Branching Out Genealogy Podcast

• RootsTech 2025 Wrap-Up

  In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami talk about their experiences at 2025 RootsTech Conference, from the Expo Hall to the Forums, what’s new at FamilySearch, and what other industry leaders are up to.  The show begins with a follow-up to Tami’s Ancestry Pet DNA testing and Elizabeth’s FOIA BIRLS request. Next up are highlights from RootsTech, followed by a visit with Gena Philibert-Ortega, who shares her enthusiasm about GRIP and her passion for reading.What's Happening includes news about upcoming events, changes, and scholarship deadlines.During Tea Time, Elizabeth provides an update on NY Vital Records, and Tami discusses genealogy in the virtual world of Second Life.TIMESTAMPS2:23 Tami shares results of her pound pup’s DNA test, which included a close shared match.7:00 Elizabeth talks about receiving one of her FOIA BIRLS files.RootsTech Wrap Up14:06 RootsTech online14:47 Relatives at RootsTech17:58 FamilySearch's Global Tech Forum19:21 FamilySearch Family Group Trees20:23 FamilySearch Tree Integrity 23:26 FamilySearch New Change Log24:00 Full Text Search Updates25:01 FamilySearch AI Help ChatBot26:44 Industry Highlight Forum28:50 MyHeritage: New Cousin Finder, phone app update29:57 Storied: Memory books; creating a new census index31:50 SOAR32:18 Remento34:38 Ancestry’s phone scanner and AI tools35:38 MyHeritage Ancient Origins39:29 Gena Philibert-Ortega's RootsTech Experience40:54  Her role at NGS41:55 GRIP 46:05 Gena’s courses at SLIG47:47 How Gena fits it into her schedule & reading goals52:20 What Gena’s currently readingWHAT'S HAPPENING56:30 The National Genealogical Society 2025 Family History Conference “Tales & Trails” May 2025.59:20 BCG adoption of two-part portfolio for CG application process1:00:50  APG scholarships for the Professional Management Conference1:02:27  NYG&B seeking volunteers and interns for their digitization team1:03:21  Scholarship and awards deadlines on Conference KeeperTEA TIME1:04:00 New York vital records availability update.1:06:18  Second Life chapter APG reorganizationRESOURCESAncestry Pet DNA - https://petdna.ancestry.com BIRLS - https://www.birls.org/ RootsTech  https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/ Elizabeth's Blog about Relatives at RootsTech  - https://www.thefamilyheart.com/relatives-at-rootstech/ Imagetotext.io - https://www.imagetotext.io/ FamilySearch Labs - https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/ FamilySearch Group Trees - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/family-group-trees-learning-center FamilySearch New Change Log - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/using-the-improved-person-changelog-experiment FamilySearch AI Help ChatBot - https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/Content Authenticity Initiative - https://contentauthenticity.orgMyHeritage Cousin Finder - https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/03/introducing-cousin-finder-gain-dna-level-insights-without-a-dna-test/ Storied - https://storied.comSOAR - https://try.soar.com/teamRemento - https://www.remento.coAncestry Scanner - https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Scanning-Images-with-the-Ancestry-App?language=en_US Vivid Pix - https://www.vivid-pix.com GRIP - https://grip.ngsgenealogy.orgSLIG - https://slig.ugagenealogy.orgGoodReads - https://www.goodreads.comThe Quest for Annie Moore of Ellis Island - https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Annie-Moore-Ellis-Island/dp/0996599312 NGS 2025 Family History Conference - https://conference.ngsgenealogy.orgBCG Springboard - https://bcgcertification.org/springboard APG Scholarships - https://www.apgen.org/apg_awards_and_scholarships.phpNYG&B Internships -   https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/content/internships NYG&B Volunteers - https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/volunteer  ConferenceKeeper Awards/Grants/Scholarships - https://conferencekeeper.org/grants-scholarshipsSL-APG https://slapg.wordpress.com SLVGS https://slvirtualgenealogy.org

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• Setting (and Achieving) Genealogy Goals for 2025

