30 April 2012

Jamboree Weekend Activity. Whoa. This is So Cool!

We are lucky to have family members who willingly (or maybe begrudgingly) tag along to genealogy events like Jamboree. They aren't interested in genealogy but they support our never-ending search for "just one more" one document, photo or web search.

This year may be the year to reward them with something special that is uniquely Southern Californian.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, is holding an open house the weekend of Jamboree. Open house hours are Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10, from 9am to 4pm.

Quoting from the website, "The annual Open House at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., welcomes over 38,000 visitors. This year's theme is "Great Journeys," inviting visitors to share in the wonders of space through high-definition and 3-D videos, live demonstrations, interactions with scientists and engineers, and a first look at JPL's new Earth Science Center."

JPL is an easy 20 to 30-minute drive from the Marriott.  Information on the Open House is here.

Is someone in your party interested in visiting JPL? Post a reply to this blog post and maybe we can help you put together an informal side trip for the "genealogically tolerant."

Thanks to Susan Kitchens for tweeting this!

27 April 2012

Jamboree - Wanted: Research Assistance Consultants


Do you have some expertise that might help someone break through a brick wall? If so, please consider signing up as a consultant in the Research Assistance room at Jamboree. The Research Assistance activity is sponsored by the Southern Calif. Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. 
  • Important note: you need not be certified, accredited, be a member of APG, or any other specific organization to assist people - just a desire to help is all that is required.
To do this, simply go to the home page of the sponsoring group (www.sccapg.org) and sign up in one or more of the available slots. Once you, as an assistant/consultant, have signed up, a spot for the person needing your help will open up. 

Consultant slots are listed in half-hour increments but we ask that you limit your consulting time to 20-25 minutes in order for people to move out and in. 

As a consultant, you will also receive prior notice of the people who have signed up for your slots so, if you choose, you may contact them in advance (this is completely up to you, however). 

Please note: you need not be certified, accredited, be a member of APG, or any other specific organization to assist people - just a desire to help is all that is required. 

Thank you for donating your time. Who knows, you may end up with a client or two from the experience.

 Questions/concerns: Jean Wilcox Hibben, SCCAPG president,

Jamboree: Early-Bird Registration Deadline is Just Around the Corner



Do you see it... right up there ahead?  It's the deadline for the early-bird registration discounts for Jamboree. Save $20 on a three-day registration and $10 on a one-day registration. SCGS members enjoy an additional $20 savings over the non-member rate. And that's not all. You'll enjoy discounts on other Jamboree activities as well.

Do the math. You can almost save enough Jamboree registration to pay for the $35 one-year single membership. Members receive many other benefits in addition to discounts.
  • Free at-home use of AccessNewspaperARCHIVE. Pajama research! Yay!
  • Free 24/7 viewing of the archived versions of all of SCGS's series of webinars. The live webinars are free but members get the added benefit of convenience.
  • Discounts on research team assistance. 
  • Copy of the quarterly journal, The Searcher.
You can purchase your membership at the same time you register for Jamboree.  Even if you're not coming to Jamboree, consider purchasing a membership in the Southern California Genealogical Society.

Tick. Tick. Tick.  Time's awastin'.  Scoot!  Go register.

26 April 2012

Jamboree: Scooter Rental

Do you need to rent a scooter while you're at Jamboree? Here is contact information for you, provided by the Marriott.

A Scooter for you, Inc.   
Toll Free   877.697.7725
His name Gerry.

24 April 2012

Genealogy Jamboree: There's Another App for That!

Thanks to the support of the conference Diamond Sponsor, Ancestry.com, Jamboree will again offer a mobile app for the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held June 8-10, 2012 in Burbank, California.

Last year's App was a big hit among attendees, exhibitors and speakers. "The 2011 Jamboree app introduced a completely new aspect to genealogy conferences. It provided advanced communication and scheduling capabilities and added to the overall experience," explained Leo Myers, Jamboree chair. "We were honored that other conferences followed Jamboree's lead and rolled out their own conference apps."

