Lectures & Workshops by It's Relative
What is “the Cloud” and Why Do I Care?
You’ve heard people mention “the cloud,” learn what it is and how you can make use of it on your mobile device and computer. Collaborate, share, backup and see your data and images anywhere.
Mobile Device Apps for the Family Historian
The Star Trek generation has grown up and the future is now. Learn about smart phone and other mobile applications that you hold in your hand that will help you with your genealogy data collection. Carry your searchable family tree everywhere with you in your pocket.
Legacy Family Tree & Family Tree Maker Side by Side
This innovative presentation is a double-projector on-screen side-by-side comparison of Legacy and Family Tree Maker. The programs’ similarities, differences and currently unique features are demonstrated, offering the opportunity to evaluate these two popular genealogy software programs.
Using Family Tree Maker
In 2008, Family Tree Maker, one of the most used genealogy programs, was rebuilt. The result, Family Tree Maker, looks different from earlier versions, with new features such as the use of Workspaces, detailed source citations and direct inclusion of online information. Confused? Don’t be. Come and see.
Legacy Family Tree
The genealogy software program, Legacy Family Tree, is growing in its popularity among genealogists. This show and tell presentation provides the opportunity to view the layout and features. The presentation is designed for those wondering which genealogy software program to buy, for the curious who want to make a comparison between software programs and for those already using the program.
From Land Records to Google Earth: Mapping your Family’s Place
There are numerous sources that give our ancestor’s legal land description; where are they and what do they mean? Learn where to look and how to convert section and range into Google Earth to see how that property looks today.
Ancestry.com Home Edition Tips and Tricks
Ancestry.com, one of the largest genealogy sites, offers a wide variety of resources for the genealogist. This continually evolving website can be personalized to suit the needs of the researcher. Tips for easy navigation, successful searches and personalization will highlight this presentation.
Heritage Quest.com or Ancestry.com Library Edition
The lecture will explore either Heritage Quest.com or Ancestry.com Library Edition, available at many libraries. A tour of the site will reveal how to best use these websites.
Using a Digital Camera and Scanner in Genealogical Research
Put your digital camera and that all-in-one printer or scanner to work. Learn what the technical terms, such as jpg and dpi, mean. Find out how and why to scan photos and documents and what to with all these digital images once you have them. You will leave this talk knowing why taking a camera with you on that genealogy trip is important.
Using Popular Genealogy Websites Effectively
Have you done research on your family and want to use the internet but aren’t sure how or where to look? This class will explore the most popular genealogy internet websites and show how to achieve the most beneficial searches.
Searching Genealogy Websites Successfully
The words you type into the box and the way it is typed determine the results you get when using a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. This PowerPoint presentation teaches how to get what you are searching for. Come explore beyond the most popular websites.
Civil War Military Records
Civil War military records can give information about ancestors that cannot be found elsewhere. Through the case study of Bennett Sapp and his widow Rebecca Lake Sapp Rhodes Hamilton, civil war service records and the widow’s pension are used as examples to show the many details of their life that is revealed within.
Where to Start - The Basics of Good Genealogy Research
Want to know about your family history but don’t know how to get started? The first steps to gathering information about your family and how to record that information are discussed. Learn about the many records and resources available and where to begin looking.
Get the Facts - Vital Records
Gathering birth, marriage, death records, known collectively as vital records, is the most basic way to make a connection between generations in a family. We will look at the information that can be gathered from each of these records and where to find them.
Keeping Track of People - Census Records
Taken every ten years since 1790, the United States federal census contains unique information that can tell you interesting details about your ancestors. Find out what you can learn about your family using these historically fascinating sources. State and Special Censuses will also be covered.
Beyond the Obits - Finding the Life of Our Ancestors in Newspapers
Beyond birth announcements and obituaries, newspapers tell the comings and goings of our ancestors’ daily lives. Learn the when where, why, and how of what to look for. You only need to supply the “who.”
Final Resting Place – The Stones Tell a Story
Discover more about the life of your great grandfather by understanding the symbols on his gravestone. Learn how to read that death date on grandmother’s deteriorating stone. Find out how to care for that old tombstone before it completely disappears.
Unclutter Your Family History Records
[As a series or individual lectures]
• Part 1 - What Do I Do With Family Mementos?
Old photos, family letters, address books, random paper records, and the rest of your family memorabilia contain keys to your family’s past. Learn how to preserve them. Copying, Scanning, Storage and Archiving are the focus of this presentation.
• Part 2 - What Do I Do With the Data I Find?
After the interview with great-grandma or the research trip to the courthouse or library, the facts you collect about your ancestors must be interpreted as well as accessible to be useful. For easy interpretation and organization, learn how to extract information and put it into a spreadsheet.
• Part 3 - What Do I Do With All This Paper?
Want to create a filing system that eliminates piles of paper? Learn ways to organize your paperwork efficiently, so you can readily retrieve information you’ve collected, as well as identify its sources.
Internet Collaborative Tools for Genealogical Societies
Online conferencing and collaboration tools can make your society more efficient. Online shared workspaces allow your members to work together at a distance. See what your society needs in its “tool bag.”
Following the 10th Illinois Infantry
A visual presentation of the route one regiment took during the Civil War and what they may have seen and experienced.
New Topics can be created upon request
It's Relative
1415 Larsen Lane
Naperville, IL 60563
