[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 10 Jan 2015

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 10 Jan 2015

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 10 Jan 2015, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meetings.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Ben Baker on FAMILYSEARCH INSIDER TIPS AND TRICKS.  There are many powerful tools available on FamilySearch.org that are not well-documented in manuals nor easily discovered in the products themselves.  This presentation will help you learn some tips and tricks from a FamilySearch engineer of how to be more productive in using the resources on FamilySearch.org.  Ben Baker has been a senior software engineer at FamilySearch for the past 5 years.  His computer education is from BYU and he currently leads an engineering team working on Family Tree.  He has also worked with digital image processing of historical documents.  He enjoys helping others do Family History more effectively and tries to do his own.  His background information and a list of some of his previous presentations is online at https://www.linkedin.com/in/familysearchbenbaker .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Q&A: FamilySearch Insider Tips and Tricks, by Ben Baker;  (2)  Using LDS Membership Records Worldwide: A Gold-Mine of Information, by Liz Snow;  (3)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (4)  Video of the last main presentation (Nov 2014):  Adding a Visual Dimension to Your Research, by Peg Ivanyo;  (5)  MAC Help, by Ron Snowden;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy: Searching, Tagging and Focus Groups, by Dean Bennett;  and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell.

As you can see, there is something for everyone no matter what their level of family history expertise, and this includes youth, those just getting interested in genealogy, and Ward FH Consultants.  All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public, whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  The Group is in need of a Secretary, so if you might be interested, contact President Gerhard Ruf.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase the inexpensive DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants, and membership is on a calendar year basis, so it is time for members to renew.  See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and to join the Group on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

NOTE:  The UVTAGG meeting for Feb 2015 will be on the third Saturday (21 Feb 2015) due to conflicts with RootsTech 2015 in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on the second Saturday.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 08 Nov 2014

2014-10-31
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.
Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu


[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 08 Nov 2014


The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 08 Nov 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.


The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Peg Ivanyo on ADDING A VISUAL DIMENSION TO YOUR RESEARCH.  In spite of the technical tools available to us today, we often resort solely to the written word to analyze, plan, and summarize our research. This presentation will explore some simple tools that can help us "see" our research more clearly, and perhaps even break through a brick wall or two.  Peg Ivanyo is owner of All Things Related, which blends her former career as a meeting planner/consultant with her love of genealogy and teaching.  She serves as a ward family history consultant, as a member of the Springville Family History Center Education Committee, Assistant Director of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), and conference administrator for the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS).  She earned a bachelor’s degree in merchandising and business through Utah State University, completed graduate courses in Tourism Administration at George Washington University, and has taken courses in Family History at Brigham Young University.  In addition to her membership in UGA, Peg maintains active membership with the National Genealogical Society (NGS), the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH), the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society (LRFHS), the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI), and the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).  More information about her is at https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=5747 .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Making a Case for Re-proving Old Work, by Peg Ivanyo;  (2)  Video of last month's main presentation, The FamilySearch Catalog: Key to the Collection, by Sharon Monson;  (3)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen;  (4)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (5)  Legacy:  Multimedia, by Brad Monson; and  (6)  RootsMagic, by bruce Buzbee.  There will be no MAC class this month.

As you can see, there is something for everyone no matter what their level of family history expertise, and this includes youth, those just getting interested in genealogy, and recently call Ward FH Consultants.  All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase the inexpensive DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants and membership is on a calendar year basis, so it is time for members to renew.  See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and to join the Group on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

A reminder:  UVTAGG does not meet in December since the wards need the building for other things, so the next meeting after this one will be on 10 Jan 2015.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 11 Oct 2014

2014-10-03

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 11 Oct 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 11 Oct 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Sharon Monson on THE FAMILYSEARCH CATALOG:  KEY TO THE COLLECTION.  The FamilySearch Catalog is the new version of the old Family History Library Catalog which has been retired.  It now includes much more than it used to.  Locating available books, microfilms, or microfiche for a certain place or subject depends on the depth of the catalog search criteria.  Basic searches such as Place, Last Name, Title, Author, Subject and Keyword, will be demonstrated and Ms. Monson will show how you can now instantly view original records in a Historical Records search.  Thousands of books are now online and many have updated indexes and all are every-word searchable.  She will show how to filter your searches to save time and effort.  Sharon D. Monson is the founder of "GenSearch and more".  She is an author and frequent conference presenter with extensive research experience spanning 30+ years in courthouses, the Family History Library, and repositories.  Her family history presentations cover a wide range of research methods, useful tips, source document locations and unusual resources.  She specializes in the Southern US region, where burned out counties and loss of records is the norm, and has learned to dig "deeper" and polish the skills necessary to find missing documentation.  As a Residential Appraiser for most of her life, she has learned to pay attention to details.  Examining what doesn't look right, or what appears to be in the wrong place, will often yield that previously missed clue.  She feels it is extremely important to use accurate information to support family data.  As the founder of GenSearch and more, her vision is to teach younger people how to search for their families.  So that no one gets left out, she also teaches those who aren't tech savvy how to use new technology in their search for ancestors.  More information about her is available at  http://icapgen.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/sharon-d-monson/ .  

