The Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board and the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records

present a free, virtual event:

The 5th Annual

Arizona Genealogy Day

Saturday, March 29, 2025
 

Important Details

• Registration is FREE!
• Registration is limited to 1000 participants.
• The presentations will be on Zoom.
• To view select past recordings from this and other genealogy events from the State of Arizona Research Library, click here. 
• Please note that this event will be recorded and recordings made available to registrants for a specified amount of time. More information and links will be shared a couple of days after the event.
• You do not need to be an Arizona resident to attend. Everyone is welcome!
• If you have any questions, please contact us at https://azsos.libanswers.com/form

Schedule (all times listed are Mountain Standard Time)

8:30 am - 8:45 am      Virtual doors will open at 8:30 am

8:45 am - 9:00 am      Welcome messages from AzGAB President, State Librarian, and Arizona Secretary of State

9:00 am - 10:00 am   Session 1 - Curt Witcher - "Beyond Hatched, Matched, and Dispatched: Methods for Finding our Families' Stories"

There is so much more to learn about our ancestors and their families than can be discovered simply through census and vital records. Methods for discovering other resources to find more information about our families, and the stories of their lives, are shared.

10:00 am - 10:15 am   Break

10:15 am - 11:15 am  Session 2 - Susan Weinberg - "Unraveling the Puzzle: Finding the Thread"

Sometimes we have a puzzle with no easy answers, a brick wall before we even begin. Perhaps there are limited overseas records on-line or you have very limited family information to validate relationships. This presentation explores approaches to unravel challenging genealogical puzzles using seemingly thin threads of information––in one case the back of an envelope and the other a distant memory of a long-ago visitor. It may feel a bit like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but it is grounded in an approach that you can easily apply to your own family history search. By building a foundation, identifying a hypothesis, defining a strategy, and using knowledge of available resources and how they connect, we can then take a simple clue and build out the story. We will explore key resources as well as how to search effectively on databases such as FamilySearch and Ancestry using additional resources such as stevemorse.org.

11:15 am - 11:30 am   Break

11:30 am - 12:30 pm  Session 3 -  Mckell Keeney - "Fresh Eyes on Your DNA: Exploring Essentials"

Come along on a tour of DNA test results, and find out what you can learn about your own DNA results. Designed for anyone curious about DNA, this presentation will explain terminology at a beginner-friendly level. Using Ancestry as our primary example for results, we'll explore how to review your results and briefly discuss key features to look for if you have tested with other providers. You will also learn about simple ways to identify common ancestral lines using built-in tools across platforms. 

12:30 pm - 12:45 pm   Break

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm    Session 4 - Emma Stoltenberg and Yahm Levin - "City Directories: Step in the Right Direction"

City directories are an essential resource for genealogical research, but sometimes we forget that they're more than just a way to confirm an address or phone number. In this presentation, we will explain what city directories, business directories, and telephone directories are, how to access them at the State of Arizona Research Library, and provide real-life examples of how they can be a stepping stone for your genealogical research.

1:45 pm - 2:00 pm       Break

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm      Session 5 - Amy Urman - "AI Tools for Genealogy"

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity can significantly enhance genealogy research in several ways: Research Assistance, Document Analysis, Smart Searching, Research Planning, Analysis and Insights, DNA Analysis, Family Tree Building, Historical Context, Specialized Tasks, Photo Enhancement, Handwriting Recognition, Source Citations, Practical Applications, Transcription and Translation, Biography Generation, and Record Suggestions. Learn how to leverage these AI tools to automate tedious tasks, gain new insights, and focus on more strategic aspects of their research, ultimately deepening their understanding of family history.

Speaker Bios 

Mckell Keeney is a passionate community connector with a global reach, sharing uplifting news and innovative insights. As a member of the RootsTech media group, she helps promote new, year-round content for the genealogy community. Since 2016, Mckell has volunteered as a Search Angel, assisting hundreds of adoptees to discover their biological ancestry. Mckell is skilled in traditional research, as well as in DNA analysis. She is the founder and coordinator of the Phoenix East Valley DNA Interest Group, which offers hybrid meetings—both online and at the Mesa Temple Visitors’ Center—open to all and focused on intermediate to advanced DNA exploration. An accomplished presenter, Mckell has shared her expertise at RootsTech, the Southern California Genetic Genealogy Jamboree, and various genealogy groups. She stays up-to-date with genetic genealogy techniques by attending specialized courses, conferences and webinars. Mckell enjoys helping others make meaningful discoveries on their family history journeys. 

