Like most professions, genealogy requires continuing education to stay up-to-date on the latest advances and to learn new topics. The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) is one of many institutes in the country giving us a chance to improve our skills. Out of the more than 15 courses to choose from, I picked the Advanced Genealogical Methods curriculum and it was fantastic!! The instructors for the weeklong study-fest included some of the best in the business…Paul Graham, Tom Jones, Judy Russell, Rick Sayre, and Paul Woodbury.
No matter what line of work you’re in, you’ve probably attended a conference or some other type of training. You know how wonderful and exhausting it can be.
Each day we started with a homework review then 5 hours of classes and concluded with a new homework assignment. It may sound like a lot of work, but when you are learning about a subject you love, it’s not work, it’s a joy!
Here’s a glimpse into some of the topics we covered:
Not all institutes record their sessions, but I’m so happy SLIG did. The ability to go back and rewatch every class will be key to making sense of all the notes I took because my head is about to explode! Since my goal in the near future is to take clients, I need to continue to learn and grow in this wonderful profession. Institutes are one way to do that.
Genealogy tip: If you have the opportunity to attend an institute (in person or virtually) you should. The amount of knowledge you gain will blow your mind. Besides SLIG there are other institutes to choose from including the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), Gen Fed out of Washington, D.C., to name a few.