Our third annual symposium will be a full-day exploration of the many tools and methodologies furthering genealogical research and historical preservation. Sessions will cover geographic mapping, digitization techniques, open data sources, and artificial intelligence.
All sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants for on-demand viewing through July 28, 2025.
Symposium Schedule
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9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
Welcome D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA, President, NYG&B |
Words of welcome |
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9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. |
Handwritten Text Recognition: Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence to Transcribe and Search Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ |
Handwritten text recognition technology can turn manuscripts into searchable transcriptions. Learn how to use these tools and what they can (and cannot) do for you. The presentation includes a demonstration of Transkribus. |
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11 a.m. – 12 p.m. |
From Paper to Pixels: Planning a Successful Digitization Project Kaitlyn Pettengill, Digital Archives Specialist for the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts |
This session will walk you through the key steps of planning a successful digitization project. We’ll cover how to define a clear project scope and goals, set realistic priorities, and advocate for resources. The session will also explore strategies to address common conservation challenges, including brittle paper, red rot, and rusty fasteners. Finally, we’ll discuss how to develop a sustainable access plan for users. Whether you’re embarking on your first major project or looking to improve your current process, you'll learn about the tools and best practices needed to ensure your digitization initiative is successful. |
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12 p.m. – 1 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
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1 p.m. – 2 p.m. |
Panel: Digitization Tech, Methods, and Tools in the Field Tabitha Cary, Digital Projects Manager, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University Library Kalyn P. Loewer, MA, Manager, Digital Collections, NYG&B William P. Tatum III, Dutchess County Historian Moderated by Ryan Gleason, VP, Digital Services, NYG&B |
Join a discussion surveying the panelists' respective work and outlook within the field of digital preservation. Each panelist brings their own unique background to digitization work, from the role of a county historian, to management of projects in non-profit and university library settings. Attendees will also be able to submit their own questions to the panel. |
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2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. |
Finding and Using Open Data Sources in Your Research Alex Calzareth, Board Member, Reclaim The Records |
Many government entities freely share large datasets online, usually as part of open data initiatives. This session will provide examples of open data sources that can be used for genealogical research, focusing on New York, with information on where to find these data sets or how to request them. Attendees will also learn how to view and work with these open data sources, which may contain millions of records, using specialized online websites and desktop software solutions. |
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3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
Mapping the Underground Railroad: Digital Tools and Their Uses in Research and Interpretation Joshua Poole, Operations Manager/In-House Historian, Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center |
As a part of the initiative to establish the proposed Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway across New York State, Joshua Poole has employed digital humanities strategies to connect stories and research the past along the route’s 550 miles. Digital tools have made it more efficient to analyze historical data, and for public historians to present findings. In this presentation, Joshua will explore how mapping and other tools have made it easier to trace individuals and understand how their activism resulted in larger geographical implications during the time of the Underground Railroad. While researching the lives of enslaved people has traditionally been difficult, digital humanities can provide an opportunity to gain new perspectives on freedom seekers. |
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4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. |
Final Thoughts Ryan Gleason, Vice President, Digital Services, NYG&B; Kalyn P. Loewer, MA, Manager, Digital Collections, NYG&B |
The symposium's hosts reflect on today's sessions, offer their takeaways, and share their outlook on the future of family history technology. |
Pricing
- NYG&B Member Early Registration: $99 (ends May 19, 2025; after that registration rate is $129)
- General Registration: $129
About the Presenters
Alex Calzareth is a board member for Reclaim The Records, where he makes frequent use of Freedom of Information laws. He serves as the webmaster for the Jewish Genealogy Society of Long Island and is JewishGen's Research Director for Germany. His genealogical research focuses on Germany, Southern Italy, and the Czech Republic. Alex is also a CPA and lives in New York City.
Tabitha Cary is the Digital Projects Manager for the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC) at Cornell University Library. Over the last seven and a half years, she has established and documented digitization workflows and procedures to help guide the scoping and implementation of digitization projects. Tabitha has a Master of Library and Information Science from Drexel University.
Ryan Gleason, Vice President, Digital Services, oversees the NYG&B’s digital properties, including the digitization and maintenance of record collections and their corresponding search tools. Prior to the NYG&B, Ryan was the Director of Digital Strategy for New York Institute of Technology, one of the state’s premier STEM institutions. He specializes in front-end content development, search engine optimization, and site redesigns, especially as pertains to education and ecommerce.
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer from the Netherlands. She has a master's degree in family and local history and specializes in research in the Netherlands and New Netherland. A researcher for the New Netherland Settlers initiative, she received a fellowship from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation to research underrepresented and underexamined populations in the colony.
Kalyn P. Loewer, MA, Manager, Digital Collections, uses digital preservation and archival techniques to support the NYG&B’s mission to preserve, document, and share family history. She works to digitize documents from all over New York State and makes materials available to researchers via the online collections. She also educates communities about how to access and maximize the NYG&B’s online collections. Kalyn was the recipient of the John C. Gorman '38 Medal for Excellence in History from St. Francis College in 2021.
As the Digital Archives Specialist for the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, Kaitlyn Pettengill conducts digital preservation assessments and assists with digitization planning for collecting organizations. She advises organizations in the ongoing development, implementation, and operation of their digital stewardship programs and provides recommendation for the development and implementation of digital preservation strategies, technologies, and procedures.
Prior to joining the CCAHA staff in 2024, Kaitlyn worked as the Digital Projects Coordinator for the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University and as the Digital Services Archivist at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. She earned an MLIS from San José State University, where she specialized in Digital Collections and Digital Asset Management. She also holds an MA degree in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art and a BA in Art History and English Literature from Franklin & Marshall College. Kaitlyn has been a Certified Archivist through the Academy of Certified Archivists since 2019. She currently serves as the elected Secretary for the Delaware Valley Archivists Group.
Joshua Poole, a graduate from SUNY Geneseo, works for the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center as the Operations Manager/In-House Historian. He serves on the steering committee for the proposed Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, primarily in the role of mapping and interpretation. He is also the chairman of the Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Commission. Josh’s research focuses on the communication networks established by enslaved people during acts of resistance. He has spoken across New York on the state's role in the history of abolition and enslavement.
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA, is the President of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B), an organization dedicated to preserving, documenting, and sharing family history and stories from across New York State. A nationally known and recognized genealogist, Joshua was named President of the NYG&B in 2016 and is an Officer, Trustee ex Officio, on NYG&B’s Board of Trustees.
William P. Tatum III has served as the official government historian of Dutchess County, NY, since October 2012. He holds a BA in History and Anthropology from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, and a MA and PhD in History from Brown University. His extensive research experience, spanning archives from Michigan to Edinburgh, Scotland, has informed his approach to records access and researcher services. During his tenure as Dutchess County Historian, he has designed and supervised 11 years of digitization work on the Dutchess County Ancient Documents Collection, comprising county court records from 1721–1888. He also introduced the Archival Imaging Initiative, through which the county has offered free digitization services to local governments and historical societies to preserve especially valuable archival material and improve public access.