The App offers many useful features to the attendees

  • Interactive show schedule - review the schedule in advance and add the sessions to your calendar in just one click.
  • Exhibitor listings and product searches - Find out which exhibitors are there to help solve your research problems.
  • Exhibit hall floor map - use the map to plot your shopping strategy.
  • Speaker bios and information - search for your favorite speakers' sessions and then add them to your schedule
  • Show alerts - get instant updates of room changes, reminders of special events, unconference sessions, etc.
  • Twitter and Blog updates - Follow #scgs12 tweets and post yours from within the app.
  • Exhibitor e-brochures and product information available for download.
  • Syllabus articles will be available for download before Jamboree. View them in your iPad, print them, or move them onto your Kindle, Nook or other e-reader.

The App is available for iPhone / iPod Touch, Blackberry and Android users, and is available as a web-based application for all other smartphone users. Users do not need to be connected to the Internet to be able to use the schedules and other static information. It will be available for download soon from www.scgsgenealogy.com.

More information about the app can be found on the Jamboree website.

About Jamboree and SCGS:

The 43rd Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be held at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel on Friday through Sunday, June 8th to 10th, 2012. Separate events, the full-day Family History Writers Conference and Tech Track computer classes, will be held on Thursday. Jamboree is one of the most popular genealogical events in the United States. The conference features over 100 lecture classes, 70+ commercial vendors, societies and heritage groups and other organizations in the exhibit floor, and several special events and opportunities to socialize and relax. Free sessions will be held for beginning genealogists, librarians, and genealogical society leaders.

Jamboree is produced by the Southern California Genealogical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is managed entirely by volunteer members. The Society operates a 40,000 volume genealogical library at 417 Irving Drive in Burbank. More information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Advertise your Business on the Jamboree App

Jamboree's mobile app is returning for 2012. In addition to keeping the attendees informed, the Jamboree App also provides genealogy-related businesses and organizations an opportunity to reach an eager audience. Genealogists from around the globe are able to access information contained on the Jamboree app.

The 2011 edition of the app was very successful for our business partners, and we are inviting your participation this year. Take advantage of the exposure to help publicize your business for a nominal fee.
  • Onsite exhibitors receive a free "green" listing (contact information, your logo, and downloadable marketing documents.)
    • Core-Apps will be in touch with you directly to obtain your logo and materials.
  • If you can't attend Jamboree in person, our "Virtual Exhibitor" program provides the purchase a green listing for a nominal fee.
    • Professional genealogists - post your resume, specialties, examples of your reports, or other marketing information online.
    • Authors - link to online purchase for your book 
    • Societies - post your application forms, catalog, documents for sale, or research team contact information. 
  • Other types of advertising are available for purchase, including banner ad / landing page; multimedia; and text alerts. All the details are online here

Deadlines:  
Print ads - April 30
App ads - June 1















The 43rd Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be held at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel on Friday through Sunday, June 8th to 10th, 2012. Separate events, the full-day Family History Writers Conference and Tech Track computer classes, will be held on Thursday. Jamboree is one of the most popular genealogical events in the United States. The conference features over 100 lecture classes, 70+ commercial vendors, societies and heritage groups and other organizations in the exhibit floor, and several special events and opportunities to socialize and relax. Free sessions will be held for beginning genealogists, librarians, and genealogical society leaders.

Jamboree is produced by the Southern California Genealogical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is managed entirely by volunteer members. The Society operates a 40,000 volume genealogical library at 417 Irving Drive in Burbank. More information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.


23 April 2012

Jamboree: Exhibit Hall Free and Open to the Public in 2012

Jamboree's Exhibit Hall is one of the favorite destinations for our attendees. Whether you're looking for software, or books, or you want to purchase a subscription or membership, you'll find the help you need in the Exhibit Hall.