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Sharon Monson on Treasures Found in US Military Records;  (2)   Sue Maxwell on LDS Partner Web Sites:  MyHeritage;  (3)   Don Snow and Linda Westover on Family Tree Certified Programs: TreeSeek, RecordSeek, Puzilla, and RootsMapper;  (4)   Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen on Ask An Expert (Personal Help);  (5)   Video of last month's main presentation by Don Snow and Linda Westover on  Presenting and Preserving Your Family History: You Can't Take It With You, So How Do You Leave It?;  (6)   Gaylon Findlay on Ancestral Quest;  (7)   Renee Zamora on RootsMagic; and  (8)  Marilyn Thomsen on Custom Design Your Toolbar - Amazing Legacy Tools at Your Fingertips.

As you can see, there is something for everyone no matter what their level of family history expertise, and this includes youth and those just getting interested in genealogy.  All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase the inexpensive DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and to join the Group on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 13 Sep 2014

Update: The meeting location has changed due to a funeral beheld at the Red Chapel. The new location is:

Edgewood/Riverside LDS Chapel, 3511 North 180 East, Provo, Utah. The chapel is in the Provo "River Bottoms" behind the Jamestown shopping plaza on the east side of University Avenue. You get to it by turning east from University Avenue at 3700 North ("Will's Pit Stop") and then south on 180 East. 

2014-09-03

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 13 Sep 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 13 Sep 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Donald R. Snow and his daughter Linda Snow Westover on PRESENTING AND PRESERVING YOUR GENEALOGY:  YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, SO HOW DO YOU LEAVE IT?   This presentation will show how the topics of presenting and preserving your family history are related and doing one helps with the other.  Free computer programs to help with both of these will be discussed and these will include backing up and storing your data, collaborating with others, and having your data so you and others can see later what you have done.  They will also discuss scanning (digitizing) hard copy documents and naming the files so you can tell what's in them, find them easily, and have them form a timeline of a person's life.  The goal is to have your family history organized, presentable, and in a format that will last longer than you do.  The notes with active URL's for this class are posted at  http://uvtagg.org/classes/dons/dons-classes.html .   Don Snow is a Californian by birth, with Snow ancestors from Southern Utah.  After retiring from the BYU Math Faculty, he and his recently deceased wife Diane served four FH missions, including being Directors of the New York Family History Center in Manhattan, in the Illinois Nauvoo Mission on a FH project (http://earlylds.com), and in the London Family History Centre in the Hyde Park Chapel.  Don has been a VP of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group since the 1990's and is a frequent speaker at FH venues.  He has 6 children and 30 grandchildren.  Don's daughter, Linda Snow Westover, has been a family history enthusiast for the past 25 years.  She is a ward family history consultant, an associate director at the Lindon (Utah) Family History center, and her friends call her the ghost-whisperer.  She enjoys helping others and traveling to research her family.  Linda works in the Registrar’s Office at BYU and has 5 children and 6 grandchildren.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  How To Max a Website:  What Every Internet Researcher Needs to Know, by Laurie Castillo;  (2)  Q&A: Presenting and Preserving Your Genealogy, by Don Snow and Linda Westover;  (3)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation:  Discovering Stories on Google Books, by Jimmy Zimmerman;  (5)  Ancestral Quest, by Benjamin Findlay;  (6)  Sourcing in Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and  (7)  RootsMagic, by Liz Kennington. 

