Kathy’s Corner: Digitizing that collection of inherited family photos

Emily Sienkiewicz

This popular monthly session focuses on a challenge for every family historian: Sorting and digitizing collections of inherited family photos and artifacts. Our speaker, Projectkin member Kathy Stone has decades of experience as a professional photo organizer and is now working on her family history projects. As a pro, she appreciates the challenge of actually getting projects done. In these “Corner” events, she answers questions and coaches members as your personal “sherpa over Mt. Inertia.” Our programs build on the 8-step approach she shared in a post and the 2023 Kathy’s Corner series. (Projectkin members have access to event recordings through the Members’ Chat Room in the Projectkin Forum.) Now the focus will be on …

Project Clinic: Family History Project Ideas

Emily Sienkiewicz

These very special brainstorming sessions will allow anyone with a story to tell to bring their tale to this open lab to sort through the best way to tell it as a family history project. Today’s digital storytelling tools are so wide and deep that they can be intimidating. As a community, we’ll brainstorm and share ideas for tips, techniques, and tools that might make your storytelling effort easier. The idea for this program is to keep it to just an hour so that we can be efficient with time and generous with ideas. Your host, Barbara Tien, is one of the co-founders at Ponga.com and the “ring leader” here in our Projectkin.org community. We …

Register for Legacy Lab

Emily Sienkiewicz

Our new email course, the Legacy Lab, starts March 4th, 2024 and registration is FREE. This course will support you in completing a small legacy project on Permanent, which can focus on yourself, a family member, a friend, a passion, etc. Over the course of 30 days you will receive daily (weekday) emails and participate in weekly calls with the rest of the cohort. Those who complete the program, publish an archive, and fill out a course evaluation survey will receive 3GB of storage to continue to grow their archives. Register by March 3, 2024 to be join the course!

Every Home has a Story: Researching Your and Your Ancestor’s Homes featuring speaker Kathy Nielsen

Amanda Meeks

Ever wondered about the history of the houses where your ancestors lived? Curious about the history of your own home? Each one has a story to tell. Every family has left their mark on their homes, just as these homes have left their mark on those who lived there. The census, maps, deeds, wills, photos, directories, and newspapers help us discover insights into our family’s homes. Online via Zoom. Registration Required. For details see rootcellar.org/

Memoir Writing Club

Amanda Meeks

The Memoir Writing Club offers members a comfortable forum for sharing stories of important events, friendships, and family history. Do you have memories that you would like to share? Come join the Plainfield Public Library’s Memoir Writing Club. Before a session, participants write down their memories – creating a Memoir. During meetings, members share what they’ve written on a topic. At the end of each meeting the group chooses an optional topic for the next session, but individual members are free to write about whatever inspires them. Topic: end of the year holidays Past meeting discussions have involved educational or school experiences, favorite places, growing up in Plainfield, holidays, games, reunions, travel, and more! Registration …

A Scavenger Hunt for Ancestors

Amanda Meeks

It can be hard for children to relate to the stories of their ancestors. Why not use time with family to reconnect using fun games for children? In a creative approach by long-time community member, Anna Scheutz, children get a chance to engage with the stories of their ancestors in a team-based scavenger hunt. Anna applied her considerable experience as a youth leader to developing something that would be equally fun for young children, teens, and grown adults. Her strategy involves a combination of challenges that bring all ages of the family together with physical activity and questions delivered on mobile web pages. In this Project Recipe event, Anna will share how she went about …

Family History Project Ideas

Amanda Meeks

These very special brainstorming sessions will allow anyone with a story to tell to bring their tale to this open lab to sort through the best way to tell it as a family history project. Today’s digital storytelling tools are so wide and deep that they can be intimidating. As a community, we’ll brainstorm and share ideas for tips, techniques, and tools that might make your storytelling effort easier. The idea for this program is to keep it to just an hour so that we can be efficient with time and generous with ideas. Your host, Barbara Tien, is one of the co-founders at Ponga.com and the “ring leader” here in our post-Ponga community. We use these programs …

Playing for Ancestors

Amanda Meeks

We know that it’s stories that stick. If you want children engaged in the stories of their ancestors, work the stories into their games. Children are also naturally curious, so adding story cues into playthings can make the stories all the more interesting. Ahead of this year’s holiday season, we’ve been looking at projects that might be gifts — with the hook of family history. On Nov-30, we’ll feature Simon Davies, Projectkin member and founder of WeAre…[xyz] to talk about a project he’s created for his own family. The project customizes standard playing cards with the stories and photographs of each of 52 ancestors (#52Ancestors). The secret to this project is the combination of ordinary playing cards with an …

Family History Project Ideas

Amanda Meeks

These very special brainstorming sessions will allow anyone with a story to tell to bring their tale to this open lab to sort through the best way to tell it as a family history project. Today’s digital storytelling tools are so wide and deep that they can be intimidating. As a community, we’ll brainstorm and share ideas for tips, techniques, and tools that might make your storytelling effort easier. The idea for this program is to keep it to just an hour so that we can be efficient with time and generous with ideas. Your host, Barbara Tien, is one of the co-founders at Ponga.com and the “ring leader” here in our post-Ponga community. We use these programs …

Conducting Sociological Research

Amanda Meeks

Join a Library of Congress Librarian for a webinar on sociology research using our collections.  During this online research orientation, you will learn how to search the Library’s onsite-only databases and freely available digital collections to find sociological sources. You will also be shown how to use advanced search techniques in the Library’s catalog and finding aids to locate items.