RootsMagic for PAF Users

RootsMagic has seen a marketing opportunity with the demise of FamilySearch’s Personal Ancestral File (PAF). They are offering a free publication, RootsMagic for PAF Users: a Quick Start Guide, which can be downloaded in ebook or PDF formats. RootsMagic assures PAF users that their family history can be seamlessly imported into a RootsMagic product. They have even set up a special website at http://www.rootsmagic.com/PAF/ containing training videos etc., to make the transition as painless as possible. And now for the crunch – for a limited time they are offering PAF users the full version of RootsMagic for only $19.95. This is still cheap and worth considering and they are also offering a free version of RootsMagicEssentials that offers the basic abilities of PAF plus the certified FamilySearch Family Tree features. It is a small price to pay for the support and expertise of RootsMagic.

PERSI

FindMyPast has announced another partnership, this time with the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) Genealogy Centre to take over the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), although FindMyPast say ‘revolutionise’. PERSI is the largest and most widely used subject index for genealogy and local history literature. As part of the partnership FindMyPast will enhance PERSI by linking thousands of individual genealogical periodicals and resources to the index, allowing original content to be connected and accessed digitally. FindMyPast can transform PERSI into a very powerful resource. You can read more about this project at http://www.findmypast.com/content/PERSI_Finds_New_Home_at_Findmypast

Rootstech Video Archives

If you missed out on the Rootstech Family History & Technology Conference 21-23 March this year in Salt Lake City, Utah, and can’t make it to the next one on 6-8 February 2014, then you may like to view videos from previous conferences at https://rootstech.org/videos/. These unique conferences offer opportunities to discover the latest family history tools and techniques, connect with experts and be inspired. The emphasis is helping individuals learn, and use the latest technology, to get started or accelerate their efforts to find, organise, preserve and share their family history. For further information about the next conference visit the Rootstech website or search out their video archives.

Webinars

Webinars are web or video conferencing, which allow seminars or conference style events to be shared with various and remote locations. They are interactive online workshops, seminars or conferences. Internet technologies now allow real-time communicatioon from one sender to many receivers. Webinars cover all sorts of meetings via your computer and may include text, presentations, voice and video chat. They are especially useful for lectures, presentations and training events. The Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) has added webinars to its list of activities. You do have to be a member of SAG to participate, but it is a great way to learn about family history from the experts and not have to leave home. You can read how the webinars work at: http://www.sag.org.au/events/webinars/254-webinars.html . They cover various topics such as Tracing English Death Records (Tuesday 23 July 8-9pm); National Archives of Australia (Wednesday 7 August 8-9pm); Using your Library E-card for Family History (Thursday 22 August 8-9pm); How to Find Research Assistance on the Web Using Guides & Wikis (Thursday 26 September 8-9pm); Managing Your Photos Digitally (Tuesday 8 October  8-9m); and Finding Living UK Relatives. (Wednesday 23 October 8-9pm).