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and to join the Group on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 09 Aug 2014

2014-08-01

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 09 Aug 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 09 Aug 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Jimmy Zimmerman of FamilySearch on DISCOVERING STORIES ON GOOGLE BOOKS.  Google has scanned millions of books and made them searchable online through Google Books.  Jimmy will discuss tips for performing effective searches, obtaining transcriptions, clipping pages, finding books when the full version isn’t available, and sharing discovered stories and photos on FamilySearch.org.  He describes himself as an Apple fanatic who loves discovering stories about his ancestors.  At FamilySearch he works with partnering organizations to help people discover, record, and share their family history.  He is a web developer and project manager and has a Master's Degree in Information Systems Management from BYU.  You can learn more about him at his blog  http://jimmyzimmerman.com/ which he has been writing since about 2005.  Among other things that you can learn there is the fact that his NoteFuser program won the Grand Prize in the 2012 RootsTech Developer Challenge.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Q&A: Discovering Stories on Google Books, by Jimmy Zimmerman;  (2)  Using LDS Partner Web Sites:  My Heritage, by Sue Maxwell;  (3)  Online Cemetery Sites - More Than Just Tombstones, by Sharon Monson;  (4)  Online Newspapers: Tips and Comparisons of the 6 Largest Databases, by Marilyn Thomsen;  (5)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen;  (6)  Video of last month's main presentation Common Surnames - Finding Your Smith, by Juliana Zucs Smith;  (7)  Ancestral Quest, by Claire Brisson-Banks;  (8)  Getting Started with Legacy 8, by Brad Monson; and  (9)  RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and to join the Group on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu .

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 12 Jul 2014

2014-07-03

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 12 Jul 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 12 Jul 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location,  main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Juliana Szucs Smith on COMMON SURNAMES:  FINDING YOUR SMITH.  Whether your ancestor was a Smith, Jones, Brown, or Johnson, Juliana will share some tips for tracking them down on Ancestry.com and beyond.  Using charts, spreadsheets, and a little common sense, you’ll leave this presentation with some ideas for narrowing your search.  Juliana Szucs Smith has been working for Ancestry.com for more than 15 years.  She began her family history journey trolling through microfilms at the tender age of 11 with her mother.  She has written many articles for online and print genealogical publications and wrote the "Computers and Technology" chapter of The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy.  Juliana holds a certificate from Boston University's Online Genealogical Research Program, and is currently on the clock working towards certification from the Board for Certification of Genealogists.  There is more about her on the Ancestry blog at  http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/author/jsmith/ .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Getting the Most From Your Discoveries, by Juliana Szucs Smith;  (2)  Using LDS Partner Web Sites:  Find My Past, by Sue Maxwell;  (3)   MAC: IProblems, IGetStarted, and IHelp, by Ron Snowden;  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen;  (5)  Video from last month's main presentation, Are You Your Own Brick Wall?, by Beth Taylor;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy, by Marilyn Thomsen;  and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee. 

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group, on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 14 Jun 2014

2014-06-06

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 14 Jun 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 14 Jun 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location,  main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Beth Taylor on ARE YOU YOUR OWN BRICK WALL?  COMMON GENEALOGY MISTAKES AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM.  Many genealogists get so focused on their own research line, their own family, or their own family traditions that they often ignore or sidestep essential research clues and resources that may help break down their brick walls.  This presentation will discuss common mistakes made by genealogists of all skill levels and ways to overcome them.  These have been collected by research consultants working for FamilySearch.  Beth Taylor, CG, works as a US/Canada research consultant for FamilySearch.  She is a Board-certified genealogist (CG), holds a BA of History from Brigham Young University (2005), and is currently pursuing an AG (Accredited Genealogist) in the Midwest from ICAPGen.  For more information see https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/User:TaylorBE.

The morning of 14 Jun 2014 is the marathon and other races down University Avenue in Provo, so allow more time to get across it, or else go down to 3rd South in Provo to get around.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  Beth Taylor, The Tired, the Poor, and the Huddled Masses: US Immigration 1820-1954;  (2)  Laurie Castillo, German Research: Online Resources;  (3)  Don Snow and Linda Westover, Online Helps for Family History and Consultants;  (4)  Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen, Ask An Expert (Personal Help);  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation by Sue Maxwell, Ancestry.com: Ready, Set, Go - Here's What You Need To Know;  (6)  Gaylon Findlay, Ancestral Quest;  (7)  Dean Bennett, Legacy;  (8)  Bruce Buzbee, RootsMagic.  There will be no Mac class this time, though several of the above classes are "Mac-compatible."

