From March 17 through April 1, 2020 the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society will be offering free webinars for the genealogy community.
Please note this schedule is subject to change.
To register for any of these webinars, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/blog/upcoming-free-webinars
Before You Click: Developing an Online Research Plan
Tuesday, March 17, 4:00 pm ET | Presented by D. Joshua Taylor
Eager to make your online research more effective? Examine ways to sort, organize, and prepare for your time spent online – including preparing to research at commercial websites, genealogical society databases, and other online collections.
Indexing New York: The New York Land Records Project
Thursday, March 19, 6:00 pm ET | Presented by Susan R. Miller
Learn about one of the largest volunteer indexing project in New York State. This mammoth project indexes the grantor, grantee, mortgagor, and mortgagee clerks indexes. A project overview precedes detailed instructions on the indexing process.
Mapping Your New York Ancestors
Friday, March 20, 12:00 pm | Presented by Frederick Wertz
Learn to use maps and online mapping tools to discover more and share the story of your New York ancestors. Maps can be used to discover new record sets to investigate and can also help to fill in some fascinating details about the lives of your ancestors. Researchers can also use many of the free online mapping tools available today to tell the story of their family in an exciting new way. We’ll take a look at some crucial methods and tools, while exploring some interesting examples from around New York State.
Jewish Genealogy 101
Sunday, March 22, 1:00 pm ET | Presented by Lara Diamond
This talk gives a comprehensive overview of genealogy resources available for Jewish genealogy. The presentation will include online sources and documents not yet online for both the United States and Europe; she will also cover some basic knowledge critical to researching one’s Jewish roots.
An Introduction to Researching Hispanic Ancestry
Monday, March 23, 3:00 pm ET | Presented by Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS
This overview lecture covers foundation concepts common to those with ancestors from countries colonized by Spain, and key U.S. records and strategies for identifying their Latin American hometown. It also reviews the main online record collections for conducting Hispanic research. Even non-Spanish speakers can be successful at this research.
Strategic Searching on Findmypast
Tuesday, March 24, 5:00 pm ET | Presented by Jennifer Baldwin
Explore Findmypast, its records and features, and gain valuable best practices and research tricks along the way. Make the most of your research time by using the site wisely.
Beginning Your African American Genealogy Journey
Wednesday, March 25, 2:00 pm ET | Presented by Kenyatta Berry
Join Kenyatta for a 45-minute webinar on beginning African American Genealogy. Kenyatta will discuss breaking down the 1870 Brick wall, Enslaved Genealogy, Reconstruction, DNA and sharing your story. Attendees will walk away with resources for African American Genealogy, understand the impact of slavery on discovering your ancestry and how DNA can help in your research.
How to Find New York State Death Certificates
Thursday, March 26, 7:00 pm ET | Presented by Susan R. Miller
When and where did my New York ancestor die? Often this is the first research question we ask. Learn when and where to find a death certificate for an ancestor from New York from the late-1800s to the 1960s.
A Japanese American Family from 1902-1992: Finding Records to Recreate the Hirai Family Story
Friday, March 27, 2:00 pm ET | Presented by Linda Harms Okazaki, MA
The experience of Japanese immigrants to the U.S. and their descendants is a part of American history. This case study examines the abundance of both conventional and ethnic-specific federal and local records available to the genealogist, and pieces together the story of a Japanese American family from immigration through World War II and beyond.
Finding Relatives in Russian Empire Records for non-Russian Speakers
Sunday, March 29, 1:00 pm ET | Presented by Lara Diamond
More and more Russian Empire records are becoming accessible online, but few are indexed. But for those who don’t speak Russian, browsing through the records in old-style Russian handwriting can be daunting. This talk will focus on how to identify, within various types of Russian Empire records, records relating to a researcher’s family, in spite of not having any Russian language background. The talk will also cover various sources for online Russian Empire documents and discuss how to leverage these for one’s own research.
Online Family Trees: Avoiding Pitfalls and Maximizing Possibilities
Tuesday, March 31, 12:00 pm ET | Presented by D. Joshua Taylor
Many genealogists are well aware of the drawbacks of using online family trees. Explore tips to analyze their contents, use trees effectively, and verify their contents.
PERSI Across the Generations
Wednesday, April 1, 12:00 pm ET | Presented by Jen Baldwin
PERSI is an outstanding resource and we can utilize it for every generation on our family tree. Learn the basics of PERSI and application of powerful filters to find the context of each of your ancestor’s lifespans.