FGS FORUM Summer 2010 issue available

The Summer issue of the FGS FORUM is now ready for subscribers to view online at www.fgs.org/FORUM. Not a subscriber? View a free issue at www.fgs.org/FORUM and check out the special $15/$25 offer now!

Summer's 60-page issue is bursting with good information. "An Urban-Friendly Resource," "Recovering Family History Through Memories," and "New Source for UK Research" are just three of the articles aimed at avid researchers. Society officers will appreciate "Using a Wiki to Preserve a Society's Knowledge Base." These and other articles are joined by our regular feature columns by professionals Linda McCleary, Christine Rose, Randy Seaver, and Curt Witcher. All this plus 13 (yes, 13) pages of book reviews edited by Paul Milner.

This is one of our best issues yet. Enjoy!

FGS Annual Meeting Notice

The Annual Meeting of the Federation of Genealogical Societies will be held Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at 9:00 AM in conjunction with the FGS 2010 Conference at the Knoxville Convention and Exhibition Center, 701 Henley Street, Knoxville, TN 37902.  This meeting will be held in Ballroom E immediately following the Focus on Societies Opening Session with Curt Witcher.

2010 FGS Conference - Spotlight on Societies

As another membership benefit, genealogical societies that belong to FGS are eligible to participate in Spotlight on Societies at the 2010 FGS Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. Spotlight on Societies will be a "display only" section of free tables inside the Exhibit Hall. If societies wish to make sales, they must reserve a regular exhibit booth. Please ship your display materials and brochures to arrive between August 1 and August 10, 2010. This is a great way to let conference attendees and those from other societies learn about the neat things your society is doing, pick up a membership brochure or see some examples of your activities. If you wish to have any of the items returned, you must arrange for someone to pick up whatever is left by 5pm on Saturday, August 21st.

To send boxes via UPS or FED EX:
ETHS - FGS Society Brochures
601 S. Gay St.
Knoxville, TN 37902

To send padded envelopes via US Mail:
ETHS - FGS Society Brochures
P.O. Box 1629
Knoxville, TN 37901-1619

Nominations for FGS 2010 Youth Award - Deadline July 15

The FGS Outreach Committee is accepting nominations for the FGS 2010 Youth Award. This award honors volunteers under the age of eighteen who have made significant contributions to an FGS member society.

Award recipients receive recognition during the FGS conference, a complimentary registration to the FGS 2010 conference, a write-up in FGS FORUM and a package of exciting genealogical materials from various genealogical vendors.

Nominees must be affiliated with an FGS member society, and be eighteen or younger as of July 15, 2010.

Nominations should include the following:

• Society’s name and contact information, including the name of the society president and/or FGS delegate.
• Brief description of the youth’s contribution to your society.
• Youth's name and contact information

Nominations should be submitted via e-mail to fgsoutreach@fgs.org by July 15, 2010. The award will be presented during the opening session of the FGS 2010 Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Deb Deal Receives 2010 Sheppard Prize

Deborah Lichtner Deal of Chandlersville, Ohio, has been selected the 2010 recipient of the Walter Lee Sheppard Jr. Prize,  bestowed annually upon a genealogist who demonstrates sound practices and exceptional potential. Candidates for the award are drawn from the Advanced Research Methodology and Evidence Analysis track (Track 4) at Samford University's Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research. The stipend awarded to the recipient covers the preliminary and final application fees for individuals pursuing certification by the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

Past recipients of the prize include Teri Tillman, CG, of Natchez, Mississippi; and Phil Burnett Adderly, CG, of Shreveport, Louisiana.

Ms. Deal is a member of the Ohio Genealogical Society Board of Trustees, chairperson of the OGS Summer Workshop, the 2010 OGS conference exhibit chair, and OGS historian. She is a past president of the Muskingum County Chapter of OGS and has served as its chapter newsletter editor, cemetery
chairman, and library volunteer coordinator. Additionally, she is vice-president of the Morgan County Genealogical Society and a member of APG, NGS, NEHGS, and other genealogical organizations.

The Samford University IGHR and the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) were both founded in 1964 by a cadre of genealogical educators seeking to advance the professionalism of the field. Across the decades, BCG has co-sponsored the IGHR; and a significant number of Board-certified genealogists have been its course coordinators and instructors.

The prize itself memorializes the late Walter Lee Sheppard Jr., one of the twentieth century's leading genealogical scholars whose example strongly promoted sound reasoning and careful analysis in all genealogical specialties. As a mentor, his discerning eye could be counted upon to identify a missed source or clue in compiled work, thereby strengthening a colleague's conclusions. A founder and president of BCG, Lee was also a fellow and president of the American Society of Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, and other bodies; and in 2007, he was elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame.

The Sheppard Prize is privately funded by an IGHR Track 4 graduate, for whom Lee acted as mentor and patron. The prize has no affiliation with the Board for Certification of Genealogists itself.

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
Course Coordinator, Track 4
Advanced Research Methodology & Evidence Analysis
Samford University Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research

Archivist of the U.S. to Speak at FGS Luncheon at Conference in Knoxville

FGS is pleased to announce that the Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, will be speaking at our FGS Focus on Societies Luncheon on Wednesday, August 18th. If you have already registered, you can still purchase a ticket -- this luncheon is open to everyone! Mr. Ferriero will be speaking on the Citizen-Archivist and about the War of 1812 Digitization Project and will also have a question and answer period. We wish to thank Mr. Ransom H. Love and the FamilySearch team for graciously welcoming the Archivist to speak in their place at this luncheon. To register for the conference and to add this luncheon, click here.

Following the FGS Luncheon, the Archivist will be joining Librarians Day to speak with the Librarians and Archivists who have gathered for that event. Spots in Librarians Day are filling very quickly. ProQuest, our Librarians Day sponsor, has graciously opened that event to a larger audience, but once these reservations are filled we will need to start a wait list. To register for the Wednesday Librarians Day and to see the program, click here.

David S. Ferriero Biography

David S. Ferriero was sworn in as 10th Archivist of the United States on November 13, 2009.

Previously, Mr. Ferriero served as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries (NYPL).  In this position he was part of the leadership team responsible for integrating the four research libraries and 87 branch libraries into one seamless service for users; and he was in charge of collection strategy; conservation; digital experience and strategy; reference and research services; and education, programming, and exhibitions.

Before joining the NYPL in 2004, Mr. Ferriero served in top positions at two of the nation's major academic libraries, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, and Duke University in Durham, NC. 

Mr. Ferriero earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from Northeastern University in Boston and a master's degree from the Simmons College of Library and Information Science, also in Boston. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.