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DAR Hosts Conference on Early American Genealogical Research

DAR Hosts Conference on
Early American Genealogical Research

Washington, D.C., October 27-28, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. - "The Conference on Early American Genealogical Research," an extensive two-day program concentrating on American genealogical research topics spanning the Colonial period through the pre-Civil War era, will be held October 27-28, 2006 at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. Specialists from the DAR and the National Archives along with independent genealogical lecturers and researchers will speak on topics such as research methods and best practices; using technology to maximize search results; and historical events and military records.

The conference will consist of 19 diverse hour-long sessions led by 10 speakers who are experts in their respective fields. Speakers include Eric G. Grundset, DAR Library Director and recent winner of the 2006 Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship; and independent researchers John Humphrey, Patricia Law Hatcher, Paula Stuart-Warren and Thomas W. Jones.

The sessions are broken down into two tracks that participants can choose between in each hour time slot. These tracks are "The Colonies, The Revolution, The Early Republic," and "Research, Writing, Methodology." Some of the highly anticipated sessions include "Finding and Using Manuscript Repositories and Special Libraries," "Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor," "Producing a Quality Family History," and "Using Church Records Effectively."

The conference already has close to 300 people registered, but is still accepting mail and walk-in registrations. Many of the participants are coming in from out of town, which conference organizer Eric G. Grundset speculates may have to do with the depth of genealogical resources and expertise in the Washington, D.C. area.

"We hope that our conference will help people acquire a better understanding of genealogical research and also of the resources available here at the DAR," says Grundset. Located within DAR Headquarters, the DAR Library is one of country’s premier genealogical research centers in the United States. Grundset will be leading a session on "The Digital DAR: New Access to Old Sources," which will highlight the new technology being implemented at the DAR Library to better serve researchers. The library's specialized collection of American genealogical and historical manuscripts and publications contain over 185,000 volumes, 300,000 files, and 65,000 microforms and recently added powerful on-site ancestry databases to its collection.  The DAR Library will have special extended hours during the conference to accommodate registrants who wish to do research.

An exhibit room with several vendors of genealogical books, supplies and information will be open. The DAR Museum and Period Rooms featuring over 30,000 examples of antiques and decorative arts made or used in America prior to the Industrial Revolution will also be open for registrants to browse between sessions during the conference.

For more information on "The Conference on Early American Genealogical Research," visit www.dar.org/library or call (202) 879-3229. For a complete list of speakers and events or information on how to register, see the Event and Registration Form on the Genealogical Conference Web page.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for our nation's children.  Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. With more than 168,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. Encompassing an entire downtown city block, DAR National Headquarters houses one of the nation’s premier genealogical libraries, one of the foremost collections of pre-industrial American decorative arts, Washington, D.C.’s largest concert hall, and an extensive collection of early American manuscripts and imprints. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.dar.org.

 

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