Setting (and Achieving) Genealogy Goals for 2025
01/23/25 • 48 min
1 Listener
Ready to set your genealogy goals? In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami share strategies for setting and successfully reaching your goals, from education plans to specific research results. Elizabeth and Tami talk about their own goals for 2025 and how they plan to achieve them, including tips and tricks to ensure success.
During What’s Happening, they discuss the availability of the RootsTech Schedule and the RootsTech app for 2025, as well as the recently released BIRLS database from Reclaim the Records. Then, Elizabeth spills the tea on the extreme wait times when requesting NY State vital records. Tami brings the sweet tea, discussing FamilySearch’s goals for 2025.
Finally, during Listener Mail, Elizabeth shares where to find closed captioning for the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast.
TIMESTAMPS:
Genealogy Goals
04:34 Setting goals for the new year
05:03 Types of Genealogy Goals
08:35 Elizabeth’s goals for 2025
09:41 Tami’s goals for 2025
10:20 How Elizabeth sets and achieved a significant genealogy goal
15:43 How Tami sets and achieves her genealogy goals
What’s Happening
23:54 RootsTech Schedule & App
29:48 Reclaim the Records - BIRLS database
Tea Time
35:44 New York State Vital Records ordering wait times
40:43 FamilySearch’s Goals for 2025
Listener Mail
44:28 Where to find closed captioning for our podcast
RESOURCES:
GRIP Genealogy Research Institute (GRIP) - https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/
Jill Morelli's Certification Discussion Group (CDG) - https://thecdgseries.wordpress.com/the-series/
Click-Up App - https://clickup.com/
Notion - https://www.notion.com/
Google Tasks - https://tasks.google.com/
RootsTech 2025 Class Schedule - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2025-03-06
RootsTech 2025 mobile app (Android) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.familysearch.rootstech&hl=en_US
RootsTech 2025 mobile app (Apple) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rootstech/id6474192974
Relatives at RootsTech - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/relatives-at-rootstech-faqs
Reclaim the Records - https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/
BIRLS searchable database (Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem) - https://www.birls.org/
CBS6 Albany Video on NY Vital Records - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYGSG5PmquY&ab_channel=CBS6Albany
FamilySearch's goals for 2025 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/what-to-expect-from-familysearch-in-2025
African Oral History project - https://www.familysearch.org/africa/sve/select-country
FamilySearch Labs A.I. Full-Text Search - https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text
FamilySearch "Get Involved" app - https://www.familysearch.org/getinvolved/
FamilySearch "Together" app - https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/together/welcome
Branching Out Podcast on Apple (live transcripts) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/branching-out-genealogy-podcast/id1782416781
Branching Out Podcast on YouTube (live transcripts) - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswrxVYz2y65xXJve-e35WA
_______
We would love to hear from you at [email protected] with your questions and comments!
This episode is sponsored by Vivid Pix.
Ready to set your genealogy goals? In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami share strategies for setting and successfully reaching your goals, from education plans to specific research results. Elizabeth and Tami talk about their own goals for 2025 and how they plan to achieve them, including tips and tricks to ensure success.
During What’s Happening, they discuss the availability of the RootsTech Schedule and the RootsTech app for 2025, as well as the recently released BIRLS database from Reclaim the Records. Then, Elizabeth spills the tea on the extreme wait times when requesting NY State vital records. Tami brings the sweet tea, discussing FamilySearch’s goals for 2025.
Finally, during Listener Mail, Elizabeth shares where to find closed captioning for the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast.
TIMESTAMPS:
Genealogy Goals
04:34 Setting goals for the new year
05:03 Types of Genealogy Goals
08:35 Elizabeth’s goals for 2025
09:41 Tami’s goals for 2025
10:20 How Elizabeth sets and achieved a significant genealogy goal
15:43 How Tami sets and achieves her genealogy goals
What’s Happening
23:54 RootsTech Schedule & App
29:48 Reclaim the Records - BIRLS database
Tea Time
35:44 New York State Vital Records ordering wait times
40:43 FamilySearch’s Goals for 2025
Listener Mail
44:28 Where to find closed captioning for our podcast
RESOURCES:
GRIP Genealogy Research Institute (GRIP) - https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/
Jill Morelli's Certification Discussion Group (CDG) - https://thecdgseries.wordpress.com/the-series/
Click-Up App - https://clickup.com/
Notion - https://www.notion.com/
Google Tasks - https://tasks.google.com/
RootsTech 2025 Class Schedule - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2025-03-06
RootsTech 2025 mobile app (Android) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.familysearch.rootstech&hl=en_US
RootsTech 2025 mobile app (Apple) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rootstech/id6474192974
Relatives at RootsTech - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/relatives-at-rootstech-faqs
Reclaim the Records - https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/
BIRLS searchable database (Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem) - https://www.birls.org/
CBS6 Albany Video on NY Vital Records - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYGSG5PmquY&ab_channel=CBS6Albany
FamilySearch's goals for 2025 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/what-to-expect-from-familysearch-in-2025
African Oral History project - https://www.familysearch.org/africa/sve/select-country
FamilySearch Labs A.I. Full-Text Search - https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text
FamilySearch "Get Involved" app - https://www.familysearch.org/getinvolved/
FamilySearch "Together" app - https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/together/welcome
Branching Out Podcast on Apple (live transcripts) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/branching-out-genealogy-podcast/id1782416781
Branching Out Podcast on YouTube (live transcripts) - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswrxVYz2y65xXJve-e35WA
_______
We would love to hear from you at [email protected] with your questions and comments!
This episode is sponsored by Vivid Pix.
Previous Episode
Episode 2: Cool Tools for Genealogy Story Collectors
In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami share the stories that got them hooked on genealogy.
