RootsTech Follow-Up - Oktoberfest

October is known by most as the month for Halloween, the time when our kids run around the neighborhood looking for treats. For those of us who do family history October is Family History Month. And for those of us who are of German heritage, it is the month for Oktoberfest. Growing up in Ohio, many of the local towns, such as Minster, had their version of Oktoberfest. But now that I am living in Florida there aren't as many towns that celebrate Oktoberfest. My current town had its first ever Oktoberfest this weekend. I went and found out that it is pretty much like all the other festivals here. Lots of booths selling driftwood art, t-shirts, candles, and other crafts. The big difference was that many of the food venders were selling bratwursts instead of hot dogs and there were more beer tents.

But back to the reason I am writing this post - German heritage research and family history. Did you realize that RootsTech had several dozen talks about German research? These talks are still online and can be watched at your convenience. I'll highlight a few that might be of interest to you:

1. Discovering Online German Archives by Miles Meyer - Yeah, this one is mine but you still may be interested. This talk covers many of the online German Archives and how to do research in them. There is an extensive handout that provides links and information on each collection.
2. German Research for the Everyday American by Karynne Moses - This presentation is a bit longer than most RootsTech presentations at a little over an hour but it has a lot of information to cover. This presentation helps the beginning researcher find resources that help to bridge the gap between the United States and Germany.
3. Genealogical Research in Germany by Andrea Bentschneider - This is a three-part series consisting of German Church Books and Civil Records, Other Interesting Sources, and The German Archive System.
4. Finding Your German Ancestors by Richard Lynn Walker - This is a two-part series by an employee of FamilySearch. The first part discusses basic resources while the second part goes into more depth by discussing various websites where additional resources can be found.
5. German Immigration from Hometown to Final Destinations by James Beidler - This is a three-part series on resources to find your German immigrants and their hometowns. The parts are not found together as a series but you can find them at these links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
6. Finding German Records Using FamilySearch by Dana Palmer - This presentation covers the German record collections on FamilySearch. Step-by-step instructions are given to help users find records that are relevant to their research.
7. German Records, Words, and Scripts by The Family History Guide - I had to add this one not just because I am the Education Director for The Family History Guide but there are some great tips in this presentation to help researchers recognize common words and read German script.
8. German Vital Records: Finding the Clues You Need by Katherine Schrober - This presentation covers the main vital records (birth, marriage and death) and the information that you can find in those records. 
9. Useful Tools for Finding German Ancestors by Danna Palmer - Find out about some of the best sources to begin your German research in this presentation. Learn about using the FamilySearch Wiki and handwriting pages which will give you a start on your research.

So, there are a dozen great presentations from RootsTech 2022 that should get you motived to start researching your German heritage. I hope you have fun exploring these links and have a great Family History Month/Oktoberfest/Halloween!

A Look Ahead to RootsTech 2023

Have you watched all the videos from RootsTech Connect 2022? Probably not since there are more than 1,500 sessions on 85 topics in over 30 langauages. But you still have 5 months until a new set of videos are available for RootsTech 2023.

RootsTech 2023 is scheduled for March 2-4, 2023. It will be both virtual and in-person, so you will still have the opportunity to watch from home or you can travel to the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City to watch the speakers live. The in-person conference is $98 for all three days while the virtual conference is FREE! When you visit the website, you can subscribe to receive email or text announcements about RootsTech. They plan to open registration on October 6. Registration will be important for those hoping to be in-person since there will be a limit on the number of attendees. However, there is no limit on the number of virtual attendees. But even if you intend on attending virtually, you should register since that will activate enhanced features that you won't be able to access if you aren't registered.

Each year there is a RootsTech app. The app for RootsTech 2023 is expected to be released in February a couple weeks before the conference.

The theme for RootsTech 2023 is "Uniting" and they hope to bring inspiring experiences for all during the conference. They currently have over 200 virtual calsses in 42 languages scheduled but this should increase as more topics and speakers are suggested. You can even suggest a speaker for the line up.

There will be some differences between the virtual and in-person experience. For example, some live classes will not be broadcast on the virtual platform. Sessions will be catered for your location so you don't have to wake up at 2:00 am to see your favorite speaker if you are watching virtually. The virtual platform is expected to allow for watch parties and many talks will be on demand. People who are attending in-person will be able to access the virtual platform to watch classes.

Why should you consider attending RootsTech in-person?

1. You get to meet the speakers and vendors and ask them questions or just have a conversation. 
2. The excitement of the event and meeting all of your favorite genealogists and friends.
3. There are many small classes that occur in areas like the Expo Hall which aren't available virtually.

Why should you consider attending RootsTech virtually?

1. It is much cheaper. 
1. Hotel rooms in the area range from about $200 to over $500 per night.
2. Airline flights can be several hundred to several thousand dollars.
3. Registration for the virtual conference is free.
4. You don't have to go out for food. You can just grab a sandwich from your refrigerator.
2. You can watch much of the conference on demand. I know my schedule when I attend in-person is usually waking up at 4:00 or 5:00 am and getting back to my hotel room at 11:00 pm.
3. You can have watch parties with your friends and family.

I am a RootsTech Influencer for the 2023 conference. As part of my responsibilities, I will be providing updates on a regular basis and will have important announcements and prizes, including a free 3-day RootsTech pass. Follow me for the next couple months to learn more about RootsTech 2023.

You can watch the RootsTech Announcement on Youtube or the article at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newsroom to get more information.