It’s June and very warm outside as I write this. It’s a busy time with lots to do as always. It is also that time of year when I like to break routine as much as possible without creating havoc for myself or others. With that in mind, I will share genealogy tools that you can enjoy on the go and on your schedule.
I’m confident you already enjoy the great content available on You Tube but do you realize there are a lot of great genealogy tools to be learned on You Tube? Just go to You Tube and search Genealogy and you may be amazed at the many hits you get. In case you are not aware, everyone who posts videos on You Tube has their own You Tube channel. If you are signed in with your Google account, you can subscribe to the You Tube channel of any or all of the videos that you like or find helpful. When new content is posted to any channel that you have subscribed to, an email will be sent to your Gmail account with details of the new video. There are so many options for genealogy on You Tube that I will point out just one channel that I have found both helpful and encouraging which is Dear Myrtle. I have found it helpful because of the great information she presents and encouraging because she is a seasoned citizen (some of my children would say old) like me and demonstrates how to use the newer technology like Google
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Hangouts. A Google Hangout is a group video chat over the internet. Dear Myrtle has done videos on how to do a Google Hangout and most of her recent video posts have been recorded Google hangouts during which various genealogy topics are discussed. She also posts interviews that she does at various genealogy conferences.
Genealogy webinars are another great learning tool. For those of you who are not familiar with webinars, they are seminars on the internet or web, hence a webinar. You can participate in them live and have the opportunity to ask questions very similar to being at a seminar. Watching the recorded version of a webinar is great and can be done when you have the time available. Some websites like Ancestry.com have recorded webinars that continue to be free indefinitely. Other websites will give public access for free for live participation and then have the recorded webinar available for free for a limited time, usually a few weeks. After the free period is over, the webinars continue to be available to those who have a subscription to the website. Friends of mine who really like webinars keep a careful calendar so they can watch as many for free as possible and subscribe to a website or two that they find especially helpful. Both commercial companies that provide genealogy services and some genealogical societies have websites that provide webinars. I encourage searching the internet for various providers and determining which you find most helpful. Membership dues vary with genealogical societies usually a little less expensive than commercial companies. Do an internet search for genealogy webinars that appeal to you.
Podcasts are truly an on-the-go, anytime, anywhere tool. Since they are audio recordings, they are great for downloading to your mobile device. The podcasts are usually 45 to 60 minutes long and can be great for commuting or while you are traveling. Again, I recommend you do an internet search to find what interests you. A quick search on Facebook brought up several Facebook pages for genealogy podcasts also. The iTunes library has several genealogy podcast collections. I don’t have a smart phone but a web search produced instructions on how iTunes files can be loaded onto an Android phone. Of course, it is much easier if you have an iPhone. I am able to load iTunes on my Windows system PC and listen to iTunes podcasts. This post is much shorter than I usually write but it is summer and I am ready to kick back a little. So have fun exploring ideas for genealogy in You Tube videos, webinars and podcasts. I’m sure you will learn a lot and have some fun doing it!
About Christine Bell
Christine Bell has been seeking her ancestor for almost forty years and continues to find joy in each one she finds. She volunteers in a Family Search Family History Center where she helps others find their ancestors. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints, she is grateful to be a member of the Church. She is a wife, mother of six grown children, grandmother of five going on six, and currently living in the western United States. Christine enjoys spending time with family and creating quilts for family, friends and Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