This year, the exhibit hall will be open to the public at no charge throughout the weekend.  Anyone wishing to stay only in the Exhibit area, and not attend classes or any other Jamboree activity, can c'mon in and pay no registration fee.

"We expect that this will be a real benefit to our SCGS members and others who want to volunteer, but are not interested in attending classes," said Leo Myers, Jamboree chair. "This is an experiment for us, to be sure, and if it works out, we'll repeat it in the future."

To help room monitors easily identify the Jamboree guests who are authorized to attend classes, all  attendees will receive vinyl identification bracelets that will be worn throughout the weekend. We appreciate the cooperation of everyone as we try this experiment.

To volunteer to work at Jamboree, even for an hour or two, fill out the volunteer application at http://2012JamboreeVolunteers.surveyconsole.com. That will help our volunteer coordinator, Jane Van Tour, find the spot that best suits you.

By the way, if your spouse or other family member is accompanying you to Jamboree, even though they are not particularly interested in family history, they are welcome to pitch in and help out too.

20 April 2012

Jamboree: Ancestry to Provide Free Scanning

The Scanners are Coming! 

T

We have a great announcement on behalf of our Diamond Sponsor, Ancestry.com. 

Southern California Genealogy Jamboree registered attendees can sign up for 30-minute scanning sessions on Friday, June 8, through Sunday, June 10, to be held during the exhibit hall hours. This is especially exciting for us because it's the only time this year, other than NGS in Cincinnati, that scanning is planned at a conference. Scanning was offered in 2010, and it turned out to be one of the most popular aspects of Jamboree that year! You won't want to miss this opportunity.

Sign Up Today for Scanning
Scanning-session signs-ups will open each morning—sign up Friday morning for a Friday time slot, Saturday morning for a Saturday time slot.

Will you be bringing items to scan? Please help us plan accordingly by registering here and letting us know how much and what you’ll be bringing. 



Scanning Details You’ll Want to Know
Document types accepted
  • We can scan any document type, but the maximum size supported is 22" by 15". Any type of photograph, including tintypes, is accepted. Unfortunately we can not scan slides.
  • More recent photographs or stable documents can be scanned at a much quicker rate on our high-speed scanner – meaning that you can have more documents scanned during your scanning session. Fragile or historical documents, photographs, bound books or albums and similar will be photographed.
  • Copyright and re-publishing rights for the material are strictly the responsibility of patrons, but we reserve the right to reject any document for any reason.
  • There is always a possibility that damage to older, more fragile documents may occur during the scanning process. Ancestry.com urges patrons to use their best judgment when choosing documents to be scanned.
Document preparation
  • Before your scanning session, please remove all staples, pins, and fasteners as well as any tape or sticky material from your photos and documents. These items can harm the scanning equipment.
  • Please sort all of your documents and pictures by size, largest to smallest, before entering your session. This will enable our scanners to more effectively finish your documents in the time allotted.
  • Photos mounted in an album will be digitized as a single image. Bound books do not need to be disassembled, but can be quite slow to digitize. Material stored in sleeves should be removed prior to the scanning session; materials remaining in sleeves will be digitized with the sleeves in place.
Scheduling
  • You will be able to sign up for a 30-minute time slot, on a first come, first served basis. This time slot will include any document preparation not completed prior to the scanning session, so proper document preparation is crucial (see above). 
  • Generally we can scan about 50 documents per person in a 30-minute slot, more if documents and photos are newer and/or not fragile.
  • Due to demand, we can accommodate only one scanning session per person during the conference.
  • The scanned files will be saved to a thumb drive (provided by Ancestry.com) and given to attendees for their own use.


Scanning will take place in the Producer A and B room, which is located directly across the hallway from the Tech Zone, at the end of the High-Tech Highway.  Signs will point the way.

19 April 2012

JamboFREE: Genealogy Society Leader Workshop

One of the Friday JamboFREE activities on June 8, 2012, is the Genealogy Society Leader Workshop. Meet the outstanding speakers and topics for that session:

8:00 a.m.
“PROJECTS!!!”
with Cath Trindle, CG
Energize your society. Draw in new blood. Work with FamilySearch, Adopt a Wiki, develop a designer project just for your society or work with other societies and government agencies.


