New Conference Helps Unite Family History and Technology

  • 7 February 2011

RootsTech 2011, a new family history conference meant to bring enthusiasts and technologists together, will be held on February 10 to 12, 2011, in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Nine of the conference’s sessions will be streamed live online at rootstech.familysearch.org, including an address by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Thursday, February 10

  • 8:30–9:00 a.m.—A World of Information, by Shane Robison, chief technology officer, Hewlett Packard
  • 9:00–9:30 a.m.—Turning Roots, Branches, Trees into Nodes, Links, Graphs, by Jay L. Verkler, chief executive officer, FamilySearch International
  • 3:00–4:00 p.m.—Digitally Preserving Your Family Heritage, Berry Ewell, founder of MyGenShare.com

Friday, February 11

  • 8:30–9:30 a.m.—The Changing Face of Genealogy, by Curt Witcher, manager of the Historical Genealogy Department, Allen County Public Library
  • 9:45–10:45 a.m.—Cloud Computing: What Is It and How It Has Been Used to Create the Next Familysearch.org, by Brian Pugh, senior engineer, FamilySearch International

Saturday, February 12, 2011

  • 8:30–9:30 a.m.—Personal Archiving and Primary Documents, Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archives
  • 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.—Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
  • 1:45–2:45 p.m.—Virtual Presentations Round Table and Collaborative Panel Discussion, Thomas MacEntee, professional genealogist and technology specialist
  • 3:00–4:00 p.m.—The Power of PDF: Tools for Every Genealogist, D. Josh Taylor, director of education and programs at New England Historical Genealogical Society.

A variety of classes, ranging from 20 to 46 different classes daily, cover new and emerging technologies through presentations, discussions, and hands-on workshops.

The conference is intended to bring technologists and genealogists together to learn from each other and find solutions to challenges in family history research. Its focus is to create a forum where genealogy technology users can discover new research tools and technology creators can learn the latest development techniques from industry leaders and pioneers.

For more information on RootsTech; to see session schedules, presentation topics, and housing options; or to register for the conference, visit www.rootstech.org.

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