4/20/2024
Registration for Genealogy in Bloom is now open!
Rochester Genealogical Society's annual all day genealogical conference.
GIB 2024 will be hybrid and take place both in person and over Zoom.
Genealogy In Bloom with Jeanette Sheliga
Session Descriptions
Getting Acquainted With The Genealogical Proof Standard- Having a research plan is always a good idea when researching your ancestors. This presentation will introduce the audience to the Genealogical Proof Standard and demonstrate how following through the steps will help you solve your genealogy research questions and hopefully bust through some of the brick walls that you might have.
NYS Censuses: You Won't Believe What's Hiding There- New York State conducted 10 State censuses between 1825-1925. Some of the questions asked for the State censuses provide details prior to the beginning of civil registrations and decades before a similar question was asked on the Federal censuses. If you have New York State genealogy research to do, this is a record collection that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with!
County Courthouse Records in NYS- This presentation tours numerous New York State County Courthouses and demonstrates common records one can expect to find along with examples of unique records that researchers may not be familiar with. Also discussed are dissolved courts, various index systems, and finding digitized courthouse records.
Sanborn Fire Maps For Genealogy-The Sanborn Map Company published many detailed maps of cities and towns around the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Using them, in conjunction with other sources, can help tell the stories of your ancestors and give you a picture of what their living conditions and communities were like during the time that they resided there.
Location: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
460 Kreag Rd
Pittsford, NY 14534
Registration ends on 4/20/2024
RGS Members & Non-Members must Register for GIB
Genealogy in Bloom Details
Event Cost/Registration/Invoice:
- Registration for Genealogy in Bloom opens on Friday, March 1st and closes on Friday, 19 April.
- RGS members and non-members must register for this event and choose between participating in-person or over Zoom.
- Genealogy in Bloom is free for registered RGS members. Consider joining RGS for $25 and receive Genealogy in Bloom for free as a member benefit..
- Non-members event cost is $30, which allows you to participate either in-person or over Zoom.
- Your invoice with event details will be emailed to the email address used to register for the event.
- 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Event Check-in Opens. Bidding starts on silent auction.
- 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. - Welcome and announcements
- 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. - Getting Acquainted with the Genealogical Proof Standard
- 10:30 - 10:45 a.m. - Break
- 10:45 - 11:55 a.m. - NYS Censuses - You Won't Believe What's Hiding There
- 11:55 a.m. - Drawing of first two raffle books
- Noon - 1:15 pm. - Lunch
- 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. - County Courthouse Records of New York State
- 2:30 - 2:45 p.m. - Break. Last chance to bid in silent auction or buy book raffle tickets.
- 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. - Sanborn Fire Maps for Genealogy
- 4:00 p.m. - Closing remarks, recognition, and drawing of last two raffle books
Participants are encouraged to bring lunch and socialize/network during the lunch time break. Food will not be provided or available onsite. Please check out the list of restaurant/meal options within driving distance of event.
Brugger's Bagels, Tom Wahl's, Pontillo's, Agave Express Mexican Bar and Grill, Dunkin and Tim Hortons are on Route 96 - Pittsford Victor Rd. (exit left onto Kreag Rd., turn right or left onto Route 96).
Wegman's, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Panera, Wendy's, Applebee's, Starbucks, Dibella's, Boccaccini's Italian Bistro, Tandoor of India, Chipotle, Sakura Garden, and Joe's Brooklyn Pizza are on Route 31 - Pittsford Palmyra Rd. (exit right onto Kreag Rd., turn right onto Route 31).
Water:
Participants are encouraged to bring water for the event, water will not be available to purchase at the event.
Silent Auction & Book Raffle:
Genealogy in Bloom will include a silent book auction and book raffle throughout the event. A great number of genealogy and local history books will be available during the book auction. Cash and check will be taken as payment options for the silent auction and book raffle.
Zoom Information:
If you have registered to attend over Zoom, the Zoom link will be included in the confirmation, please do not share the Zoom link with others. If you do not receive a Zoom link, please email membership@nyrgs.org or info@nyrgs.org.
4/29/2024
The quarterly RGS Board Meeting is open to all RGS members to attend. The Spring 2024 RGS Quarterly Board Meeting will take place over Zoom on Monday, 29 April 2024 starting at 6:45 p.m.
Please forward meeting agenda and board reports by 15 April 2024 to Andrew Paris, RGS Secretary @ secretary@nyrgs.org.
Questions: Please email Eric Vaughn, RGS President @ president@nyrgs.org.
RGS Paid Members: Zoom link is located on the members login page, https://nyrgs.org/rgs_event_zoom_links.php.
Location: Zoom Event
Registration ends on 4/30/2024
6/11/2024
Join Steve Little, AI Program Director at the National Genealogical Society, for a comprehensive and forward-looking discussion on the role of Artificial Intelligence in genealogy. In this insightful talk, Steve will delve into the evolution and current state of AI in genealogy, tracing its journey from its early developments to its revolutionary impact in 2023, to today, and beyond. Steve will explore the fascinating interplay of genealogy, technology, and language, and how AI tools, particularly large language models like GPT-4, are changing genealogical research and analysis. He'll discuss the technical underpinnings of these AI models, emphasizing their language-based mechanisms and how they've been trained on vast amounts of historical data. Expect to gain insights into both the triumphs and challenges faced in integrating AI into genealogy. Steve will highlight the practical applications, ethical considerations, and the ongoing journey of mitigating AI's limitations. He'll also speculate on future advancements, focusing on emerging use cases, interaction methods with AI, and the exciting prospects of new AI tools for specialized tasks in genealogy. Whether you're a seasoned genealogist or new to the field, this talk promises to provide a rich understanding of AI's role in genealogy, equipping you with knowledge and inspiration to harness these tools in your research journey. Get ready to explore how we got here and where we're headed in the dynamic world of AI genealogy.