9:10 a.m.
“Publicity is the Society’s Friend”
with Schelly Talalay Dardashti
Using all aspects of publicity (print/online) can make or break your society. Learn about the possibilities and how to use them properly to give your society the 'edge.' Publicity used in the right way means success for an event, brings in new members and gets out the word on your society.

10:20 a.m.
“How to Develop and Implement Affordable Membership Benefits”
with George G. Morgan
Genealogical and historical societies are struggling to attract and retain members while striving to stay solvent. It is essential to offer tangible benefits year-round. This session discusses best practices that can be put in place to provide affordable benefits to members. Whether your society is big or small, local, regional or national, a successful website is a necessity! Come learn how to create a website that will fit your society’s needs, and will be beneficial to current and prospective members of your society.

11:30 a.m.
“Creating a Website for your Society”
with Josh Taylor
Whether your society is big or small, local, regional or national, a successful website is a necessity! Come learn how to create a website that will fit your society’s needs, and will be beneficial to current and prospective members of your society.

Jamboree: Special Offers for Societies

Attention Organization and Society Leaders,

We Want You!  The Southern California Genealogy Jamboree offers many opportunities to participate in one of North America's largest genealogical conferences at little or no cost.

I can hear you asking, "Why would a genealogical society from [insert your location] be interested in having a presence at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree?" Because in California, "everybody came from someplace else." That's not exactly true, of course, but native Californians proudly announce that they are "Nth generation Californian." You just don't hear that from people from Pennsylvania or Iowa. 

What does that mean for you? It means that California genealogists are searching elsewhere for their family. They're looking for answers that your society can provide.     

How can your Society participate in Jamboree in person?

  • Encourage your members to attend. Your members can return to your society meeting and share the valuable information they get during the informative sessions as well as networking with other attendees.  We would be very grateful if you would help promote Jamboree in your announcements, publications and Internet presence (website, blog or other).
  • Attend the JamboFREE - Society Leadership Workshop. Strengthen the leadership of your organization by learning techniques and skills. You don't need to be a society leader to attend these sessions. But don't miss this chance to breathe new energy into your society. Read more about it.
  • Organize a Group Trip to Jamboree -  Have you thought about putting together a bus trip or group activity for your organization's members?  We'll work with you to help organize the trip. If your society is at least 100 miles from Burbank, we'll give you one free basic registration for every 10 people in your group. The San Diego Genealogical Society has organized such an event for the past few years. They take the Coastliner train to and from San Diego and they have a great time. If you're interested in putting together a group, contact us at SCGSJamboree@gmail.com and we'll help. Put "Group Tour" in the subject line.
  • Staff a free exhibit table for one day. We are offering a one-day exhibit table to genealogical societies, historical societies, and other nonprofit organizations. Speak one-on-one with our ~1700 guests and spread your word. Free. If you're interested, send an email to leo.myers44@gmail.com and he'll help you out.

How can your Society participate in Jamboree from a distance?


  • Donate a one-year membership for a door prize.  Your society's name will be listed among our donors and people will learn about you.
  • Send your membership application, publication list or other material for FREE distribution.  We'll put it on our freebie table for our guests to find. Send them by June 1 to:  Jamboree Freebie Table, SCGS, 417 Irving Drive, Burbank, CA 91504.
  • Purchase an ad in the syllabus and/or mobile app. A business-card sized ad is just $25. You can purchase an electronic "green" listing on the Jamboree app for just $50. The "green" listing is your contact information, downloadable PDFs such as your membership application, and your logo.  If you order both print and digital ads, you'll save $5. You'll reach 1700 people onsite at Jamboree plus others who access the app online.
 Please join us at Jamboree!

