There is a lot that a genealogist can learn by attending a class, a conference, or a speaking event that focuses on genealogy. The topic might be something that you had been wondering about, or working on recently. Before you can attend a class or conference, however, you have to locate one. How can you find information about when, and where, these conferences will be taking place?
The first thing to do is to figure out how much time you have that can be spent on learning more about genealogy. If you have limited free time, and can only work on genealogy after the kids are asleep for the night, then you might need something that is available online. On the other hand, if you have a weeks worth of vacation days available to you, and access to childcare, then you might consider attending a conference.
Next, you need to take a close look at your budget. That amazing sounding genealogy conference that is located across the country from you may be tempting, but can you afford to attend? Keep in mind the extra costs of travel and hotel rooms that may be required. It may be possible to find classes and conferences that are free, or that are not so expensive. Some of those might be local, which is helpful.
Genealogists who have little free time, and even less money, should start with YouTube. Type the phrase “genealogy conference” into the search engine. This will give you a long list of videos that were made at various genealogy conferences that took place sometime in the past.
The experience of watching these videos is not going to be the same if you were able to attend the conference in person, but, the information will still be useful. It won’t cost any money for you to check it out, and you can easily fit the video into your hectic schedule, whenever it is convenient for you.
If you are looking for free online genealogy classes the best place to start would be with FamilySearch. This popular genealogy website has a long list of free courses that are easily accessible from their website. Just select a topic that you want to learn more about, and click on it when you are ready. They are presented in a video format that works on PC computers, and there are corresponding PDF files for each course.
Genealogists who have a flexible schedule, and a some extra spending money can find a genealogy conference through their local newspaper. The easiest way to do this is find the online version of the newspaper, and type “Genealogy” into the search engine. If there are any classes or conferences that are going to be taking place soon, information about the date, time, location, and cost should appear there.
Is there a community college near you? Go online, and check their summer course schedule. There might be a genealogy related class that is being offered. Again, information about the dates and times of this class, as well as the when you need to sign up should be found there.
Image by Dirk Tussing on Flickr