Preserving & Sharing Our Family Treasures Summer Seminar

The DGS Summer Seminar in Dallas, Texas will feature  Denise Levenick,The Family Curator. The seminar takes place July 29-30 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.at the 1st floor Auditorium J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. Parking is included in the seminar fee.

Friday, July 29, 2016

§  Session 1: Be Your Own Family ArchivistFamily historians who inherit photos, documents, and memorabilia, and genealogists who work with family collections, must often go beyond the role of researcher to become archivists and curators. This session introduces best practices for long-term preservation of family treasures including photos, film, documents, artifacts, and other heirlooms. We’ll discuss “what to save, what to toss,” how to choose appropriate archival storage containers, and where to set up your own home archive.

§  Session 2: How to Scan an ElephantPreserving family collections begins with a master plan for digitizing all kinds of materials. But, how do you scan an elephant? This session will give an overview of popular scanners and other devices to show you how to digitize awkward artifacts and oversize items, and highlight the apps, accessories, and expert tips to help you achieve great digital images.

§  Session 3: Caring for Keepsakes: The Top 10 Family TreasuresLearn how to care for the Top Ten Family Treasures from photographs to furniture, from love letters to lockets, clocks, and Bibles. Learn to identify common hazards such as silverfish, mold, acid migration, and how to safely store your heirlooms for easy research access.

§  Session 4: Dirty Pictures: Save Your Family Photos from RuinDirty negatives, smudged old photos, curled panorama pictures, and photos stuck in sticky albums. Learn how to rescue your family photos, albums, and scrapbooks from the ravages of time. This practical presentation will show you simple and safe methods for working with old and fragile family photos, as well as 20th century vintage snapshots and film.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

§  Session 1: Secrets in the Attic: Break Down Brick Walls with Home SourcesFamily history begins at home. Case studies highlight photos, documents, and hidden details that led to new kinships and previously unknown ancestors. From a crumbling Family Bible to a fading post-mortem photograph, follow the trail of “things they left behind” to solve genealogical mysteries with clues in family sources.

§  Session 2: You Can’t Take It With You: Estate Planning for GenealogistsWho will care for your family archive when you’re gone? This session will look at creative solutions for distributing family heirlooms when settling an estate, how to be an attractive donor to institutional archives, and how to prepare a simple genealogical codicil. We’ll also discuss options for preserving your family history stories and photos in legacy online digital archives.

§  Session 3: Heirloom Roadshow

The Heirloom Roadshow is coming and you can be part of it! Did you inherit a beautiful antique table or chair from your ancestor? Do you know how to preserve the historical and cash value of your treasure? Wondering how to preserve your ancestor’s military medals? Submit your keepsake preservation challenges to The Family Curator prior to the event for a chance to be featured in this interactive presentation where you’ll learn the best way to rescue, preserve, and archive your family heirlooms.