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group, on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 10 May 2014

2014-05-01

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 10 May 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 10 May 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location,  main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG by Sue Maxwell is titled ANCESTRY - READY, SET, GO!  HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.  Whether you have a personal subscription to Ancestry.com, use the Library Edition at a local library or Family History Center it is important to understand how Ancestry.com functions and what it can do to enhance your family history experience and make the most of this incredible opportunity to do research at home.  All members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will soon have access to Ancestry.com at home through their login to FamilySearch. Learn about all that Ancestry has to offer so you will be prepared to utilize its varied tools and features. Come see how the interface will work when the new features are released to all members.  Sue Maxwell is a genealogist and blogger specializing in teaching, training and mentoring others to help their computer skills, software, family history, and genealogical research. Her focus is on helping others find the joy in identifying and learning about their ancestors.  Sue is actively involved in the genealogy community, former Vice President of Utah Genealogical Association (UGA), a member of NGS and UVTAGG (formerly UVPAFUG) where she is a speaker and trainer.  She and her husband are serving as Area Family History Advisors for the Church and serve 17 stakes in Sandy, Utah. She teaches at Family History Centers and at the FamilySearch Library in Riverton. She recently presented at the Regional Family History Conference in Rexburg Idaho to about 1000 attendees. She has served as a Director, Trainer and Tech Support for a local Family History Center and maintains her blog, Granite Genealogy, on  http://granitegenealogy.blogspot.com .  This blog focuses on training, information, and materials and helps people keep up to date on what's going on in Family History.  She retired after a 27-year career in management in the utility industry.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  Ancestry.com: Strategies for Effective Searching, by Sue Maxwell;  (2)   German Research:  Online Resources, by Laurie Castillo;  (3)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation,  Using State Archives and Local Libraries Online, by Luana Darby;  (5)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (6)  Organizing Media Files with RootsMagic, by Terri Tyler; and  (7)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.  There will be no Mac class this time, though several of the above classes are "Mac-compatible."

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group, on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 12 Apr 2014

2014-04-03
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 12 Apr 2014 

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 12 Apr 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location,  main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive an email of the press releases when they are posted a week before the meeting. 

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG will be by Luana Darby on USING STATE ARCHIVES AND LOCAL LIBRARIES ONLINE.  With many state archives and local libraries posting one-of-a-kind information that many times has never been seen outside of that institution, the wealth of information now available to genealogists and family historians is astounding.  Vital records, journals, obituaries, city directories, maps, photographs and more are accessible, if you know where to look. Learn how to search and where to find these elusive, but vital resources. These digital collections will enrich your genealogical experience and may offer that family breakthrough you are looking for!  Luana Darby is a professional genealogist and lecturer.  She graduated from BYU with a degree in Family History and received her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.  She is the owner of Lineages by Luana, a genealogical research company which focuses on US/Canada and Western European research and consultations and is co-owner of American Patriots and Pioneers Research Services, lineage application specialists.  She has lectured at various regional and national genealogical conferences including NGS. FGS, RootsTech, UGA, BYU and ICAPGen.  She has  served as treasurer, vice president and president of the Utah Genealogical Association and is working on her accreditation in Midwest research.  Her love for genealogy came from listening to her grandmother tell her stories of growing up on the Kansas prairies at the turn of the century.  These stories created a desire to learn more about her ancestors and their stories.  She has spent the last 35 years reconstructing these accounts and looks for every opportunity to connect with "cousins," some of the most recent coming from genealogical DNA breakthroughs.  It is her goal to instill this passion and desire in everyone that she meets.  More information and contact information for her is on her Association of Professional Genealogists page at  http://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=3068 .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  Can You Hear Me Now?  Voice Recognition, by Luana Darby;  (2)  FamilySearch Subscription Site Access Preview, by Beth Ann Wiseman;  (3)  Software and Genealogy Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation: Family History with Heart: Digging Info Out of Distant Relatives, by Suzanne Hansen;  (5)  Help With The MAC Software "Reunion", by Ron Snowden;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell; and  (8)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Some of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information on the websites above about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu    

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 08 Mar 2014

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 08 Mar 2014 


2014-03-02
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please extract parts and give the UVTAGG websites.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.

Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu



The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 08 Mar 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases by email when they are sent out a week before the meeting. 

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG will be by Suzanne Hansen on FAMILY HISTORY WITH HEART: DIGGING INFO OUT OF DISTANT RELATIVES. Suzanne Hansen is a wife, mother, grandmother, artist, author, speaker, genealogical researcher, historian, and blogger.  One of her greatest passions is to teacy and mentor children, teens, and adults in discovering their history that makes up their own family and the nation to which they belong, and their connection in the world.  She believes that by bridging the past with present we can all shape a better future. 

