Library of Congress Online Conference, June 18th

Invisible Ancestors: Ideas & Strategies for Recreating Their Stories: A Web Conference

When: Wednesday, June 18, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), 1:00-2:00 p.m. Central Time

Many ancestors - early immigrants and pioneers, slaves, women, native peoples, and others - do not have compiled biographies. They are invisible except in the historical record, through the census or other data collection entities. Where there are gaps in their history, the stories can be told through early travelogues, letters, diaries, other texts and printed ephemera, photographs and other visual media, and maps.

Join Library of Congress Digital Projects Coordinator, Judy Graves, and Local History & Genealogy Specialist, Anne Toohey, for ideas and strategies for combining physical and online materials that go beyond the data and recreate the stories of these individuals. We invite you to take this opportunity to sample the Library's online materials and locate items that will enrich the stories of those whom you would like to know better.

NOTE: Allow yourself time to download the small software plugin needed to participate in the conference. Depending on your network security requirements, you may need assistance from your local technical support group to download and install the plugin. Actual installation should be very quick, depending on your computer and connectivity. All that is needed is a computer with an Internet connection, sound card, and speakers. A microphone will enable you to speak to the group.

To attend, go to OPAL at http://www.opal-online.org/. From the Quick Links column on the left, choose Auditorium.

1. Click the "Download Here" button in the light blue rectangle in the center of the screen.
2. Follow the directions to download and install the plugin.
3. Click the link in the orange rectangle to enter the room.
4. A gray box will appear with text asking permission to launch an external application, web conference plugin. When the grayed out text "Launch application" becomes black, click the Launch application button.
5. Type your name (no password is required) and click "Log on" to enter the online conference.

To learn more about programs sponsored by the Digital Reference Section, see Virtual Programs & Services - http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/.

To learn more about the Library's Local History & Genealogy Reading Room, see http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/.