Next, they discuss several tools for collecting, transcribing, and sharing your family’s stories (some are low-tech and free). They also offer story-collecting gift ideas for family members who missed the holiday get-togethers, as well as those who may be shy or less tech-savvy.
During What’s Happening, Elizabeth shares a call to action to support the Bring Our Heroes Home Act, and Tami shares a reminder to submit your nominees for NGS awards.
Finally, Elizabeth spills the tea on recent genetic genealogy lawsuits, but Tami “cleans up” with good news about recently announced RootsTech keynote speakers and kudos to an amazing 92-year-old FamilySearch volunteer.
TIMESTAMPS:
02:04 Tami’s “lost” family story
03:56 Elizabeth’s “lost” family story
Collecting Family Stories
08:01 The importance of listening and collecting stories
09:18 MyHeritage Live Memory
13:33 The Oral History Association
14:03 Vivid Pix Memory Station Software
17:19 StoryCorps
19:02 FamilySearch Memories
19:45 MyHeritage Mobile App
19:53 Pixstori
20:36 StoryMaps
21:43 Nominate someone for America 250
Recording & Transcribing Tools
24:12 Voice memo apps for iPhone
25:24 Otter.ai
25:53 Zoom transcription
26:53 Google Docs voice typing
Story Collecting Gift Ideas
28:32 StoryWorth
31:47 Storii
33:32 Remento
35:03 The DIY Way (low tech & low cost)
What’s Happening
37:00 APG supports Bring Our Heroes Home Act
38:35 NGS Awards
Tea Time
40:07 Genetic Genealogy lawsuits
42:33 RootsTech Keynote Speaker announcement
43:18 Kudos to FamilySearch Indexing volunteer Marilyn Clement
RESOURCES:
MyHeritage Live Memory - https://cm.myheritage.com/livememory/
Oral History Association - https://oralhistory.org/
Vivid Pix Memory Station Software - https://www.vivid-pix.com/memorystationsoftware/
StoryCorps - https://storycorps.org/
FamilySearch Memories - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/tag/memories
PixStori - https://www.pixstori.com/
StoryMaps - https://storymaps.com/
America 250 (nominate someone) - https://america250.org/nominate/
Voice Recorder & Audio Editor (Apple app) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voice-recorder-audio-editor/id685310398
Zoom Transcriptions - https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0064927
Storyworth - https://www.storyworth.com/
Storii (Save 20% with code FESTIVE24) -
Remento (Save $15 with code SAVE15) - https://www.remento.co/
APG’s 1-Page Summary of BOHHA - https://members.apgen.org/ct.php?lid=346409795&mm=111054848883
Find your Senator - https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Find your Representative - https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
NGS Awards -
Next Episode
RootsTech 2025 Wrap-Up
In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami talk about their experiences at 2025 RootsTech Conference, from the Expo Hall to the Forums, what’s new at FamilySearch, and what other industry leaders are up to.
The show begins with a follow-up to Tami’s Ancestry Pet DNA testing and Elizabeth’s FOIA BIRLS request.
Next up are highlights from RootsTech, followed by a visit with Gena Philibert-Ortega, who shares her enthusiasm about GRIP and her passion for reading.
What's Happening includes news about upcoming events, changes, and scholarship deadlines.
During Tea Time, Elizabeth provides an update on NY Vital Records, and Tami discusses genealogy in the virtual world of Second Life.
TIMESTAMPS
2:23 Tami shares results of her pound pup’s DNA test, which included a close shared match.
7:00 Elizabeth talks about receiving one of her FOIA BIRLS files.
RootsTech Wrap Up
14:06 RootsTech online
14:47 Relatives at RootsTech
17:58 FamilySearch's Global Tech Forum
19:21 FamilySearch Family Group Trees
20:23 FamilySearch Tree Integrity
23:26 FamilySearch New Change Log
24:00 Full Text Search Updates
25:01 FamilySearch AI Help ChatBot
26:44 Industry Highlight Forum
28:50 MyHeritage: New Cousin Finder, phone app update
29:57 Storied: Memory books; creating a new census index
31:50 SOAR
32:18 Remento
34:38 Ancestry’s phone scanner and AI tools
35:38 MyHeritage Ancient Origins
39:29 Gena Philibert-Ortega's RootsTech Experience
40:54 Her role at NGS
41:55 GRIP
46:05 Gena’s courses at SLIG
47:47 How Gena fits it into her schedule & reading goals
52:20 What Gena’s currently reading
WHAT'S HAPPENING
56:30 The National Genealogical Society 2025 Family History Conference “Tales & Trails” May 2025.
59:20 BCG adoption of two-part portfolio for CG application process
1:00:50 APG scholarships for the Professional Management Conference
1:02:27 NYG&B seeking volunteers and interns for their digitization team
1:03:21 Scholarship and awards deadlines on Conference Keeper
TEA TIME
1:04:00 New York vital records availability update.
1:06:18 Second Life chapter APG reorganization
RESOURCES
Ancestry Pet DNA - https://petdna.ancestry.com
BIRLS - https://www.birls.org/
RootsTech https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/
Elizabeth's Blog about Relatives at RootsTech - https://www.thefamilyheart.com/relatives-at-rootstech/
Imagetotext.io - https://www.imagetotext.io/
FamilySearch Labs - https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/
FamilySearch Group Trees - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/family-group-trees-learning-center
FamilySearch New Change Log - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/using-the-improved-person-changelog-experiment
FamilySearch AI Help ChatBot - https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/
Content Authenticity Initiative - https://contentauthenticity.org
MyHeritage Cousin Finder - https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/03/introducing-cousin-finder-gain-dna-level-insights-without-a-dna-test/
Storied - https://storied.com
SOAR - https://try.soar.com/team
Remento - https://www.remento.co
Ancestry Scanner -
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