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled. Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Family Newsletters: Where To Start, by Suzanne Hansen;  (2)  Puzzilla and Other Affiliate Apps, by Marilyn Thomsen;  (3)  RootsTech 2014 Video, 5 Ways To Do Genealogy in Your Sleep, by Deborah Gamble;  (4)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (5)  Video of January's Main Presentation, Discover the Future of the Family History Library and Centers;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  RootsMagic, by Renee Zamora; and  (8)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.  There will be no MAC class at this meeting.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Some of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information on the websites mentioned above about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu    

======================================

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 08 Feb 2014

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 08 Feb 2014 

2014-01-30

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version please extract parts and give the UVTAGG websites.  If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.
Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 08 Feb 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases by email when they are sent out a week before the meeting. 

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG will be a recorded keynote address from Thursday or Friday at the large RootsTech 2014 Conference.  RootsTech 2014 starts Wednesday, 5 Feb, and ends Saturday, 8 Feb, in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.  RootsTech began 4 years ago sponsored by the LDS Church, BYU, Ancestry, and other companies, and has already grown to be the largest genealogy conference in the United States with over 10,000 people expected to attend this year.  Besides the in-person attendees, this year more than 500 LDS stakes have signed up to use RootsTech presentations in their local Family History seminars later.  Since many of our UVTAGG members are Family History Consultants and will be at the Salt Palace, it was decided to use RootsTech presentations for the UVTAGG meeting this month.  To avoid bandwidth problems with the Internet at the chapel we will be recording the streaming videos of the RootsTech presentations Thursday and Friday to show at our Saturday morning meeting.  We will show one of the keynote addresses for our main presentation and then show three other presentations during the class period, so you can select the one you want to watch.  All of the RootsTech keynote presentations and additional classes will be streamed live from the Salt Palace on their website  https://rootstech.org , so people can even watch them at home on their own computers.  And the videos will be available there after the conference is over.

Besides the 3 RootsTech videos the following classes will be available:  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), Don Engstrom;  (5)  Ancestral Quest, by Merlin Kitchen; and  (6)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.  There will be no MAC class nor RootsMagic class at this meeting.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Some of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information on the websites mentioned above about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG),  snowd@math.byu.edu    

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 11 Jan 2014

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 11 Jan 2014

03 Jan 2014

Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version you can extract parts from the first two paragraphs, give the UVTAGG URLs, and mention that there will be classes for all levels of family history interest.  Please email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING - UVTAGG
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 11 Jan 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Diane C. Loosle on DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY AND FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS.  What does the future experience in the Family History Library and Centers look like? What are the future plans for the Family History Library and Centers? How will things change in the next few years with more records and books being available online? How do the new partnerships between FamilySearch and Ancestry, MyHeritage and DC Thomson Family History change things? What is the “discovery center” we keep hearing about? These and other questions you may have about the Family History Library and Family History Centers will be addressed.  Diane C. Loosle is the new Director of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, as well as the Family History Centers worldwide, so this will be a chance to hear what is really happening, not just rumors.  She is an Accredited Genealogist^® and a Certified Genealogist^SM  with a Bachelors degree in History from BYU with an emphasis in Family History and Genealogy and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Utah.   She has worked for FamilySearch for the past twenty years as a British Reference Consultant, British Reference Unit Supervisor, Customer Experience Manager, FamilySearch Genealogical Community Services Manager and now as Director of the Family History Library and Family History Centers worldwide. She enjoys spending time in the outdoors and traveling with her husband Mike.  Of additional interest to Utah County people is that she was in the BYU Cougar Marching Band while a student at the "Y"!  Information on her appointment as Director of the Family History Library is at https://familysearch.org/blog/en/diane-loosle-named-director-world-renowned-family-history-library/ 

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  Evernote:  Your Virtual Genealogy Assistant, by Sue Maxwell;  (2)  Q&A: Discover the Future of the Family History Library and Family History Centers, by Diane C. Loosle;  (3)  Making Your Trip to the Family History Center More Productive, by Ron Snowden;  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (5)  Video of November's main presentation: The Latest and Greatest in FamilySearch Photos and Stories, by Tim Cross;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy: New Features in 8.0, by Dean Bennett;  and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Renee Zamora.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information on the websites mentioned above about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG), snowd@math.byu.edu