Amy is teaching several classes this year at RootsTech. Three of her classes are geared towards the genealogist using technology, and one class is geared towards an intermediate developer. If you are unable to attend, be sure to check out the syllabi linked below!
Three Steps Forward, Ten Steps Back: Using Modern Tools to Identify Contemporary Family and Locate New Ancestral Connection
(session sponsored by Archives.com)This session will be held Thursday, Feb 2 from 3:00 - 4:00 pm MST. It is geared towards an intermediate-level technology user.
It will show people why tracing their family tree forward can help them move their research back. Finding cousins to collaborate with can be key! We'll explore the census, digitized newspapers and Archives' "Living People Search" to find those elusive cousins. For more information on this topic, see Amy's syllabus.
Understanding WordPress
This session will be held Friday, Feb 3 from 1:45 - 2:45 pm MST, and is for technology users.
WordPress can be confusing. Is it a blogging service that you can use like Blogger or is it a blogging platform that you can host on your own site? In a word, "yes." WordPress is the world's most popular self-hosted blogging platform, but it is also a very popular blogging service. It is very flexible, which can be both good and bad. In this session, we'll take a look at the various "flavors" of WordPress, the features of each, and how to pick the right one for you. For more information on this topic, see Amy's syllabus.
Database Design 101
This session will be held Friday, Feb 3 from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm MST. It is geared towards technology users.
You have good data and you want to share it with the world. Great! But how do you design it so that people can easily find what they're looking for? This session will also take a look at how to design your databases so that you can re-use data, as well as how to maintain it. This session won't address any specific database programs or languages. Rather, it is an overview of how databases work and how you can set one up so your users can get the most out of it. For more information on this topic, see Amy's syllabus.
PHP and MySQL: A Powerful Combination for Presenting Data
This session will be held Saturday, Feb 4 from 9:45 - 10:45 am. It is targeted towards intermediate level software developers.
PHP and MySQL are used by countless websites to deliver data to users. Many people think of PHP and MySQL only for delivering user queries. We will explore that aspect, but we will also take a look at other things that PHP and MySQL can do, including formatting those results, setting up members-only areas, and even controlling the look and feel of the website. For more information about this topic, see Amy's syllabus.
More about Amy
Amy Johnson Crow, MLIS, CG, is a researcher, editor, webmaster, and database developer. She is the Genealogical Content Manager and Contract Specialist for Archives.com. Amy also serves as a database and website consult for libraries and societies. She is a former webmaster for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Amy earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from Kent State University, where she concentrated on digital libraries and digital preservation.
