Not At RootsTech But Downloading Handouts

I absolutely love meaty presentation handouts. I always check the handout (if available) in advance of a program or webinar. This gives me a good idea of what the speaker will cover, and helps me consider what questions I might have about applying the content to my own genealogy challenges. Then I save the handout in a digital folder, in case I want to refer to it in the future. This happens from time to time, as I realize I need a hint from some program in the past.

This year I will again not be at RootsTech and so I created a playlist of online sessions to watch, sometimes live but usually at my own pace and at my convenience.

However, some interesting presentations are NOT going to be available online, as shown in the excerpt above. 

That's where handouts really come in handy! Even though I can't watch Adina Newman live, I can (and did) download her syllabus. It's ten pages long and chock full of excellent information. 

Adina's handout includes multiple links to search and for background on various US ports of entry, categorized by port. Plus she has links to Canadian border crossings to the US, another way immigrants entered the country. Added to her detailed explanations of how and why to search, make Adina's handout a must-save for me, one of dozens of handouts I'm perusing this week.

If you're #NotAtRootsTech, be sure to check sessions that will not be recorded--and download relevant handouts for future use. 

Register for RootsTech, Browse Sessions Early

 

It's not yet time to assemble a class schedule, but it's a good time to begin browsing the new class sessions already scheduled for RootsTech 2026. Here's the preview page.

The conference is set for March 5-7 in Salt Lake City and registration is here. You can choose to be an in-person participant, going to exclusive lectures and workshops in Salt Lake City for a fee (get an early-bird discount at the moment). Or you can choose to be an online participant for free, watching keynotes and 75+ classes with the option to chat with other online attendees. 

I will be #NotAtRootsTech in person in 2026 but enjoying classes and downloading handouts when available.

Some of the online sessions I plan to put on my 2026 playlist include:

• Linda Debe, "Turning Tick Marks into People" 
• Sunny Jane Morton, "Religious Newspapers in the US"
• Cheri Hudson Passey, "Don't Believe Everything You Find"
• Seema Kenney, "Double Dates and Lost Dates"
• Laura Hedgecock, "Use Community Context to Transform Family Stories"
• D. Josh Taylor, "Resolving Conflicts and Building Sound Conclusions"

Save RootsTech Handouts for Today and Tomorrow

I'll be #NotAtRootsTech this year--will be watching from home, and enjoying not just sessions but the social media posts of geneafriends (those in Salt Lake City and those at home).

Some speakers have already mentioned their handouts are available on the RootsTech site. Thank you to Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal for alerting her followers to go ahead and download syllabus materials in advance!

To find sessions with handouts, I started at the speaker page here.

Then I scrolled down past the keynoters to the alphabetical listing of speakers. One by one, I clicked to look at each speaker's sessions. 

For any session that looked interesting--especially if not being broadcast or recorded--I checked for a syllabus download. Above, Jen Baldwin's session on English Ag Lab ancestors...notice the download button below the presentation description. 

With a click, I downloaded, saved in a special folder, and now I'm ready to learn from Jen's expertise by reading and rereading her handout. 

Wash, rinse, repeat for Melissa Barker, Nick Barratt (more ag lab info!), John Boeren, Melanie McComb, and on and on. So many fabulous speakers, so many informative handouts to collect and consult at any time.

Blogger Lisa Gorrell also notes that if you make a schedule of sessions to watch, you can see and download handouts from the schedule.

RootsTech begins live on Leap Day, but downloadable handouts can begin whenever you're ready.