2019 Monthly Meetings
Jan 26th : Please join us as Paul Boncella, Map Conservator and Book Mender in the Southern History Department, Linn-Henley Research Building, presents: “So Many DNA Matches”. Genealogy and genetics have become interconnected. It is important to know what is in your genes. Your DNA can provide insight into your heritage that you cannot get from genealogy research alone.
Feb 23rd : Ron Rutherford presents: “How to Ensure That You Retain Ownership of Photos and Scanned Documents in Your Family Tree”. Retaining ownership of your data can be a real issue with the internet. Ron will explain how to work with ‘Meta Data and Tags’ on your JPEG files. We spend a lot of time looking for photos of our families to add to our family tree and it is frustrating to have someone post a picture that you have in a box of old family photos in the garage.
Mar 23rd : Bob Davis, Senior Professor of History and Director of Genealogy Program of Wallace State Community College, Hanceville, Alabama, presents: “Looking for your Alabama Family in 1819.” The Alabama Territory was organized on March 3, 1817. The State of Alabama was created as the 22nd state on December 14, 1819. Learn what resources are available to search for your ancestors in early Alabama.
April 27th : Due to “Art in the Park” and the fact that the Birmingham Public Library will be closed until 2 PM, the BGS meeting has been CANCELLED. See you next month!
May 25th : Please join us as Paul Boncella, Map Conservator and Book Mender in the Southern History Department, Linn-Henley Research Building, presents: “Map Your DNA”. Genealogy and genetics have become interconnected. It is important to know what is in your genes. Your DNA can provide insight into your heritage that you cannot get from genealogy research alone. Discover how to trace segments of your DNA to specific ancestors and how to use this information to identify unknown matches. You need only one known match to get started.
June 22nd : Tonya Chandler, owner of Southern Roots Genealogical Services, presents “Using the ‘FAN’ Club to Break Down Brick Walls: A Case Study in Discovering a Father-Son Relationship.” Also known as “cluster research,” the FAN club method is useful in finding evidence of relationships where no direct records may exist. Lack of direct records often turn into brick walls for researchers but broadening our research scope can reveal hidden relationships. This talk will share tips and tricks for examining the “hidden” information in often-overlooked records to show how one father-son relationship was discovered despite lack of direct evidence. Tonya has a Master’s degree in Historical Archaeology with a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of West Florida. Her specialties include historical and genealogical research in the Southern states, Southeastern Native Americans, early 19th century Alabama, and historic properties.
July 27th : Paul Boncella, Map Conservator and Book Mender in the Southern History Department, Linn-Henley Research Building, presents: “The Present and the Future of DNA Evidence for Lineage Societies”. Genealogy and genetics have become interconnected. Discover what two major lineage societies are currently doing in terms of DNA evidence and consider what the future may hold for such organizations that accept such proof as genetics and genealogy become ever more fully integrated.
Aug 24th : Mary Beth Newbill, head of BPL’s Southern History & Government Documents Department presents: Using Government Sources for Genealogy Research. Many government agencies offer resources for genealogical research. Learn how to look beyond census records and find genealogical information in some truly surprising places. You can search for patents, land grants, view web tutorials, and much more using free websites from the state and federal government.
Sept 28th : Due to illness, Donna Cox Baker presents: “Zotero: a free, easy-to-use, open-source tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources” was unable to make her presentation. Hopefully, we will be able to schedule her at another time & date.
Oct 26th : We are NOT having our regular board meeting nor a general meeting with a program in the Computer Lab. Instead, we are inviting all our members (and any others) to attend any or all the sessions given by John Philip Colleta that day (our regular 4th Saturday). He is a well-known and much sought-after genealogy speaker.
Nov 23rd : Members who can attend, must attend. We will be voting on next years BGS Officers (such as President, both Vice-Presidents, Directors, etc.). Please attend and help create the BGS Officers & Board of Directors who will guide our society for the next 2 years.
Dec : No Meeting — Merry Christmas