17 April 2012

Free Webinar April 25 - "Saving Cherished Memorabilia: Preservation Tips For Family Historians"

We are passing this information along for the benefit of our members and friends. Please note that this webinar is not sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society

FREE WEBINAR
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 25TH 2012
3:00 til 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
12:00 noon til 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time

"Saving Cherished Memorabilia: 
Preservation Tips For Family Historians"

Learn from Library of Congress preservation staff how to store your photographs and documents, what archival supplies to purchase, and more. This webinar is free in honor of Preservation Week and is co-sponsored by The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Library of Congress Genealogy and Local History Reading Room, and the LOC Preservation Team.


TO PARTICIPATE - 
Email Mark Wilson at mwilson@loc.gov  
BEFORE SUNDAY APRIL 22nd 2012

Spaces are limited and will be filled in the order in which requests are received

About the Webinar:

Join the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate and Local History & Genealogy Reading Room staff for a webinar on tips and recommendations for preserving family memorabilia.

This one-hour webinar will offer participants practical advice on caring for personal documents, books, digital materials, and other family keepsakes. Topics covered will include how to safely handle and store memorabilia to prevent the most commons types of damage and deterioration, what to look for when purchasing preservation-quality storage supplies, and what to do when items are damaged.

In addition, staff from the Library's Local History & Genealogy Reading Room will provide an introduction to using the collections, one of the most extensive public resources for researching ancestry, African-American history, immigration, U.S. military history, and many other related topics. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions through the webinar chat platform.

This webinar is one of a number of activities sponsored by the Library of Congress in celebration of

Preservation Week: Pass It On
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-069.html
April 22-28, 2012

to share preservation strategies that help people care for their personal materials and thereby pass them on-and is offered in conjunction with the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. http://www.genpa.org

Speakers: Jeanne Drewes, Chief, Binding and Collections Care Division, Library of Congress Lindsey Hobbs, Technician, Collections Care Section, Library of Congress Ahmed Johnson, Reference Specialist, Local History & Genealogy Reading Room, Library of Congress.

This Information has been forwarded by:
Susan Hanks
Library Programs Consultant
Library Development Services, California State Library
900 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-653-0661 fax 916-653-8443
shanks@library.ca.gov

Jamboree Special Events - Saturday

Let's take a look at Saturday's special events at Jamboree. From morning to evening -- breakfast to banquet -- you'll find lots to keep you busy.

7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Jamboree Genealogy Idol Breakfast
Geoff Rasmussen sponsored by Legacy Family Tree
Attend the first-ever Jamboree Genealogy Idol competition as four contestants - 2 live and 2 online - compete for your votes. In the three rounds of competition, contestants will demonstration their gen-tech expertise and try to woo you with their favorite gen-tech secrets. Everyone will learn - but only one will leave with the title of Jamboree Genealogy Idol. The competition will also be broadcast to a live webinar audience who will cast their votes live. $pecial registration required.

7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
War of 1812 Breakfast
Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF
“And the Rockets' Red Glare: Online Resources for War of 1812 Research”
 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. This presentation will explore the growing number of consequential websites for finding War of 1812 Resources, from the new fold3 website to more hidden sources in the Internet Archive and special collections. Strategies for finding and using these sites will also be explored. Curt will also update us on the status of the collaboration between NARA and the Federation of Genealogical Societies to digitize the pension files from the War of 1812, thus assuring our descendants access to these valuable records. $pecial registration required.

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch in the Tent
"The Story of Hollywood - An Illustrated History"
Gregory Paul Williams
Lunch on your own. Born and raised near the Hollywood sign, Greg’s interest in Hollywood’s history began when he wrote The Story of Hollywoodland, a book about the neighborhood where he grew up. His connection to Hollywood goes beyond an interest in its history, though. A puppeteer and a puppet designer in the entertainment industry for 25 years, Greg's credits include Men in Black and Men in Black II, Beakman’s World, Child’s Play 3, Mighty Joe Young, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and The Showbiz Show with David Spade. He also wrote a series of children’s book with Jim Henson based on the Muppet characters. Greg has devoted many hours to the preservation of Hollywood’s Historic District and continues to be active in the community. You're welcome to eat during the presentation, but I'm sure that our speaker would appreciate your steering clear of potato chips and crunchy dill pickles. Free, seating is limited to 300. 

