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News and Announcements
Genealogy Guys Presentations During Coronavirus
Aha! Seminars, Inc. and The Genealogy Guys, George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, will not be accepting speaking engagements other than virtual presentations or webinars until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.However, we are of "the age" and have health conditions that preclude traveling by airplane and appearing before crowds.
We have a licensed copy of Zoom and can use that to communicate with a single meeting location or with a presented and up to 99 remote attendees participating from home.
We apologise for any inconvenience to libraries, archives, and societies. Thank you for understanding. If you have any questions, please email us at aha@ahaseminars.com.
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ODESSA, Florida, Oct. 1, 2019
Aha! Seminars, Inc., the producer of The Genealogy Guys Podcast, the Genealogy Connection podcast, and The Genealogy Guys Blog is pleased to announce the launch of Genealogy Guys Learn (genealogyguyslearn.com), a subscription-based educational website designed to provide genealogy courses and videos for researchers of all skill levels.
At its launch, Genealogy Guys Learn consists of 5 text/image-based courses on such topics as basic research, intermediate research, the Social Security Death Index, wills and probate records, and military records. Genealogy Guys Learn also contains a dozen recorded presentations by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, including All About the U.S. Federal Census, Principles of Effective Evidence Analysis, Finding Archived Newspapers, and Organizing Your Research Process. We have more than 30 aditional topics to add in coming months.
Another feature of the Genealogy Guys Learn website is that it provides quick access to information about books written by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith; other recommended books, quick sheets, and magazines; recommended software, hardware, and online services; and links to websites related to the content provided in the courses and videos.
“Drew Smith and I have been speaking at genealogy conferences for decades,” said George G. Morgan, president of Aha! Seminars, Inc. “But attending conferences is not always practical or within the budget for all genealogists. With the launch of Genealogy Guys Learn, we’re able to provide our affordable educational services directly to the genealogist in their own homes on their own schedules.”
The Genealogy Guys Learn website automatically keeps track of courses and videos users have viewed, so that users can see their progress at a glance. The website will be updated each month with additional content (new courses or videos), providing continuing value to the subscribers. Subscribers will be able to provide feedback to George and Drew as to which topics they would most like to see added in the future.
Aha! Seminars, Inc., is a registered trademark with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The Genealogy Squad Facebook Page Has Launched!
Today's the day! The new Genealogy Squad Facebook page is now launched at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogysquad. The mission of the Genealogy Squad Facebook group is to provide a positive space for the sharing of appropriate and reliable methods and resources to assist genealogists at all levels in their research activities.
The Genealogy Squad will focus on answering questions and solving problems, while demonstrating best practices in all aspects of genealogical research. The extensive combined knowledge and experience of the four principals in all aspects of genealogical research allows them to respond and share the highest quality information and suggested research paths.
People interested in this new group must personally request to join, beginning on May 6. 2019, and the administrators will respond as promptly as possible. We are very excited and expect this new FB group to be an instant success.
Media Release
For Immediate Release
Tampa, Florida – 1 May 2019
The Genealogy Squad Facebook Group Announced
A new Facebook group for genealogy, The Genealogy Squad, is being launched at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogysquad on Monday, 6 May 2019. The mission of the Genealogy Squad Facebook group is to provide a positive space for the sharing of appropriate and reliable methods and resources to assist genealogists at all levels in their research activities. The principals and administrators are:
- Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D. J.D., is an internationally recognized genetic genealogy expert, lecturer, and author of two landmark books about DNA. His DNA Central subscription site provides educational information about genetic genealogical research tests, tools, and methodologies.
- Cyndi Ingle is the creator of the award-winning Cyndi’s List, the categorized, searchable directory of more than 336,000 online genealogical resource links. Cyndi, a genealogist for more than 39 years, has an expertise in using technology for genealogy and research in the United States. Cyndi's favorite topics bring together traditional methodology with organization, computers, software, and the Internet. She is the author of 3 books and numerous articles, and she is a popular genealogical speaker for seminars and conferences worldwide.
