The Shamrock Genealogist

This contest is now closed.  As most of you are aware I'm a RootsTech ambassador. This means that in exchange for blogging and promoting RootsTech before, during and after the event that I receive a free registration for the conference. I'm also provided a free registration for 4 days at RootsTech, held on February 28th - March 3rd, 2018, (a $279 value) to give to one of my readers! The pass includes access to the following: ■ over 300 classes ■ Keynote / General sessions ■ Innovation Showcase ■ Expo hall ■ Evening events (Thursday and Saturday) Note: The pass does NOT include transportation costs (airfare, car, etc.), hotel costs, computer labs (these are additional add-ons), meals (including banquets and luncheons), printed syllabus, paid workshops. Contest Rules: 1. To enter to win a free registration, subscribe to my blog                a. There is a "Follow by Email" on the right hand side. Enter your email address a...

Front doors of the California State Archives I just returned from my annual work trip to the Sacramento, CA area for department meetings. On the way back to the airport I scheduled a quick visit to the California State Archives in downtown Sacramento. It's located about a block away from the State Capitol (sadly I didn't stop to get a picture as I was running out of time). The Research Room is located on the 4th floor of the building. You are asked to show government ID to the security guard before being allowed to go up.  You then need to fill out a researcher request form which asks for some basic information about who you are, address/phone #, and purpose of visit. They have a nice set up for lockers (and they're free!) to store your purse, laptop bag, etc. You're allowed to bring in your phone (just silence it and don't make/take calls), tablet, computer, paper and pencil (they have plenty of pencils and paper that they can give you). No folders, no no...

It's officially October, which is also known as Family History Month and Archives Month. There are many ways you can celebrate working on genealogy during the next 31 days.  1. Visit a cemetery and fulfill Find A Grave and BillionGraves photo requests (bonus points if you have ancestors buried in those cemeteries) 2. Visit a local archives - it could be its own repository like NARA or the DAR Library, a local museum or even a local library that has its own historical room (much like the one I visited in Steuben County, NY ) 3. Contribute to an indexing project. FamilySearch upgraded their indexing tool to be web based so you can work on it on your computer and tablet. No more having to download software and hosting on your computer. FamilySearch is hosting a worldwide indexing event October 20th - 22nd .  4. Register for an upcoming conference. The conference season is finishing out over the next few months and will pick up again with RootsTech in F...