Yahm Levin, MA, MLIS, is the Arizona Collection and Reading Arizona Librarian for the State of Arizona Research Library. In this role, she collects and maintains Arizona-related materials such as city directories, books, and periodicals, all of which can be useful for genealogical research. Reading Arizona is a free platform for eBooks and eAudiobooks about Arizona for Arizonans, which she manages as well. Yahm is the main liaison for the library's FamilySearch scanning partnership, which has digitized many items from her collection for increased access.

Emma Stoltenberg is the Lead Reference Librarian for the State of Arizona Research Library. She holds a MLIS degree from the University of Arizona and has a diverse work background as an elementary school media specialist, technology technician, and Librarian for the Heard Museum in Arizona. When Emma is not assisting patrons find answers to their questions, she can be found exploring new coffee shops with her husband or hiking with her cats.

Amy Urman is an Arizona licensed private investigator and professional genealogist known for her expertise in forensic genealogy, genealogical research, and asset recovery. She serves in multiple roles with the Arizona National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), including on the DNA Network, Volunteer Genealogist, and Lineage Committees, and as treasurer of the Tucson Chapter.

Amy is a member of the National Genealogy Society, where she serves on the Delegate Council Steering Committee, and is affiliated with the Association of Arizona Private Investigators, the Association of Professional Genealogists, and the APG Forensic Special Interest Group. She holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and is a graduate of the ProGen Study Group 28.

Amy is also a speaker, presenting frequently at genealogy societies and clubs on numerous topics. She has taught courses on death records, advanced death records, Victorian mourning customs, and mourning jewelry for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Additionally, she is the co-founder of the Pima County Genealogy Society. With her extensive training in law, land, genetic genealogy, advanced methods, and forensic genealogy, Amy brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to her work in both genealogy and private investigation.

Susan Weinberg is an artist, author, professional genealogist, and frequent speaker on genealogy topics. Drawing on her long career in finance, she often applies spreadsheets as an analytic tool in her genealogy research. Her creative work often involves storytelling and frequently explores family history themes. Susan is active in organizations within the world of Jewish genealogy, co-founder and immediate past president of the Minnesota Jewish Genealogical Society (MNJGS), vice president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and vice president of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM). She developed the Jewish Identity and Legacy Project, an oral history project with elders, then authored the book We Spoke Jewish: A Legacy in Stories that includes oral history, artwork, and history on three groups of Jewish immigrants who spanned the 1900s. Susan has created and manages websites for the former Jewish communities of several ancestral towns. She writes frequently for publications on genealogy topics and does genealogy research for clients around the world.

Curt Witcher is the Director of Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library, managing the widely acclaimed Genealogy Center as well as the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research. He is a former president of both the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society, and the founding president of the Indiana Genealogical Society. Curt currently serves on the Indiana State Historical Records Advisory Board, the Indiana Historical Society’s publications committee, and the executive committee of the Friends of the Lincoln Collection of Indiana’s Board of Directors. He also serves on the Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society board of directors as well as an advisor for the African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne. 

Curt is distinguished as a fellow of both the Indiana Genealogical Society and the Utah Genealogical Association.  Over the decades he led collaborative national efforts to preserve and make more accessible historical data. For those efforts he has received the Federation of Genealogical Societies' Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern Humanitarian Award and the National Genealogical Society’s P. William Filby Award for outstanding, life-time contributions to genealogical librarianship. Curt’s passion for finding families’ stories and his belief in the power of those stories to change lives has been recognized by numerous organizations. He is the recipient of the Indiana Historical Society’s 2019 Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award for extraordinary contributions to the field of history, the 2024 “I Love My Librarian Award” from the American Library Association for outstanding public service, and a 2024 Distinguished Hoosier Award from the Governor of the State of Indiana.