- George G. Morgan is the president of Aha! Seminars, Inc., an internationally recognized genealogy expert, lecturer, author of 14 genealogy books, writer for four magazines, and author of hundreds of online columns and blog postings. He is co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast, the longest-running genealogy podcast since 2005, and his company produces the Genealogy Connections podcast. He is author of The Genealogy Guys Blog.
- Drew Smith is the genealogy librarian for the University of South Florida Library in Tampa, an internationally recognized genealogy expert, lecturer, and author of three books. He is the 2016 winner of the Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship, presented by the National Genealogical Society. He is co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast and host of the Genealogy Connections podcast.
The Genealogy Squad will focus on answering questions and solving problems, while demonstrating best practices in all aspects of genealogical research. The extensive combined knowledge and experience of the four principals in all aspects of genealogical research allows them to respond and share the highest quality information and suggested research paths.
“We believe that our many decades of combined experience and research strengths will make us the best “go-to” genealogy group about genealogy research and resources,” said George G. Morgan. “Each of us is familiar with all aspects of quality genealogical research and, between us, we can offer excellent guidance or referrals to reliable resources and tools to help group members solve problems.”
People interested in this new group must personally request to join, beginning on May 6. 2019, and the administrators will respond as promptly as possible. We are very excited and expect this new FB group to be an instant success.
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Contact:
George G. Morgan
Aha! Seminars, Inc.
(813) 220-6274
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About the Principals
Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph. D, JD, began researching his family history in 1989 with a middle school assignment. Although he currently specializes in DNA evidence, he has been actively researching his family history for more than 30 years. He became a genealogy educator in 2007 with the launch of The Genetic Genealogist ( www.TheGeneticGenealogist.com).
Blaine lectures internationally and teaches week-long courses at genealogy institutes across the United States. Blaine is also the founder of Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques group on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/groups/geneticgenealogytipsandtechniques), one of the world’s largest genealogy forums.
In 2018 he launched DNA Central ( www.DNA-Central.com), the first membership site specifically dedicated to DNA education. DNA Central offers online courses, webinars, resources, and a twice-monthly newsletter providing information about the latest developments in the world of DNA. Members of The Genealogy Squad can join DNA Central using the coupon code THESQUAD for $20 discount off a new one-year membership (normally $99).
Cyndi Ingle is the creator and innovator behind the award-winning and globally recognized CyndisList.com, a free categorized list of more than 336,000 links for genealogical research. Cyndi’s List was founded 23 years ago and is the “go-to” website for quality, reliable, and up-to-date resources worldwide.
Cyndi has been a genealogist for more than 39 years and has expertise in using technology for genealogy. Additionally, her many active years in genealogy have also resulted in a specialty for research in the United States with particular focus on homesteaders, the Civil War, the Plains States, the Midwest, the Old Northwest, and beyond. Cyndi's favorite topics bring together traditional methodology with organization, computers, software, and the Internet.
Cyndi is the recipient of several awards and honors, she has served in several capacities for genealogical organizations, she is an internationally-known guest lecturer, and she has authored numerous articles and three books.
George G. Morgan began his family research odyssey in 1962 when a grandmother got him interested in his Revolutionary War and other ancestors. He is president of Aha! Seminars, Inc., and an internationally recognized genealogy expert, a popular genealogy lecturer, and a prolific author. George has fourteen books to his credit including the fourth edition How to Do Everything: Genealogy (McGraw-Hill). He authored a chapter in the new Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards, and has written chapters for four other books. He is a regular writer for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and four commercial genealogy magazines. He was won writing awards from the Association of Professional Genealogists and the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors.
Drew Smith is the genealogy librarian with the University of South Florida Tampa Library and is the 2016 winner of the Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship, presented by the National Genealogical Society. He has served on the boards of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the Association of Professional Genealogists. He is past president of the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa).
Drew is the author of the book Social Networking for Genealogists, is the co-author of the book Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques and has written extensively for a number of genealogical print and online magazines. His latest book, Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher, was published in 2016 by Family Tree Books.
George has a new article in the March 2019 edition of the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly titled "Password Overload? Use a Password Manager to Get them Under Control".
Media Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – February 28, 2019
Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix Announce First Unsung Heroes Awards at RootsTech 2019
The Genealogy Guys Podcast, co-hosted by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, co-hosts and producers of the oldest continually produced genealogy podcast, and Vivid-Pix, makers of RESTORE photo restoration software, have announced the first set of winners in the Unsung Heroes Awards at the Vivid-Pix booth at RootsTech beginning February 28, 2019.
The Unsung Heroes Awards acknowledge and celebrate those members of the genealogy community who digitize, index, or transcribe documents of value to genealogical researchers. The Unsung Heroes Awards is a quarterly awards program designed to recognize its recipients in four categories: individuals, genealogical/historical societies, libraries/archives, and young people. The first winners selected are:
- Individual – Jim Powell, Jr., of Waldo, Florida. As Ancient Records Coordinator for the Clerk of Court of Alachua County for more than 20 years, he and a large team of volunteers have digitized, indexed, transcribed, and placed tens of thousands of land, property, marriage, and many other documents online at http://www.alachuaclerk.org/archive/default.cfm.
- Society - The Genealogical Society of Linn County Iowa has been working aggressively on digitizing county voter registration records and making them accessible online. The records contain personal information valuable to family researchers including, in some cases, naturalization data.
- Library – The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Library has, since 1896, housed and protected an invaluable set of historical collections. It has strived to digitize, index, and make the images available and searchable online for all researchers, including potential and existing members.
- Young People – The first Unsung Heroes Award in this category has been bestowed on four remarkable young ladies who have actively participated in canvassing, documenting, cleaning, and photographing grave markers in the cemeteries in Alachua, County, Florida. They are: Taylor Griffith, Elora Powell, Rianna Griffith, and Camara (Mara) Casson.
The winners will all receive: a beautiful custom-made commemorative mug from Vivid-Pix with their choice of two of their own images, and an announcement on an episode of The Genealogy Guys Podcast. A profile of each winner has been published on The Genealogy Guys Blog; and recognition will be published at the Vivid-Pix Unsung Heroes Blog website.
Many nominations in each category were received and these will also be considered for future quarters’ Unsung Heroes Awards. The nomination due date for the next set of awards will be announced soon. Full details and links to the nomination form can be found at
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix salute these selfless volunteers whose efforts make invaluable genealogical and historical information available to researchers around the globe. “We Sing Your Praises!”
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Contacts:
George G. Morgan
Aha! Seminars, Inc.
(813) 220-6274
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Rick Voight
Vivid-Pix
rick.voight@vivid-pix.com
(404) 664-9897
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Media Release
Tampa, Florida – January 15, 2019
Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix Partner to Recognize Genealogy’s Unsung Heroes
The Genealogy Guys, George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, co-hosts and producers of the oldest continually produced genealogy podcast, and Vivid-Pix, makers of RESTORE photo restoration software, today announce that they are partnering to acknowledge and celebrate those members of the genealogy community who digitize or index photos and other documents of value to genealogical researchers. The Unsung Heroes Awards will be a quarterly awards program designed to recognize its recipients in four categories: individuals, genealogical/historical societies, libraries/archives, and young people.
Completed nomination forms (see below for link to the form) should be emailed to genealogyguys@gmail.com and winners will be selected each quarter. Winners will receive: a custom-made commemorative mug with their choice of image; an announcement on an episode of The Genealogy Guys Podcast; a profile of the winner published on The Genealogy Guys Blog; and recognition at the Vivid-Pix website.
Nominations eligible for the first quarter of awards must be received no later than February 15, 2019, and the winners will be announced at RootsTech in Salt Lake City on February 27-March 2, 2019. Due dates for later quarters will be announced on the Genealogy Guys Podcast and Blog and at the Vivid-Pix website.
Full details and links to the nomination form can be found at
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Contacts:
George G. Morgan
Aha! Seminars, Inc.
(813) 220-6274
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Rick Voight
Vivid-Pix
rick.voight@vivid-pix.com
C: 404-664-9897
O: 770-657-7007
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About the Partners
The Genealogy Guys Podcast is a production of Aha! Seminars, Inc., a Tampa Bay-based company that has been providing training to genealogists and library personnel since 1996. Its principals are George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, noted speakers, authors, and world’s longest genealogy podcasters. The company also produces the Genealogy Connection podcast and The Genealogy Guys Blog.
Vivid-Pix is based in Alpharetta, Georgia, is the producer of the outstanding RESTORE software that improves photographs, slides, documents, and digital photos in a simple user interface. Randy Fredlund holds more than 100 patents in digital imaging and is the engineer whose vision is to make every image tell a story. Rick Voight is the CEO who is facilitating integration of RESTORE into scan stations and applications in many industries.
Beyond Ancestry.com: 8 Ways to Trace Your Family Tree." (Volume 37 Number 20 - October 15, 2016)
New Book by Drew Smith is Published
Stop struggling to manage all your genealogy facts, files, and data--make a plan of attack to maximize your progress. Organize Your Genealogy will show you how to use tried-and-true methods and the latest tech tools and genealogy software to organize your research plan, workspace, and family-history finds. In this book, you'll learn how to organize your time and resources, including how to set goals and objectives, determine workable research questions, sort paper and digital documents, keep track of physical and online correspondence, prepare for a research trip, and follow a skill-building plan. With this comprehensive guide, you'll make the most of your research time and energy and put yourself on a road to genealogy success.
Organize Your Genealogy features:
- Secrets to developing organized habits that will maximize your research time and progress
- Hints for setting up the right physical and online workspaces
- Proven, useful systems for organizing paper and electronic documents
- Tips for managing genealogy projects and goals
- The best tools for organizing every aspect of your ancestry research
- Easy-to-use checklists and worksheets to apply the book's strategies
Whether you're a newbie seeking best practices to get started or a seasoned researcher looking for new and better ways of getting organized, this guide will help you manage every facet of your ancestry research. This is a must-have book for every genealogical researcher!
Aha! Seminars, Inc., Announces New Podcast
“Genealogy Connection” Joins “The Genealogy GuysSM Podcast”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - TAMPA, FL, 20 June 2016 – Aha! Seminars, Inc., provider of training, consulting, and production of podcasts for the library and genealogical community, announces today that it is launching a new genealogy podcast titled Genealogy Connection, sponsored by Findmypast.
Genealogy Connection will present interviews with genealogical speakers, authors, librarians and archivists, database service providers, software and technology developers, and other leaders in the community. Each episode will be approximately one hour in length, hosted by noted genealogical speaker, author, and podcaster Drew Smith. The first episode of the new podcast will debut the week of 27 June 2016.
“We are excited to add an informative and fun interview show for the genealogical community,” says Smith, who also is vice-president of Aha! Seminars, Inc. “Interviews have been very popular with our audience, and our listeners are eager to learn from the perspectives of others in the community.”
Genealogy Connection joins with The Genealogy Guys Podcast, which debuted on 5 September 2005 and is the longest-running podcast with thousands of listeners around the world. Genealogy Connection will alternate with episodes of The Genealogy Guys Podcast, and all episodes are free for download at http://genealogyguys.com and from the iTunes store, or by subscription from iTunes and/or with podcatcher software. All subscribers to The Genealogy Guys Podcast will automatically receive episodes of the Genealogy Connection podcast.
About Aha! Seminars, Inc.
Aha! Seminars, Inc., ( http://ahaseminars.com)/ was founded in 1996 by George G. Morgan. Based in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, it has provided training and consulting to libraries and library consortia and to the genealogical community for over twenty years. The company has also produced The Genealogy Guys Podcast for almost 11 years.
About Findmypast
Findmypast ( http://www.findmypast.com) is a British-owned world leader in online genealogy. It has an unrivalled record of online innovation in the field of family history and 18 million registered users across its family of online brands, which includes Mocavo, Genes Reunited, The British Newspaper Archive amongst others.
About Drew Smith
Drew Smith is an academic librarian at the University of South Florida Library in Tampa, Florida. He is a well-respected speaker and author, whose new book, Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher has just been published by Family Tree Books. He is the recipient of the prestigious 2016 Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship.
Contact Information:
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Drew Smith Receives
2016 Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship
ARLINGTON, VA, 3 MAY 2016— Drew Smith, MLS, is the 2016 recipient of the Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship. Smith, an Assistant Librarian in the Academic Services department of the University of South Florida Tampa Library, received his award and its $1,000 prize, which is underwritten by ProQuest, at the opening session of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2016 Family History Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The Filby Award is named for the late P. William Filby, former director of the Maryland Historical Society and author of many core genealogical reference tools that genealogists have relied on for decades. Created in 1999 by NGS, the award has been sponsored by ProQuest and Mr. William Forsyth since 2006.
Smith joined the University of South Florida Tampa Library and Information Science (now the School of Information) as an instructor and held that post to 2007. During that time, he taught undergraduate-level courses in library/Internet research skills and website design, and graduate-level courses in genealogical librarianship and indexing/abstracting. He is the founder and administrator of the GENEALIB mailing list, a service for librarians serving genealogists.
He has written articles on genealogy for Genealogical Computing, Digital Computing, and NGS NewsMagazine (now NGS Magazine) and currently writes Rootsmithing with Technology column for FORUM, published quarterly by the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). In 2009, Genealogical Publishing Company published his first genealogy book, Social Networking for Genealogists. His second book, co-authored with George G. Morgan, is Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, published in 2013 by McGraw-Hill.
Smith regularly speaks at conferences and meetings of national, state, and local genealogy societies, especially on topics linking genealogy and technology. Together with George G. Morgan, he has been the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast, the longest-running regularly produced genealogy podcast in the world, since 2005. Smith presented “Genealogy Programming at Your Library” at this year’s NGS Conference Librarians’ Day.
Smith served nine years as the president of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, two years as secretary of the Association of Professional Genealogists, five years as a Director of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and is current chair of the Family History Information Standards Organization.
Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.
Federation of Genealogical Societies Gives Podcast
Their Award of Merit
The Federation of Genealogical Societies has given The Genealogy Guys Podcast its Award of Merit in recognition of meritorious service to the genealogical community upon its 10th anniversary of its podcast.
George G. Morgan Wins Writing Award
George's Newest Book!
George G. Morgan has written the fourth edition of his best-selling book, How to Do Everything: Genealogy, for McGraw-Hill Education. The new edition is completely updated and contains information and research techniques for the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia - the only book to cover all of these areas together. Traditional and electronic research methods are discussed in detail, and current information about websites, online databases, digitized newspapers, social media, and mobile phone apps is presented. Almost 200 graphics illustrate documents and websites to help you fully understand the information being presented.
The book will be available in softcover January 2015 at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. A Kindle version will be available soon after from Amazon.com.
New Research Reference Publications!
George has also written a new "Genealogy at a Glance" publication about FamilySearch.org Research. It is now available from Genealogical Publishing Co.
NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
We are pleased to announce a new book, Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith. The book has been published by McGraw-Hill and was released in August 2013 in softcover and in Kindle ebook format.
Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques uses up-to-date and highly organized methods and techniques to show you how to find the elusive details to round out your genealogy research. You’ll get past the brick walls that have stumped you and see how to move beyond basic types of genealogy resources. The book covers a variety of software programs and specialized genealogy tools and shows you how to create an online genealogical research log to preserve data found and organize it in ways to help you understand what you’ve uncovered. Nearly every form of modern social networking is addresses as is using DNA records. This practical, in-depth guide provides the next level of detail for anyone who wants to expand beyond the beginner tactics and techniques.
This is the first book collaboration by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, recognized genealogy experts, speakers, and authors. They are well known as the cohosts of The Genealogy Guys (sm) Podcast, the oldest genealogical podcast in the world and enjoyed by thousands of listeners around the world.
New and Updated Genealogy Seminars
George G. Morgan announced on 22 September 2013 the avaiability of a number of new genealogy lecture topics and significant updates to others in the repertoire. Please visit his Genealogy Seminars webpage and look for these new and exciting new seminar topics.
George Receives Award
Genealogical Societies conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on 23 August 2013. The APGQ Excellence Award was awarded for his consistently high standards of writing for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly magazine. George is shown in the photograph receiving the award from APG President Kenyatta Berry at the APG luncheon at the conference.
Podcast Award
The Genealogy GuysSM, Podcast has been named as one of the 100 Top Genealogy Websites for 2013 by Family Tree Magazine.
New Magazine Articles
George G. Morgan's articles regularly appear in magazines published in the U.S. and Canada. The most recent articles include:
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