Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena previews the upcoming Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree, including the genealogy talks she will be presenting there on behalf of GenealogyBank.
Do you have an event you look forward to every year? There are certain genealogy conferences that family history researchers look forward to year after year, and one of those is the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree being held at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel June 5th-8th. After all, what’s not to like? Four days of genealogical education in the beautiful Southern California sunshine.
Not familiar with the SCGS Jamboree conference? Each year over 1,000 genealogists from California, other states—and yes, even other countries—converge upon Burbank to take in lectures, historical tours, special events, and displays in an exhibit hall to learn more about genealogy and genealogical services.
45th Annual Jamboree
This year will be no exception at “the 45th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, featuring over 50 speakers, nearly 150 sessions and about 70 exhibitors, software and data providers, and societies.” National speakers at Jamboree this year include: John Philip Colletta, Ph.D.; George G. Morgan; Dick Eastman; Lisa Louise Cooke; Judy G. Russell; and yours truly, just to name a few.
For the second year in a row, a special DNA conference will be held in conjunction with Jamboree on Thursday, June 5th. Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2014 brings experts from the field of genetic genealogy, presenting on such topics as autosomal DNA, DNA studies, and DNA testing.
To learn more about attending the upcoming 2014 Jamboree conference, see the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree website. Special events can be added to your registration and offer additional experiences. I’m especially looking forward to the Sunday morning Scholarship Award Breakfast where I will be presenting on Of Elephants, Gold, and Dashed Dreams: Researching the California Gold Rush. Join me as we honor the 2014 winner of the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant.
GenealogyBank at the Jamboree
Do you love GenealogyBank and want to know how to make the most of your subscription? Come visit us in the exhibit hall where we will be answering your questions and helping researchers search our archival collections. Take advantage of this opportunity to talk to us and learn how to master GenealogyBank and find your ancestors.
To learn even more about GenealogyBank, plan on attending my presentation “Using America’s Ethnic Newspapers to Find and Document Your Family,” Saturday morning at 8:30. On Sunday afternoon at 1:00 I’ll discuss “GenealogyBank—Inside and Out,” where we will discuss how to search on GenealogyBank’s collection of 6,500 newspaper titles and one billion family history records.
Can’t Make It to California?
Not able to attend Jamboree in person? That’s ok, you can attend virtually! Jamboree will be providing free streaming sessions.
In addition to the streaming sessions, social media provides the opportunity to attend a conference from home. Follow Jamboree on Twitter by monitoring the hashtag #SCGS2014 or the Southern California Genealogical Society account @scgsgenealogy. Don’t forget to also follow the GenealogyBank Twitter account at @GenealogyBank.
Start Thinking about the 2015 Jamboree
If you can’t join us in person at the Jamboree genealogy event this year, start making plans now to attend in 2015. Besides the conference, there’s so much to do for those non-family historians in your family. (Disneyland, anyone?)
For the family historian, plan on spending a few extra days in the area to research at area libraries and archives such as the:
- Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library
- Immigrant Genealogical Society Library
- Los Angeles Public Library
- Los Angeles FamilySearch Library
- National Archives at Riverside
I hope to see you at Jamboree next week!