RootsTech 2014 - getting closer!

GeneaBloggers touring the Expo Hall, RootsTech 2013.

In a few weeks, I'll be in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA  to do research at the Family History Library and to attend the RootsTech conference. This will be my second time 'live'. Previously I did attend virtually - mostly on Twitter.

As the crow flies, it's about 804 miles or 1293.64 kilometres from Vancouver, Canada where I am to Salt Lake City, Utah. A significant number of those attending and presenting will be from outside Utah.

I'll be at RootsTech for the four days and will attend as many sessions as I can. That's certainly brings up one downside to RootsTech (or any really big conference) - too much choice - over 230 sessions! I am mainly hoping to learn about any and all new and upcoming genealogy related initiatives and to bring home useful tips and ideas for my genealogy students and for my genealogical society.

The mobile RootsTech app looks as if it will be pretty handy. So far, I've been going over all the lists of conference sessions, the presenters and the exhibitors and adding these either to my own schedule or to my interests. I've already changed a few of my original choices. Once the handouts are available, I will be quickly reviewing those to see if any of the sessions likely aren't 'as described' or if they sound too good to pass up.

This year, we had to register separately (and pay extra) for the labs so those are set. And I registered for the Thursday opening social and, of course, Friday Night at the Library. (Yes, I have a research plan. And No! It's not all night. Wouldn't that be grand!

Yes, I registered again for a sponsored lunch each day. I chose those by My Heritage, Find My Past and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. (Last year the lunches were really very good - and they sound even better this year)


I'm pretty sure you will notice a few 'themes' in my (proposed) schedule. So far I have chosen these sessions:

Wednesday - the pre-conference Innovators' Summit

The General Session, sponsored by FamilySearch. Speaker: Chris Dancy

A New Tool for Recording, Analyzing and Displaying Genetic Relationships from Y-DNA, mtDNA and atDNA. Speaker: Capers McDonald.

GOV-The Genealogical Gazetteer. Speaker: Timo Kracke.

Thursday - 

General Session & Keynote. Speakers: Annelies van den Belt and Ree Drummond.

Magifying Your Maternal Line with Mitochondrial DNA. Speaker: Diahan Southard. (Same time as the GEDCOM X session)

Personal Digital Archiving for the Genealogist. Speaker: Tony Hanson.

Using Genetic Genealogy to Discover the Ancestry of Adoptees (and Scale Recent Genealogical Brick Walls). Speaker: CeCe Moore.

From Pedigrees to Interactive Trees: A History of Genealogical Interfaces. Speaker: Charles Knutson. (At the same time though is the FamilySearch Industry Leaders Town Hall.)

Friday -

General Session & Keynote. Keynote Speakers: Judy Russell and Dr.Spencer Wells.

Google Analytics - Boost Sales, Find More Visitors, and Improve Your Apps. Speaker: Robert Gardner.

LAB -Google Hangouts 101a: The Panelists' View. Panelists: Pat Richley-Erickson (DearMYRTLE), Jenny Lanctot, Barry Kline and H. Worthington.

LAB -Flipboard for Genealogy: Create Incredible Mobile Magazines of Your Favourite Genealogy Web Content. Speaker: Lisa Cooke.

Technology for Deciphering Foreign Language Records. Speaker: Randy Whited.

Saturday - 

General Session and Keynote. Keynote Speakers: Todd Hansen and Stephanie Nielsen.

Using Third Party Tools to Help You Get More From Your DNA Test Results. Speaker: Tim Janzen.

Using Mocavo to Propel Your Research. Speaker: Michael Leclerc.

Using Prezi to Visualize and Reinvent Your Family Tree. Speaker: Brandi Burns.

I've left a few gaps as I'll at least need time to perambulate the Expo Hall a few times as I did last year. Not only did I get to talk to people about new software, etc. I brought home from RootsTech a great selection of software, books (paper and electronic), charts and a few other useful items. 

Association of Professional Genealogists booth, RootsTech 2013.

Some sessions will be available to watch live (and later as recorded) on-line. To check out the descriptions and to learn more about the speakers, go to www.Rootstech.org

If you are on Facebook or Twitter, look for messages from others watching the sessions on-line and commenting from the conference site. I'll be tweeting and, no doubt, will be on Facebook too. (On Facebook, I'm M. Diane Rogers; on Twitter: mdiane_rogers. The Twitter hashtage is #Rootstech ) I'll also be writing some articles here from Salt Lake City. Here's a list of the Official RootsTech bloggers with links to their blogs so you can get their take on all the events and activities. Randy Seaver at GeneaMusings has posted his Friday session choices, for instance.

Last year, we had to choose our RootsTech sessions ahead of time (although no one seemed to pay that any mind once we were there). Despite the pre-registration, many sessions seemed overbooked or 'under spaced' and decisions had to be made quickly if you wanted to attend another session. There were some disappointments (not all due to space limitations) but I met a lot of great people - lots of other GeneaBloggers, for sure! - and brought home a ton of information last year and since the conference area is larger, I'm looking forward to a great RootsTech 2014.

The Travelling Genealogist – and her Gadgets – Rootstech Day 1

Day 1 of Rootstech 2013 I attended “The Genealogist's Gadget Bag – International Panel”.

Since I like gadgets and know the moderator, Jill Ball, and met her in person this week (albeit on-line during Monday's With Myrt - see the video here), I was very interested in attending.

Panelists were A. C. Ivory, Marie Dougan, and Heather Wilkinson Rojo (bloggers all). While I wouldn't have called this an international panel (an Australian, a Scot, and 2 USians), it was fun to 'see' their bags, and hear how alike they are in their choices of personal portable 'stuff'.

An Ipad with appropriate apps seemed the top choice, although when it came down to 'one item' only, Jill voted for her Samsung Galaxy 3 phone because she fnds it so versatile. She also showed her anti-theft 'safe' bag, Marie Dougan wants her Sat Nav, and A. C. Ivory carries a car charger which can also be plugged in anywhere for power. Sometimes, especially when researching for clients, we need extra security for electronic files, so password protected and encrypted flash drives were on Marie's list. Many sensible, low cost and low tech items were considered important too from Marie's paper and pencil for archival trips to 'a friend' for Heather's cemetery trips.

In the future they wanted to see –

- an app to convert 16^th, 17^th century writing to text (FamilySearch is working on that!)

- gadgets that don't need chargers, sticks, etc.

- a device that combines the best qualities of both the Android and Ipod

- and a portable Internet connection, small enough for a backpack (There is such a thing already, but I don't think these work seamlessly in the Australian outback or the wilds of British Columbia either, as we would like.)

What's in my own gadget bag this trip?? 

My Android phone (which I don't think I ever want to be without, with a # of useful apps, including the Rootstech 2013 app, along with a hookup to Dropbox, one of my very faves), my digital camera, half a dozen flash drives, and Minnie, my netbook (named for a great Auntie) -and all their assorted gear, chargers, power cords, batteries, etc. (I'll be happy to do without those someday.) Oh, yes, and a few safety pins, some 'scotch' tape, a couple of plastic envelopes to hold conference papers, a nifty little red notebook that fits in my pocket or purse, and a tiny folding umbrella, the essential gadget in my opinion, along with my phone – good for rain, snow and sunshine, all of which we've seen in Salt Lake City this week!