7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Banquet - How Psychic Roots became an "Unsolved Mystery"
Hank Z Jones, FASG.
Hank shares his adventures behind the NBC-TV dramatization of his ground-breaking bestseller (now in its 6th printing) and relates even more amazing serendipitous experiences contributed by genealogists worldwide for his new sequel More Psychic Roots. $pecial registration required.

Current and New SCGS Members register here
Non-Members register here

REMINDER Webinar "Grandma's Flak Jacket" with Janet Hovorka - Wednesday, April 18, 2012


Join us for
"Grandma's Flak Jacket"
a FREE Webinar with Janet Hovorka
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/811433176

Why would your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews want to know about their family’s heritage? And how do you share it with them so that they are interested?  The benefits illustrated in this class include emotional healing from understanding the past, inspiration from knowing the greatness in your heritage, the perspective of knowing what was sacrificed for you, and knowing you are part of a greater whole. You are going to want to sign off  and start sharing, and this class will show you how.

Janet Hovorka received a B.A. in Ancient History and a MLIS from BYU. She and her husband Kim Hovorka own Family ChartMasters (www.familychartmasters.com), a genealogy chart printing company. Janet writes (www.thechartchick.com) and teaches at SLCC. She is serving as President of UGA.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE Genealogy Webinar "Grandma's Flak Janet"
Presenter: Janet Hovorka
Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Time: 60 minute class, 30 minute Question and Answer
6:00 p.m. - Pacific
7:00 p.m. - Mountain
8:00 p.m. - Central
9:00 p.m. - Eastern

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

13 April 2012

Jamboree Tourist Idea: William H. Paley Center for Television

Have you ever wanted to see the alien head from V up close, or Tony Soprano’s robe? How about Daisy Duke’s actual “Daisy Dukes”? Now’s your chance!

Locals and visitors to Los Angeles will want to check out this fun activity.

"Television Out of the Box" is an interactive display sponsored by Warner Bros. and located at the William H. Paley Center for Television in Beverly Hills. This video will pique your interest:



Check out the webpage:

The exhibit is open from 12:00 noon till 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
465 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, California
Wednesdays through Sundays 12:00 to 5:00 pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Unfortunately, Friday through Sunday hours collide with Jamboree classes. However, you could go on Wednesday or Thursday.

If you have a youngster, spouse or other traveling partner who would like to do a little sight-seeing, think about this post a response to this blog post. We can give you some suggestions on putting together a car pool. As a card-carrying member of the television generation, I'm visiting this exhibit just as soon as the Jamboree lights go out.

Jamboree: How do I Sign Up for Classes?

Many of you have written to ask how you indicate which classes you want to attend.

If you used the printed registration form, just circle the session numbers on the back page and send in your registration form. It's a snap.

If you already sent in your form and did not indicate your classes, no worries. You'll do what the phone and online registrants do. Read on.


If you register online or by phone, you'll receive an email notice in about a month to complete an online survey. That survey is the method we use to gather information on the sessions that you want to attend.

It is very important that you complete that survey so our results are as accurate as possible. We evaluate the registration survey and make final room assignments based on the number of people who chose each session.  More people = bigger room. In the past, we have gotten answers from only about a third of our participants, which leaves a big margin of error.  Please, please participate.

When you fill out the survey, you'll be able to indicate, day by day and hour by hour, which sessions you plan to attend.

