Get Organized! Conquer the Clutter Using Your Natural Learning Style.” Have you tried organizing your family history documents, photos, and digital files, but you just can’t find a system that you can stick to? Start organizing according to your natural learning style! This talk will help you identify your specific learning style and will share brain- and research-based organizing strategies for each style. Learn how you learn so you can finally get organized with the right system for YOU! All are welcome at our meetings. Zoom attendees must register in advance at us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkce6gpjstHNFwdI3JpjpX9LyvnitnBzrN About the Speaker: Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal is a …

Exploring Cemetery and Funeral Home Records

Emily Sienkiewicz

This class will present how to discover information about your family from the records of funeral homes, cemeteries and grave sites. How and where to find these records will also be discussed. Presented by Debbe Hagner. This class will be held online only via Zoom. Registration is required for all Zoom attendees. For details see us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdumgrzwqE9FZkKsudPUCPwPz0lBnsAki

10 Steps to Organizing for the Busy Genealogist

Amanda Meeks

As a genealogist who hasn’t felt overwhelmed with volumes of paper, a steady flood of daily emails, and projects that have been started but never finished? This presentation will tackle dealing with these issues. • Setting up daily routines • Discover ways to set up filing systems that work across platforms both digital and conventional. • Step-by-step approach to GET ORGANIZED and a “Tool Kit” of good ideas to take back and implement. This class will be held in person as well as virtually via Zoom simultaneously. Registration is required and closes one hour before the start of the program. Please indicate whether you will be attending in person or virtually when registering. An email …

Using AI in Family History Research

Amanda Meeks

We’ve all seen the headlines about Artificial Intelligence- this new technology seems to be able to do everything from producing complex digital images to creating songs! But have you wondered how it might be able to help your family history research? In this lecture, Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb will discuss exciting possibilities for using AI to support your research—including assistance with report writing, digitally restoring family photos, and more. She will also address aspects of AI that genealogists should be cautious of, such as accuracy and copyright concerns. Join us as we explore this exciting new technological frontier! For details see www.americanancestors.org/events/using-ai-family-history-researchq