Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy Registration Opens Tomorrow!

The following is from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

Register for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. (MT)

SLIG Registration OpensTomorrow! Be ready to register at 9:00 a.m. (MT) at www.slig.ugagenealogy.org The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is a week-long intensive educational experience that takes students deep into their track of choice. Instead of a breadth of topics, like a conference, this institute brings you a depth of knowledge. Come and enjoy a week of learning with the nation's top genealogy educators just steps from the Family History Library

Tracks this year include: The Family History Law Library Beyond the Library: Researching in Original Resource Repositories Advanced Genealogical Methods Finding Immigrant Origins Advanced German Research Advanced Research Tools: Post-War Military Records Resources & Strategies for United States Research, Part I From Confusion to Conclusion: Writing Proof Arguments Getting Started with Genetic Genealogy Advanced DNA Analysis Diving Deeper into New England Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum Find more information at www.slig.ugagenealogy.org. Downtown Salt Lake City Hilton SLIG is offering attendees overnight rooms at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center at a special room-rate of $129 per night (single/double/triple/quad). This room rate is for overnight stays within these dates: 4 January-21 January 2015. To guarantee this rate, please reserve your room online at https://aws.passkey.com/go/SLIG15. Additionally, you may contact the Hilton Salt Lake at (801) 328-2000 and reference the code “SLI” to obtain the rate (please note you MUST reference “SLI” to receive the discounted rate). You may make reservations at this special rate through 10 December 2014. However, rooms at this rate are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so early reservations are recommended. If you have any challenges or have questions, please email the hotel liaison.  Booking a room in the SLIG room block includes complimentary wireless Internet access in your guestroom and complimentary self-parking. Staying at the host hotel is an important way to support the association and ultimately keep overall meeting costs as low as possible. APG/SLIG commits to a block of rooms at these hotels on behalf of conference attendees and has a financial obligation to fill those blocks. Please help us to avoid potential penalties and control costs for future events by staying at the official hotel. Staying within the block is also more convenient and helps you stay connected with the informal activities and networking opportunities that occur at the hotel during the conference. Information about the Hilton Salt Lake City Center may be found here:www.hiltonsaltlakecity.com.

Hotel Reservations Open for 2015 FGS and RootsTech Conferences

The following is from RootsTech.

Hotel Reservations Open for 2015 RootsTech and FGS Conferences

Four Downtown Salt Lake City Hotels Offer Reduce Rates for Conference Attendees 

SALT LAKE CITY- Four Salt Lake City hotels are now taking reservations for the 2015 RootsTech andFederation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) conferences, which will be held February 11-14, 2015 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.  

The Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, Hilton Salt Lake City Center and Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown will offer reduced rates to attendees of both conferences. Each hotel is conveniently located near the Salt Palace Convention Center. Conference rates will be honored for reservation dates February 7 - 19, 2015. Reservations must be made by January 13, 2015 to receive the conference rates. 

Rooms will be in high demand. Get hotel rate and reservation information here.

Registration for both conferences will open in late August 2014. For additional information about each conference visit RootsTech.org and FGSconference.org/2015. 

About RootsTech

RootsTech is the largest family history conference in the world where people of all ages discover and share their family stories and connections through technology. Now in it's fifth year, RootsTech is an annual conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by leading genealogical organizations, the conference includes inspiring keynote speakers, hands-on demonstrations, and forums to provide a highly interactive environment and accelerate learning. Content is geared to young and old, beginner to advanced levels.

Polynesia: Celebrating Family Heritage and Culture

The following is from FamilySearch.

FHL Cultural Event Announcement June 2014   Family History Library Cultural Open House Discover the heritage and traditions of the Polynesian Islands and people, the importance of knowing your own heritage, and how the Family History Library can help you preserve and share your own story. Refreshments served Ukulele sing-a-long Poi Ball, Hula, and Haka instruction Story telling and displays Commemorative photo ops Limited free parking Friday, June 20, 2014 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Family History Library 35 N. West Temple Street  Salt Lake City, Utah

Ancestry.com Focuses on Core Offerings

The following is from Ancestry.com.

We’re proud of the variety of products we’ve created over the years that enable people to discover, preserve and share their family history. We recognize that there are a lot of ways that we, as a company, can make family history easier, more accessible and more fun for people all over the world. And we’re continually innovating to make it a reality.

We’re always looking to focus our efforts in a way that provide the most impact, while also delivering the best service and best product experience to users. To that end, we’ve decided to retire some of our services: MyFamily, MyCanvas, Genealogy.com, Mundia and the Y-DNA and mtDNA tests.

We will note that the AncestryDNA (autosomal) test is not affected by this change and will continue to be available as we continue to invest in this new technology. Only the y-DNA and mtDNA tests will be retired.

Starting September 5, 2014, these services will no longer be available to access. Genealogy.com is the exception to the rule, and will continue in a slightly different form. If you are an active member or subscriber to one of these services, you will be contacted directly with details of how to transition the information you’ve created using these services.

We know these services have provided value to you. We think they’re pretty cool too, which is why this wasn’t an easy decision for us to make. In the end, it came down to priorities and we think our core offerings are a great place to spend our time and resources.

So here’s to revolutionizing family history, focusing on providing the best product experience we can offer and to the limitless possibilities that lie before us.