  Ready to set your genealogy goals? In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami share strategies for setting and successfully reaching your goals, from education plans to specific research results. Elizabeth and Tami talk about their own goals for 2025 and how they plan to achieve them, including tips and tricks to ensure success. During What’s Happening, they discuss the availability of the RootsTech Schedule and the RootsTech app for 2025, as well as the recently released BIRLS database from Reclaim the Records. Then, Elizabeth spills the tea on the extreme wait times when requesting NY State vital records. Tami brings the sweet tea, discussing FamilySearch’s goals for 2025. Finally, during Listener Mail, Elizabeth shares where to find closed captioning for the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast. TIMESTAMPS: Genealogy Goals 04:34 Setting goals for the new year 05:03 Types of Genealogy Goals 08:35 Elizabeth’s goals for 2025 09:41 Tami’s goals for 2025 10:20 How Elizabeth sets and achieved a significant genealogy goal 15:43 How Tami sets and achieves her genealogy goals What’s Happening 23:54 RootsTech Schedule & App 29:48 Reclaim the Records - BIRLS database Tea Time 35:44 New York State Vital Records ordering wait times 40:43 FamilySearch’s Goals for 2025 Listener Mail 44:28 Where to find closed captioning for our podcast RESOURCES: GRIP Genealogy Research Institute (GRIP) - https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/ Jill Morelli's Certification Discussion Group (CDG) - https://thecdgseries.wordpress.com/the-series/ Click-Up App - https://clickup.com/ Notion - https://www.notion.com/ Google Tasks - https://tasks.google.com/ RootsTech 2025 Class Schedule - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2025-03-06 RootsTech 2025 mobile app (Android) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.familysearch.rootstech&hl=en_US RootsTech 2025 mobile app (Apple) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rootstech/id6474192974 Relatives at RootsTech - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/relatives-at-rootstech-faqs Reclaim the Records - https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/ BIRLS searchable database (Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem) - https://www.birls.org/ CBS6 Albany Video on NY Vital Records - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYGSG5PmquY&ab_channel=CBS6Albany FamilySearch's goals for 2025 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/what-to-expect-from-familysearch-in-2025 African Oral History project - https://www.familysearch.org/africa/sve/select-country FamilySearch Labs A.I. Full-Text Search - https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text FamilySearch "Get Involved" app - https://www.familysearch.org/getinvolved/ FamilySearch "Together" app - https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/together/welcome Branching Out Podcast on Apple (live transcripts) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/branching-out-genealogy-podcast/id1782416781 Branching Out Podcast on YouTube (live transcripts) - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswrxVYz2y65xXJve-e35WA _______ We would love to hear from you at ⁠[email protected]⁠ with your questions and comments! This episode is sponsored by Vivid Pix.

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  48:04
• Episode 2: Cool Tools for Genealogy Story Collectors

