Lecture Topics:

Contact JRG for details on presenting to your Society, Organization or Group.


NEW JERSEY

New Jersey State Censuses, 1855-1915
An overview of the evolution of the state census that began in 1855 and ended with the 1915 enumeration, including a review of the special schedules for agriculture, manufactures, mining, and commerce.


Using the New Jersey Room, Special Collections & University Archives, Rutgers University 
Introduction the New Jersey source material and available research tools for collections on deposit at Alexander Library, Rutgers University.


Digging for Roots in the Garden State
Take a tour of the Garden State and enjoy genealogical gems found in the New Jersey’s 21 counties.  This lecture will focus on lesser known collections within local repositories and libraries.


Jersey Roots: Touring the Garden State

Check out the top websites for researching your Jersey roots.  From online indexes to scanned records, you will learn how to access historical material spanning three centuries.


Jersey Roots: From Province to Statehood
Today, New Jersey's earliest history can offer challenges to those searching for their ancestry in East and West Jersey. In this lecture, you will learn about the history and records of the East Jersey Board of Proprietors and the Council of West Jersey Proprietors from the 1680s through 1702 and the Provincial government through statehood in 1783. Attendees will learn how to access the record collections on deposit at the New Jersey State Archives and other available resources, such as court, religious, land, probate records, for the colonial period.


Essential Resources for New Jersey Genealogy
Many of New Jersey’s best reference materials and web resources require detailed explanation in order to be used effectively. Discover how to effectively use a variety of published reference books, journals, source material, finding aids, and important websites that are useful for New Jersey genealogy research.

New Jersey Libraries and Repositories

This lecture will focus on key repositories—the New Jersey State Archives, New Jersey State Library, New Jersey Historical Society, and Rutgers University, and how to effectively use the catalogs for each. An overview of major collections online at FamilySearch will also be provided. Within in each repository or library, we will look at collections of manuscripts, books, maps, pictures, ephemera, and much more. You will receive instruction on how to use tools to access the wealth of material online and how to prepare for on-site research.



GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH SKILLS

Genealogy 101
Introduction of family history or "genealogy" for beginning researchers.  Home sources and record types are discussed.


Hatched, Matched & Dispatched: Discovering Your Ancestor's Life Events
This lecture is an introduction to vital records. It discusses the history of vital registration in the United States as well as how to obtain records for family history research.


Researching Your Ancestor's Locality

Explore searching local histories, maps, gazetteers and other local resources to discover the social history for your family.


City Directories: Yesteryear's 411
Prior to telephone directories, city directories were used to locate individuals in cities and regional areas. This lecture discusses details that can be obtained and how to track your ancestor using directories.


Stand Up & Be Counted: U.S. Census Research 1870-1940
Beyond vital records, census records are the most common genealogical significant record group used. Learn what personal information can be gleaned from the available census enumerations available for the years 1940 through 1870.


Special Censuses: Researching Beyond Decennial Enumerations
Take a look a lesser known census or enumeration records. This lecture will focus on jury and freeholders lists, military and school censuses, and locality specific enumerations.


The Holiday Talk: Getting to Know Your Family's History
Each year family’s gather for holiday dinners and the opportunity for discovering our own roots presents itself.  Discover methods to learn about your family’s Ancestral Connections & Traditions.  Learn about the top 3 ways to share your family legacy with other family members and fellow researchers.


EASTERN EUROPEAN RESEARCH

Discover Your Immigrant Origins
Learn what records are available to assist you in determining your Eastern European ancestor's home village and their emigration to the United States. This lecture focuses on mid-19th century through 20th century immigration. Eastern European Adaptation:  This lecture focuses on mid-19th century through 20th century immigration from Austro-Hungarian Empire which today includes Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and western Ukraine.

Genealogy in Ukraine: Discover Online Resources
In this talk, Chubenko will share her “top-ten” websites for Ukrainian research—sites that are invaluable and are constantly expanding their collections. From online indexes to digitized images of records, you’ll learn about who is bringing greater access to the records from the Central State Historical Archives, Oblast (Regional) Archives and other historical organizations in Ukraine and the diaspora. Discover how to use message boards and other databases to find fellow researchers and historical information on Ukraine's rich, yet turbulent history.

Ukrainian Genealogy
Discover the resources for Ukrainian genealogy using regional resources and online tools. An introductory presentation on the complex history of the region and challenges its presents researchers.

Orthodoxy in America: Understanding its Ethnic Origins
The history of Orthodox Church in the United States is rooted in the ethnic origins of its members from Central and Eastern Europe.  Discover its similarities to Roman Catholicism and the relationship with Uniate (Byzantine) or Greek Catholics. Learn about sacramental records and church organizations.

WWII Displaced Persons:  A Stateless People
How did they become displaced? Were they forced laborers? What documents did they create as Displaced Persons? Learn the answer to these questions and more to reconstruct the journey of WWII Displaced Persons using resources of the International Tracing Service (ITS).


Post-WWII Immigration: Using the Resources of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum
For many who are interested in their family history, an immigrant ancestor is often no closer than a great-grandparent who chose to travel to a new homeland in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.  However a new generation is coming of age to seek their family history.  Just 70 years ago, a new facet was added to traditional immigration patterns with the post-World War II exodus of Central and Eastern European peoples. This presentation will introduce the many different collections – books, manuscript and digital – to utilize at the USHMM when researching Holocaust and post-WWII immigrants.

USCIS:  Delving into their Records
Since, 1891 the U.S. Government has governed immigration to the country.  Over the 125+ years of history leads to the creation and maintenance of many records.  Learn about what records the USCIS currently administers and how to use the Genealogy Request program.


(Re)Building Your Eastern European Ancestral Village
Learn to use published materials such as gazetteers, schematisms, directories and maps, to build the historical image of your ancestral village.  The presentation will include examples for locations across Eastern Europe which will demonstrate how to use the statistical data and incorporate visual details.


Researching Ancestors in Galicia, Austria-Hungary
Discover resources for research the multi-ethnic Province of Galicia in Austria-Hungary. Learn what records are available to assist you in determining your immigrant ancestor's home village and their emigration to the United States.  mid-19th century through 20th century immigration from Austro-Hungarian Empire which today includes Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and western Ukraine.


WORKSHOP: Mapping an Empire
What are 18th and 19th cadastral maps? Learn how to locate collections in archives, and how to interpret the maps. Discover tools to compare cadastral maps with current maps using various digital resources and to document where your ancestor’s house was located.


EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

Genealogical Education in the 21st Century: Beyond the Lectures
Expand your genealogical learning experience and explore alternative options in genealogical education. This lecture will focus on genealogical courses on the Internet, teleconferencing for genealogists, and podcasts.


Evernote for Genealogy
Discover how Evernote can help you organize your genealogy. It’s a filing system and organizational tool for every document, genealogical record, photograph, scanned image, webpage snippet and any other data that a genealogist uses as well as collaboration medium for crowd-sourcing research.


Perfect Together: Facebook & Genealogy
Over the decades genealogists have communicated with fellow researchers using whatever tools were available, from newsletter queries to online message boards. Enter the 21st century and 'social media'! Learn tips and techniques to use the newest genealogical tool -- Facebook -- from document translations to research questions to connecting with family. Michelle will show you how to effectively use Facebook for your genealogical research without getting lost in your newsfeed or overrun by notifications. You will learn about joining Groups and following Pages for your areas of interest, whether it's a specific ethnicity or a geographic area, and learn tips for managing your level of interaction.