Tomorrow, July 25, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies’ 2015 Genealogy Conference will take place from 9am to 4pm at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.  The featured speaker is Lisa Louise Cooke, creator of www.genealogygems.com.

A lunch break of approximately 1 hour will be provided. Concessions including hot dogs, popcorn, and sodas will be available for purchase in the theater. Conference attendees are also welcome to bring a sack lunch or to purchase lunch at a local eatery, which may be brought back to the Ron Robinson Theater, if desired. Places to purchase lunch within walking distance include Bookends Cafe, the library’s coffee and sandwich shop, located next door to the theater in the Cox Creative Center; the River Market, which offers many dining options; and restaurants along President Clinton Ave.

Workshop topics will include:

Ultimate Google Search Strategies and Tips Google continues to evolve and change every day. In this session, Lisa Louise Cooke will give you an update on the most recent Google changes. Then she will unleash advanced search strategies for genealogy that you probably aren’t using, but are ‘must-haves’ in order to get the best results possible. Here are tips and tricks you can put into practice right away.

Get the Scoop on Your Ancestors with Newspapers Yearning to “read all about it?” Newspapers are a fantastic source of research leads, information, and historical context for your family history. Learn the specialized approach that is required to achieve success in locating the news on your ancestors.  Includes 3 Cool Tech Tools that will get you started.

Google Earth for Genealogy Google Earth is a 360 degree three-dimensional way to view your ancestors’ world!  In this class you will learn how to identify old photos, plot and virtually visit your ancestors’ homestead, and incorporate historic maps. Google Earth has the power to geographically document your ancestors’ lives, and lends itself very well to collaboration with other researchers. It’s one of the best online genealogical tools available, and best of all, it’s free!

How to Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case Become a genealogical detective in this vital session. You’ll learn to track ancestors like a criminal cold case detective, sniffing out holes in your research and getting missing information on the record with cutting edge technology.

A Meet & Greet will be held on today, July 24, 4-6 p.m. in the Arkansas Studies Institute building, room 124, 401 President Clinton Ave. This is an opportunity for genealogists to meet each other and share research experiences. If you plan to attend, please register at: http://www.butlercenter.org/conference/