Available Presentations

Interested in a topic not listed below? Contact Joshua for information about developing a presentation for your event.

Keynotes and Special Events

Family History in Pop Culture

Explore the world of family history as seen through music, television, and movies over the past 75 years.

Family History: What the Future Holds

Glimpse the future of family history through changes in technology, records access, methodologies, and other community developments.

For Genealogists and Family Historians

15 Tools for Tracing Your New York Ancestors Online

New York represents challenges for many genealogists. Go beyond commercial websites to explore private and public websites for tracing your New York ancestors.

Beyond Belief: The Wealth of Genealogical and Historical Societies
There are thousands of genealogical and historical societies across the United States, each containing essential resources unavailable elsewhere. Explore how to tap into the unique treasures awaiting genealogists in a variety of genealogical and historical organizations.

Beyond the Facts: Digital Ways to Preserve Your Research Process

Genealogists often gather thousands of materials throughout their research. This session explores tools and methods to preserve your research process for the future.

Bridging the Gap: Finding Ancestors in the United States between 1780 and 1840
Are you tracing an ancestor between 1780 and 1840? Explore numerous records and methodologies to assist in tracing families during the Federal period.

Building Context and Making Connections: Using JSTOR for Family History
Thousands of potential resources await genealogists at JSTOR, an online collection of scholarly articles and books. Discover how JSTOR can help your research during this guided, step-by-step review of its contents and search tools.

Climbing in Unknown Territory – Beginning Your Genealogy
Are you just starting in genealogy? Learn the best tools and techniques to begin tracing your family history. This session will introduce you to essential record types, methods, and other tips.

Essential Technology for Genealogists
What technologies do you need for your family history research? This session will explore a variety of tools that can assist you in your genealogical quest.

Finding the Roots of Your Family Legends
Just because Great Aunt Ruth said your ancestor was born in Scotland does not always mean that he was. Explore methods to uncover the truth behind family legends and how to integrate those stories into your writing and research.

Following the Buzz: Keeping Current with Genealogical Trends

The rapid release of new online resources, including advances in DNA strategies, often seems overwhelming. Uncover ways to keep yourself informed of these exciting developments and new approaches.

Going Digital: Organizing Your Family History

Organizing your family history materials is essential to preserve your research. This session will explore methods and tools to create your digital archive of documents, research notes, narratives, and other items.

Having No Children: Tracing Relatives with No Known Descendants

Some of our relatives did not leave direct descendants. Discover why (and how) to trace their lives and explore just a few of the incredible discoveries that might await.

Hidden Gems: Materials in Digital Libraries for Family History
Digital libraries have revolutionized the way researchers access and use materials. Explore general techniques to finding digital collections in public, university, and private libraries.

Key Player, Participant, or Follower: Discovering an Ancestor’s Political Leanings

From America’s initial settlement to the early twentieth century, political parties have significantly impacted our ancestor’s lives. This session will explore strategies for tracing the political leanings and the records left behind from the early 1800s to the late 1950s.

Mission Accomplished: Planning Your Research Trip
Are you planning a research trip? This session explores the necessary steps, technologies, and other methods to ensure a successful research trip.

The Modern Genealogist: Timesaving Tips for Every Researcher
This session focuses on methods and techniques to increase your efficiency as a genealogical researcher. Methods discussed include time management, research logs, and various technologies.

My New England Research is Done—Or Is It?

Though your New England pedigree might date to the early 1600s, there is often more work to be done (and even a few mistakes to be corrected). This session will explore methods to spot potential errors and assumptions in colonial New England research.

New Tools and Ideas in Research
The field of genealogy and family history continually changes and evolves. New techniques, resources, and tools continue to improve our experiences. This session will explore the latest advancements, technologies, and resources for genealogists and family historians.

On and Off the Net: Census Records
Census records are among the most essential (and essential) tools for tracing family history. This session explores various census records (including special and non-population schedules) available online and offline.

On and Off the Net: Locality Searching
Researching by locality can be an essential strategy when tracing your family history. Explore methods to create a locality profile to guide your research online and offline.

On and Off the Net: Vital Records
Birth, marriage, and death records are essential for many genealogical projects. This session will explore ways to locate vital records online and offline and methods to interpret their contents.

Online Family Trees: Avoiding Pitfalls and Maximizing Discoveries

Online trees can be a powerful resource but can also lead to disaster. Explore strategies to compare and analyze these important yet often misused genealogical tools.

Online Library Catalogs: A Genealogist’s Best Kept Secret
Library catalogs are essential tools for locating materials for genealogical research. This session will explore techniques for searching and accessing materials from libraries across the world.

Online Resources: Religious Archives and Organizations
Religious beliefs often create important records for genealogical and biographical research. This session explores online collections and other resources found at institutional, university, public, and private repositories.

Online Resources for Colonial America
Discover websites, databases, university projects, digital archives, and other online resources to tracing your colonial American ancestors. Specific topics include searching Early American Imprints and JSTOR.

Our State Archives: Digital Collections and More
Explore the wealth of information available online through state archives across the United States. This session focuses on recent trends and techniques to locate, browse, and search online materials.

Printed Legends and Missing Footnotes: Dissecting 19th and 20th Century Compiled Genealogies
Discover methods used in creating 19th and early 20th century compiled genealogies and steps to analyze their contents in your research.

Putting it Together: A Case Study
Beginning with family letters and missing census records, follow research relating to a family from the early 1900s to the American Revolution. This session includes various records and methodologies and traces a family through multiple states, including Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Resources of the DAR: Beyond Revolutionary War Soldiers

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) actively collects and preserves resources essential for anyone tracing ancestors in the United States during the Federal period. Learn how to use the DAR’s resources to expand your research online and onsite.

Running Away to Join the Circus: Tracing Our Performing Ancestors

Tracing a circus ancestor can be both challenging and fun. Explore key strategies and resources to uncover the lives of those who spent their careers in the entertainment industry.

So Much Work, So Little Time: Time Management and Your Family History

Are you overwhelmed by the numbers of ancestors still left to find? This session explores essential skills and methodologies to manage your research time effectively.

Still in Print: Your Personal Genealogical Bookshelf in 2021

What should your bookshelf look like in 2021? Are printed books and paper a thing of the past? This session explores essential reference works and titles that deserve a place on every genealogist’s bookshelf.

Successful Searching Online: Key Steps for Genealogists
Effective online research requires patient and planning. Learn the key steps to ensure your success when searching and accessing materials through Google and other search engines.

Treasures in the Archives: Using Archive Grid
A free online resource, Archive Grid is your gateway to thousands of archival collections throughout the world. This session provides steps to searching Archive Grid, understanding results, and obtaining access to collections to further your research.

Unusual Research Destinations: Antiques, Diners, & More

You might have visited the cemetery, public library, and the courthouse, but did you ever consider that the restaurant in your ancestor’s hometown might yield genealogical information? The session features numerous ideas to locate family history in unique places with examples from the United States, England, Denmark, and beyond.

Vanity Sketches: Sources and Truths Behind County Histories
Large volume works, including state histories, multi-state histories, and regional histories, can offer genealogical clues and sometimes entire biographical sections. This session will explore how to find the source behind these materials and methods to evaluate their accuracy.

Weaving the Historical Narrative into the Lives of Your Ancestors

Uncover methods, tools, and best practices for integrating historical and personal narratives into your family history.

The Web, the World and YOU! (Advanced Online Research)
Are you tired of using the same Internet sites over and over without any success? Learn how to evaluate websites and conduct advanced searches to enrich your research online.

When Dates Disagree: 8 Ways to Resolve Conflicting Details

Every genealogist comes across conflicting names or dates in their research. With the right methodologies at your side, you can resolve conflicts and move forward in your research.