Follow Friday: Amy Coffin, Guest Blogger

It is a pleasure to welcome Amy Coffin, MLIS, as our first Guest Blogger!
(with a tip of the hat to Thomas MacEntee) 

Amy has been a Follower of our blog for some time.  She's a native Californian now living in Texas, the author of her personal blog, We Tree Genealogy Blog and website AmyCoffin.com.  Amy recently published 25 Great Topics for Genealogy Societies (free download) and is an Official Blogger for RootsTech 2012.  These links are well-worth reading and following.

Expand Your Horizons through Genealogy Blogs

What are the best tools for acquiring the latest news and updates in the genealogy world? Magazines and journals make the list. What about blogs? They are a great source for genealogy news and commentary. You know this, which is why you’re reading the Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society blog. Yet there are many other great genealogy blogs out there that can keep you informed about your specific research interests. Here are some reasons why it’s a good idea to regularly read a variety of genealogy blogs:

Keep tabs on local genealogy events and big conferences

There are several vibrant genealogy societies with blogs in the northern California area and beyond. Each does its part to keep subscribers informed of the exciting activities happening in the vicinity. You’d think all these blogs would repeat the same information but that’s usually not the case. Explore the regional blogs in your area and follow the ones that pique your interest.

Geneabloggers.com has a fabulous directory that organizes almost 2,000 blogs by type. Check out the California blog category for many society blogs that fit the bill.

Learn more about your research interests

Whether you have a genealogical connection to a specific locality or ethnicity, there are blogs that match your needs. Explore the blog categories at Geneabloggers.com to see all there is available on these subjects.

For example, blogs about German genealogy may provide new research ideas or assistance with the challenges of searching for records in another country. Often blogs geared toward a specific subject are written by authors with authority. These are the people that know the latest news in these categories, so reading their blogs is a great way to stay current.

Make friends

Expanding your blog horizons is an easy way to make good genealogy friends. Really! When you read blogs and make comments, a dialogue starts. Eventually, you and a blog’s author get to know each other online. You establish a network of fellow genealogists and friends who will provide assistance online and a friendly face should you ever meet in person.

Genealogy bloggers as a whole are a wonderful bunch who love to talk about family history. Visit several blogs and find some that match your interests, humor or whatever strikes your fancy. You’ll be fast friends in no time.

Parting thoughts

I can’t espouse the benefits of reading genealogy blogs without sharing a tip on how to manage the process. Google Reader is a free tool that helps you manage all of the blogs you want to read. It lets you subscribe to the blogs of your choice, then tells you when they’ve been updated eliminating the need to keep visiting blog websites all the time. Take the Google Reader tour, learn how to set up a free account and get on your way.

Special thanks to Denise Richmond of the Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society for the opportunity for me to be a guest blogger and share one of my favorite family history activities. Expand your blogging horizons and make new discoveries every day. It’s a great time to be a genealogist!

Amy Coffin’s We Tree Genealogy Blog was named one of Family Tree Magazine’s Top 40 genealogy blogs in 2010 and 2011. She is the author of several articles on blogging including 25 Great Topics for Genealogy Society Blogs.

Follow Friday is just one of the daily blog themes suggested on Geneabloggers. Get your ancestors noticed here - submit content to rootcellarsgs@gmail.com



posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond