NERGC Day 2 Highlights

Today was my second day at the conference. I've gotten even more great information! The speakers are wonderful and I enjoy getting to meet even more bloggers. Our blogging area was set up in the exhibit area and after the morning sessions about ten of us gathered and spent some time getting to know each other. 

Photos are courtesy of Heather Wilkinson Rojo's Facebook posts. Heather's blog is Nutfield Genealogy. Beside me are Midge Frazel of Granite in My Blood and Lori Thornton of Smoky Mountain Family Historian. 

Heather and I had lunch together and listened to Laura Prescott talk about  "Jousting With the Gatekeepers."  She highlighted the challenges of accessing records and gave some tips for finding success. She also talked about the importance of preserving access for future generations. We live in a privacy-obsessed society and it threatens to undermine the work of future generations.

I heard talks on using the Library of Congress web site, finding records for soldiers in the French and Indian War, and finding information about farming ancestors. Blogger Lori Thornton gave the talk titled "Digging Up the Dirt on Your Farmer." She offered a wealth of resources for getting more details about the life of a farmer. I'm in a bit of an information coma but I know I'll benefit when I get back home and start putting it into practice with my own genealogy. 

Tonight is a Special Interest Group session for bloggers. Heather has identified about 18-19 who are attending the conference. Some have other commitments and won't be there tonight though so I expect a small casual gathering. Then tomorrow I'll be at it again.