  In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami share the stories that got them hooked on genealogy. Next, they discuss several tools for collecting, transcribing, and sharing your family’s stories (some are low-tech and free). They also offer story-collecting gift ideas for family members who missed the holiday get-togethers, as well as those who may be shy or less tech-savvy. During What’s Happening, Elizabeth shares a call to action to support the Bring Our Heroes Home Act, and Tami shares a reminder to submit your nominees for NGS awards. Finally, Elizabeth spills the tea on recent genetic genealogy lawsuits, but Tami “cleans up” with good news about recently announced RootsTech keynote speakers and kudos to an amazing 92-year-old FamilySearch volunteer. TIMESTAMPS: 02:04 Tami’s “lost” family story 03:56 Elizabeth’s “lost” family story Collecting Family Stories 08:01 The importance of listening and collecting stories 09:18 MyHeritage Live Memory 13:33 The Oral History Association 14:03 Vivid Pix Memory Station Software 17:19 StoryCorps 19:02 FamilySearch Memories 19:45 MyHeritage Mobile App 19:53 Pixstori 20:36 StoryMaps 21:43 Nominate someone for America 250 Recording & Transcribing Tools 24:12 Voice memo apps for iPhone 25:24 Otter.ai 25:53 Zoom transcription 26:53 Google Docs voice typing Story Collecting Gift Ideas 28:32 StoryWorth 31:47 Storii 33:32 Remento 35:03 The DIY Way (low tech & low cost) What’s Happening 37:00 APG supports Bring Our Heroes Home Act 38:35 NGS Awards Tea Time 40:07 Genetic Genealogy lawsuits 42:33 RootsTech Keynote Speaker announcement 43:18 Kudos to FamilySearch Indexing volunteer Marilyn Clement RESOURCES: MyHeritage Live Memory - https://cm.myheritage.com/livememory/ Oral History Association - https://oralhistory.org/ Vivid Pix Memory Station Software - https://www.vivid-pix.com/memorystationsoftware/ StoryCorps - https://storycorps.org/ FamilySearch Memories - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/tag/memories PixStori - https://www.pixstori.com/ StoryMaps - https://storymaps.com/ America 250 (nominate someone) - https://america250.org/nominate/ Voice Recorder & Audio Editor (Apple app) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-recorder-audio-editor/id685310398 Otter.ai - https://otter.ai/ Zoom Transcriptions - https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0064927 Storyworth - https://www.storyworth.com/ Storii (Save 20% with code FESTIVE24) - Remento (Save $15 with code SAVE15) - https://www.remento.co/ APG’s 1-Page Summary of BOHHA - https://members.apgen.org/ct.php?lid=346409795&mm=111054848883 Find your Senator - https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Find your Representative - https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative NGS Awards - https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/awards/ The DNA Geek: It Just Got Real (GEDmatch lawsuits) - https://thednageek.com/it-just-got-real/ The DNA Geek: FTDNA Joins the “So Sue Me” Party - https://thednageek.com/ftdna-joins-the-so-sue-me-party/ The Legal Genealogist: Of money and chances - https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2024/11/22/of-money-and-chances/ RootsTech Keynote Speakers - https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/rootstech-2025-first-four-keynotes-announced This episode is sponsored by Vivid Pix. All product opinions are our own.

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  45:26
• Episode 1: Meet Your Hosts, RootsTech 2025, Black Friday Sales, & This Week’s Fave Tech Tools

  In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal and Tami Osmer Mize introduce themselves and discuss their (long!) genealogy journeys. Then, they share their thoughts on the upcoming RootsTech Conference and give an overview of upcoming Black Friday sales on genealogy products. During Tea Time, they spill some tea on the latest genealogy social media scuffles and share kudos for an esteemed genealogist who recently earned high honors. Finally, the duo shares which websites they've been hooked on for the past few weeks. TIMESTAMPS About the co-hosts: 00:40 Tami’s introduction and genealogy journey 01:43 Elizabeth’s introduction and genealogy journey 03:37 Elizabeth’s website, Heart of the Family 04:33 Tami’s website, Conference Keeper 08:49 Our vision for this podcast RootsTech Conference 2025: 10:30 RootsTech 2025 is coming 10:47 In-person vs. virtual 13:05 Shopping at the RootsTech Expo Hall 14:42 The value of attending RootsTech FamilySearch 15:48 FamilySearch celebrates 130 years 16:22 How we’re benefitting from FamilySearch’s work 17:44 FamilySearch Labs (full-text searching) Black Friday/Holiday Sales on Genealogy Products: 20:25 Where to find our lists of Black Friday Sales Tea Time: 26:08 Spilling the tea on social media rumblings 27:08 Kudos to David Rencher Fave Tech Tools of the Week: 28:11 Elizabeth has been using a site called Character.ai 31:10 Tami’s been finding great stuff on MyHeritage’s Old News newspaper site Resources: Elizabeth’s Website - https://www.thefamilyheart.com/ Tami’s Website - https://conferencekeeper.org/ RootsTech Conference - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/ FamilySearch - https://www.familysearch.org/en/united-states/ FamilySearch Labs (full-text search) - https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/ Character AI - https://character.ai/ Old News by MyHeritage - https://www.oldnews.com/en Tami’s webinar about Old News - https://fb.watch/w8x-z2r8Nw/ Please let us hear from you at [email protected] with your questions and comments!

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