Regardless of how you indicate your selection, here are points to consider:
  1. You are not locked in to attending the sessions you list on the survey. You are welcome to change your mind at any time.
  2. We cannot guarantee that seats will be available for every session you wish to attend. Seats are filled on a first-come, first-seated basis. 
  3. Safety of our guests is our primary concern. We do not allow overflow seating on the floor, aisles, etc.
  4. If there are sessions that you are particularly interested in attending, we encourage you to volunteer to serve as room monitor for one or more sessions, which will assure that you will have a seat. 
Room monitors help to get people seated, distribute and collect evaluation forms, communicate with conference leaders when necessary, and assure compliance with fire marshal regulations. If you wish to help as a room monitor, volunteer at http://2012JamboreeVolunteers.surveyconsole.com.

07 April 2012

Jamboree: Share your Favorite Ancestor Photos for a Chance to Win



To celebrate the Jamboree theme of Lights, Camera, ANCESTORS, our partner, 1000memories, is sponsoring a photo contest, and you can win a prize valued at $220. With Jamboree just days away, you're running out of time to participate.

Check out the submissions so far:  View the photos at http://1000memories.com/shoeboxes/2571-southern-california-genealogy-jamboree?h=5698c1 


1000memories.com is the new shoebox for your old photos. 1000memories is a free site that lets you share and preserve the family photos that are sitting in your old albums and hard drives. 1000memories makes it easy to digitize, preserve, and share your family history with the right people.
Share your favorite ancestor photo for a chance to win one of THREE Scan Cafe scanning kits to digitize up to 1,000 photos, slides, and or negatives (a $220 value). The photo in each of these three categories with the most “likes” by the start of Jamboree wins!
  • The most humorous photo of an ancestor
  • Pre-1900 photos
  • Photo of the best-dressed ancestor
Here’s how it works.
  • Visit 1000memories.com and register for a free account.
  • Email mike@1000memories.com for an invitation to the Jamboree community shoebox. Put "Jamboree Shoebox" in the subject line.
  • Add your favorite ancestor photos at http://bit.ly/HmnmaS and identify the category by adding it as the photo caption. 
  • Identify the person in the photo by adding a tag. Please include the name and other information as you wish: time period and location where the photo was taken.
  • You can upload as many photos as you like. 
  • Please email mike@1000memories.com for assistance using ShoeBox.
Voting 
  • View the photos that have been uploaded. Feel free to check back often to see new photos as they are added.
  • Vote for the favorite photos by clicking on the photo, and then clicking on the small heart on the left side of the photo to “like” them. [UPDATE] It seems that the "like" feature has moved to the bottom right corner.
  • You may vote for any photo only once.
  • Voting closes at 12:00 noon Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, June 8, when the doors officially open for Jamboree.
  • Winners will be announced during the Social Hour at 5:00 on Saturday.
  • The contest is open to everyone. Need not be a Jamboree attendee to participate.
  • Only one prize will be issued per person.
Notes
  • Photos will be accessible to the public through Internet Archive "forever" and you may choose to remove them after Jamboree. Your call.
  • Photo slideshows will be displayed throughout Jamboree.
  • Officers of the Southern California Genealogical Society and the Jamboree Committee may participate but are not eligible to win.
Helpful Tips
If you don’t have digital copies of your photos, you can scan your photos using ShoeBox by 1000memories - a free photo-scanning app for iPhone and Android. If you don’t have a smartphone or scanner, simply take a photo of the photo with a digital camera and upload it to the Jamboree shoebox.

Prize Details
ScanCafe is the global leader in professional scanning services, having scanned over 65 million images. Scanning kits are specially designed packing boxes to send up to 1,000 photos, slides, and/or negatives to ScanCafe’s scanning facility. Each of your photos is scanned by hand by a trained technician, a digital copy is automatically added to a private shoebox on 1000memories, and your originals are returned to you along with a copy of your photos on DVD.

Remember

You can't win if you don't play!

05 April 2012

Jamboree: Marriott Hotel Update

We received notice today that the Marriott is already at 65% capacity for Jamboree, at this early date. We recommend that you make your reservations early to ensure that you receive the Jamboree discount.

