8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Registration Begins: Vendor/Exhibitor Room open; 2024 Literary Award winners and entries on display; light Continental breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Welcome by Pauline Merrick, CSG President

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM – “Geospatial Maps: UConn Map Collection” with Katie Fiducia

In this talk, Katie will discuss how historical maps can be used with geospatial data and GIS software to tell the stories of people, places, and events throughout time. She will introduce the basics of GIS and how to get started with basic online mapping and present an overview of UConn Library’s collection of thousands of physical maps, atlases, and aerial images. She will then discuss how these maps and images, as well as other digitized historical maps from various organizations, can be used in computer-based GIS software to create interactive web-maps, StoryMaps, and other mapping projects.

10:15 AM – 11:00 AM – Break – Visit exhibitors

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM  – “Using AI in Family History Research” with Melanie McComb

Using AI in Family History Research — Have you wondered how Artificial Intelligence might be able to help your family history research? In this lecture, Melanie will discuss exciting possibilities for using AI to support your research—including assistance with report writing, digitally restoring family photos, and more.

12:00 PM – 12:15 PM – Break – Visit the exhibitors

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM –  Luncheon, Literary Awards & Door prizes

1:30 PM – 1:45 PM – Break – Visit the exhibitors

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM – “The Future of Genealogy” with D. Joshua Taylor

The Future of Genealogy — What is ahead for the world of family history and genealogy? This session will explore possible pathways for this enticing (and exciting) field. We will explore how advances in technology, changing demographics, and commercial enterprise might impact genealogy in the coming years and decades.

2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – Visit the Vendors/Exhibitors and Evaluations