FGS Partners with German Association of Genealogical Associations

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces a new partnership with Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft genealogischer Verbände e. V. (DAGV), an umbrella organization of genealogical and heraldic associations in Germany, in order to further the exchange of ideas and information between genealogists and family historians across the globe.

Originally announced during the recent RootsTech 2013 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, March 23, 2013, FGS and DAGV will work to “develop technical solutions to preserve and present records and to increase the mutual contact” between both societies and their members.

DAGV, founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1949 and based in Stuttgart, represents 63 member associations in Germany with a total of 20,000 individual members among the organizations. Combined with the over 500 member associations and 500,000 individuals represented by FGS, both organizations intend to work closely together within the world umbrella organization of the Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d'Héraldique (CIGH).

A prevailing goal of this new alliance between FGS and DAGV is for a World Conference to be held in the near future to further the public’s interest in genealogy. Both organizations will focus on strengthening the world organization in order to build bridges for generations to come and setting the world family history research agenda for the 21st century.

Dirk Weissleder, DAGV National Chairman stated “ I personally want to ensure strong co-operation between our two umbrella organizations in the US and Germany. In order to support genealogical research at this level, we must leverage our personal contacts in sharing information and experiences. A key initiative will be to get younger people interested in genealogy through the use of the Internet as well as the structures of our genealogical societies.”

D. Joshua Taylor, FGS President, added: “The challenges and opportunities facing genealogical societies are not limited by geography and it is an an honor and privilege to begin looking at ways our organizations can work together for the future of a global family history community.”

Visit the DAGV website at http://dagv.org for more information about its projects, publications and activities. And follow FGS at http://fgs.org or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fgsgenealogy.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

FGS Radio: Book Vendors - Your Genealogy Society Conference's Best Friend

Click here to create a reminder to listen to FGS Radio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2013/03/30/book-vendors-your-genealogy-society-conference-best-friend

Saturday, March 30, 2013
2-3pm Eastern US
1-2pm Central US
12-1pm Mountain US
11am-12pm Pacific US

Join us for the next episode of FGS Radio - My Society, an Internet radio show on Blog talk Radio presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

This week’s episode hosted by Randy Whited is entitled Book Vendors - Your Genealogy Society Conference's Best Friend. Our guest this week will be Martha Mercer, of Maia’s Books. We will also continue our series on FGS 2013 Conference featured speakers by having a conversation with Kris Rzepczynski, FGS Director and Archivist at the Archives of Michigan. We will also be featuring FGS member society the Bay County (Florida) Genealogical Society in our weekly Society Spotlight segment.

Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

Join Us Each Saturday Afternoon at FGS Radio

Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

Federation of Genealogical Societies Joins Coalition Urging Changes to Technology and Privacy Laws for Records Access

March 18, 2013 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) has joined the American Library Association, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology, as well as other organizations, in an effort to ensure continued access to records for the genealogy and family history communities.

The coalition, in a letter dated March 19, 2013, is urging Senator Orrin Hatch (Utah) to take a leadership role on important issues involving technology, privacy and genealogy records access. These include:

• updating the laws and regulations governing the use of the "Death Master File" of the Social Security Administration and its commercially available Social Security Death Index (SSDI); and

• updating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).

FGS and other coalition members have called upon Hatch to take action due to his “contributions to facilitating genealogical research . . . commitment to both law enforcement and privacy, and . . . interest in promoting development of the technology sector.”

The coalition seeks changes to recent laws and policies which threaten access to records vital to the field of genealogy as well as “genealogists who work to identify military remains, who work with coroners’ offices and medical examiners, who are forensic genealogists, heir researchers, and those researching individual genetically inherited diseases.”

The list of coalition members includes:

• American Library Association
• Center for Democracy and Technology
• Center for Financial Privacy and Human Rights
• The Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA)
• Dick Eastman, Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Liberty Coalition
• Records Preservation and Access Committee
• Thomas A. Schatz, President, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
• SpiderOak

FGS President D. Joshua Taylor, notes “As a leader among the genealogical community, FGS is excited to engage in an important conversation to develop constructive solutions that protect individual privacy, while maintaining suitable access for millions interested in researching their family tree.”

To follow the latest developments involving these issues important to all genealogists, follow the Records Access and Preservation Committee blog at http://www.fgs.org/rpac/.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

FGS Radio: Vanishing History - Burial Database Project of Enslaved African Americans

Click here to create a reminder to listen to FGS Radio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2013/03/16/vanishing-history-burial-database-of-enslaved-africans

Saturday, March 16, 2013
2-3pm Eastern US
1-2pm Central US
12-1pm Mountain US
11am-12pm Pacific US

Join us for the next episode of FGS Radio - My Society, an Internet radio show on Blog talk Radio presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

This week’s episode hosted by Randy Whited is entitled Vanishing History: Burial Database Project of Enslaved African Americans. Our first guest this week will be Sandra Arnold, founder and principal developer of the Burial Database Project of Enslaved African Americans. The mission of the project, currently housed in the Department of African and African American Studies at Fordham University in New York City, is to identify, document and memorialize burial sites of the enslaved, most of which are abandoned or undocumented. We will also be kicking off our series on FGS 2013 Conference featured speakers by having a conversation with J. Mark Lowe. And we'll feature FGS member society the Hamilton County (Ohio) Genealogical Society in our weekly Society Spotlight segment.

Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

Join Us Each Saturday Afternoon at FGS Radio

Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

2013 FGS Conference Registration is Open

“Journey through Generations” – A Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists

March 8, 2013 – Austin, TX. Online registration is now open for the 2013 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, scheduled for 21-24 August 2013 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Register at http://www.fgsconference.org by 1 July 2013 for an early-bird discount. This year’s conference theme is “Journey through Generations,” and the local hosts are the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI).

This year’s FGS conference offers an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in researching their family history. This conference will offer over 160 educational sessions on records, strategies, and tools for genealogists of all levels. Ten different sponsored luncheons will provide opportunities for networking.

Session sponsors include FamilySearch, findmypast.com, Ancestry.com, Archives.com, Fold3, Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild, National Archives and Records Administration, and the Indiana Historical Society.

Conference Highlights

• Conference Sessions: A wide variety of genealogy-related lectures and workshops for all experience levels. Attendees will be able to learn about Midwest research, African American research, European research, military research, genetics, technology, migration, methodology and more.

• Focus on Societies: On Wednesday, August 21, 2013, sessions are jam-packed with ideas and tools to help societies promote themselves, increase membership, and develop sources of revenue.

• Librarians’ Day: On Tuesday, August 20, 2013, ProQuest will sponsor a full pre-conference day of sessions designed for librarians, archivists, and other information professionals serving family history researchers.

• Special Events: Include FGS Opening Social at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory and “Journey Through the Genearations with Our Veterans” at the Allen County Public Library.

• Exhibit Hall: The large exhibit hall will feature the latest software, books, maps, databases and gadgets on the market for genealogists and family historians, as well as information about genealogical organizations. Representatives of FGS member societies will staff their booths in the special Society Showcase area.

• Extended Hours at ACPL: The Genealogy Center at ACPL will open early and stay open late during the FGS 2013 conference week to help genealogist maximize their research time.

There are more activities and research opportunities too numerous to list. However, you can learn all about the 2013 FGS Conference and register for this exciting four-day event at http://www.fgsconference.org. Be sure to also visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org for more information.

We look forward to seeing you in Fort Wayne in August!

Learn More and Stay Connected

• Like the conference on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FGSconference.

• Follow the conference on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/FGSconference and hashtag #FGS2013.

• Visit Fort Wayne at http://www.visitfortwayne.com/FGS.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

FGS Announces Social Media Interns - Rebecca M Trujillo Batty and Jason Crews

The Federation of Genealogical Societies is pleased to announce the selection of two social media interns to assist with upcoming marketing and publicity initiatives.

Rebecca M Trujillo Batty

With over 30 years of experience working in genealogy, Rebecca is excited with each new tool that expands the possibilities in genealogical research. Social media sites are among these great tools that can bring many results. Rebecca can be found mostly using Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. You can read her blog at www.watsit2u.com and she is a Family Historian with www.familyhistoryengineers.com! Rebecca is also an avid reader, bingo player, fat activist (HAES), and amateur radio operator (KD7ZCP). She is also learning ASL and Spanish. Her favorite non-genealogy online activity is www.wheresgeorge.com.

Jason W. Crews

Jason W. Crews, an avid genealogist and family historian, is an active member of multiple genealogical organizations. Jason holds membership in Grand Prairie Genealogical Society, Dallas GenealogicalSociety, Lamar County Genealogical Society and Sons of Confederate Veterans. Jason served on the Marketing Committee for the Texas State Genealogical Society’s 2012 annual conference. Jason currently serves on the Genealogical Committee of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Col. M. T. Johnson Camp #1648. Jason is also a member of the GeneaBloggers community, where he writes about his personal genealogy and family history at GenealogySphere.com.

FGS would like to thank all those who expressed interest in this unique opportunity over the past few weeks. The Social Media Intern project is an initiative of the FGS Marketing & Public Relations Committee (M&PR) and both Rebecca and Jason will be mentored by FGS board members and M&PR Committee Chair Thomas MacEntee. Rebecca will be handling general FGS publicity tasks related to social media and Jason will be covering the social media needs for the Preserve the Pensions project.

Please welcome Rebecca and Jason and look for their posts on the FGS social media assets including Facebook and Twitter.

FGS Radio: Kickstarter Funding Your Genealogy Society Project

Click here to create a reminder to listen to FGS Radio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2013/03/09/kickstarter-funding-for-your-genealogy-society-project

Saturday, March 9, 2013
2-3pm Eastern US
1-2pm Central US
12-1pm Mountain US
11am-12pm Pacific US

Join us for the next episode of FGS Radio - My Society, an Internet radio show on Blog talk Radio presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

This week’s episode hosted by Randy Whited is entitled Kickstarter Funding for Your Genealogy Society Project. Our first guest this week will be Kathleen Brandt of a3Genealogy whose Kickstarter project is to fund the digitization and transcription of the ex-slave Marriages of Saline County, Missouri. Our next guest will be Maureen Taylor, the “Photo Detective.” Maureen is using Kickstarter to produce “Revolutionary Voices”, a documentary of the 200 photographs of individuals who lived during the Revolutionary War. We will also be featuring FGS member society the Indiana Genealogical Society in our weekly Society Spotlight segment.

Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

Join Us Each Saturday Afternoon at FGS Radio

Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.