Here is a link to the Marriott website: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/burap?groupCode=gggggga&app=resvlink&fromDate=6/5/12&toDate=6/11/12

You may also call 1-818-843-6000 and mention group code GGGGGGA.

04 April 2012

REMINDER: Webinar "Turn iGoogle into Your Homepage" with Lisa Louise Cooke April 7


Join us for
Turn iGoogle into Your Homepage
a FREE Webinar with Lisa Louise Cooke
Saturday, April 7, 2012

 

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/476905200

Join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

Google’s blank white page is very misleading.  In this session Lisa Louise Cooke, host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, will show you how to covert Google.com into a rich, powerful genealogy research homepage that will keep you organized and moving forward online.

Lisa Louise Cooke is the owner of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy multimedia company. She is Producer and Host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, the popular online genealogy audio show as well as the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast, both available at www.GenealogyGems.com, in iTunes, and through the free Genealogy Gems Toolbar. Her podcasts bring genealogy news, research strategies, expert interviews and inspiration to genealogists around the world.

The Jamboree Extension Series allows genealogists from around the world to take advantage of the types of sessions that are offered at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, CA. The series is offered as a service to the genealogical community. Webinar presentations are scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month.

The complete list of webinars can be found at on the SCGS website (http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2012.htm).

Jamboree Extension Sessions will be archived and available to SCGS members following the webinar. Membership information can be found at www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Title: FREE Genealogy Webinar "Turn iGoogle into Your Homepage"
Presenter: Lisa Louise Cooke
Date: Saturday, April 7, 2012
Time: 60 minute class, 30 minute Q&A
10:00 AM - Pacific
11:00 AM - Mountain
12:00 PM - Central
1:00 PM - Eastern

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

FREE Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp June 8

Click here to register
The Southern California Genealogical Society is excited to offer a free professional development session for librarians and other reference staff who assist genealogists. The half-day session is offered in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree.

Event: Librarian's Genealogy Boot Camp
Date: Friday, June 8, 2012
Registration: 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Location: Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel
Burbank, California
Cost: FREE
Open to the public
Registration required - seating is limited

The Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp instructors are two exceptional professionals from the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF is the Senior Manager for Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN where he manages The Genealogy Center, serves as general curator for that institution’s Rare and Fine Book Collection as well as the institutional archives, and is the Supervisor for the new Lincoln National Foundation’s Lincoln Library Collection. He is a former president of both the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society. He is the founding president of the Indiana Genealogical Society and has memberships in a number of historical and genealogical organizations in the state and country.

Melissa Shimkus, MLS is a genealogy librarian at The Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library, where she currently co-coordinates the programs and seminars. Her focus includes genealogy instruction and emerging technologies.


Topics include:

Think Like a Genealogy Librarian. When genealogy patrons approach the desk, their questions can require librarians to think outside the usual reference box. Discover the basic reference interview questions and sources that librarians should use to help their genealogy customers. Learn how to help your genealogy patrons find the answers to their questions.

After "Who Do You Think You Are?" - Engaging Beginning Genealogists in the 21st Century. "21st-ers" those who have come to genealogy in the last decade - largely have come through non traditional conduits. They generally aren't members of genealogical societies and don't often think to frequent bricks - 'n' -mortar facilities. This session will explore who these "new" genealogists are, what kinds of expectations they have, and how we can begin meeting their needs and making them feel comfortable in an ever changing genealogy and local history space. The tactics we as librarians and information specialists use to initially engage beginners in the 21st century should reflect the change in resource availability and how we access those resources.

Something for Everyone: Genealogical Reference Services in the 21st Century.  With the explosion of significant data on the web, there is absolutely no reason genealogists and family historians cannot get top-shelf customer service in any library, regardless of the size of the book budget, the extent of the collections, or the existence of a genealogy/local history section.  Hear some strategies for serving this dynamic patron population— genealogists —with just a computer, a good customer service attitude, and great reference interviewing skills.
To register, click the "Register" button above, or click on this link