2023 Summer Seminar

Genealogy and the Internet: Successfully Mining the World Wide Web

July 22, 2023

Cyndi Ingle is the creator and innovator behind the award-winning and globally recognized CyndisList.com, a free categorized list of more than 337,000 links for genealogical research. In its 26 years online Cyndi’s List has consistently remained in the top tiers for genealogical research tools online. It helps millions of visitors worldwide and has been featured in the media and diverse publications, including ABC News, NBC News, the BBC, National Public Radio, USA Today, Time, Newsweek, Parade Magazine, People Magazine, Wired, Ancestry Magazine, Family Tree Magazine, Family Chronicle, and Internet Genealogy magazines. Cyndi, a genealogist for more than 42 years, has an expertise in using technology for genealogy.

Additionally, her many active years in genealogy have also resulted in a specialty for research in the United States and bringing together traditional methodology with organization, computers, software, and the Internet. Cyndi is the recipient of the 2018 Society of Genealogists Prince Michael of Kent Award, the 2016 National Genealogical Society President’s Citation, and many other awards and honors. She has served in several capacities for genealogical organizations. Cyndi is an internationally-known guest lecturer for various genealogical society meetings, seminars, and webinars (speaking calendar). She coordinated courses for the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), and she has authored numerous articles and three books. Cyndi, her mother, and four Boston Terriers live in Edgewood, Washington.

Genealogy and the Internet: Successfully Mining the World Wide Web

• Genealogy and the Internet – A Match Made in Heaven – The Internet was made for genealogy. It really was. All the cool things we can do online make our life much easier and our research more productive: searching, sharing, publishing, and more. But the Internet is also filled with pitfalls that hinder us: searching, sharing, publishing, and more. The trick is to learn to be savvy about using all the online tools available to us to make this truly a match made in heaven.
• Cyndi’s List in Practice – Sometimes overwhelming to beginners and sometimes underused by veterans, Cyndi’s List is a research tool that is robust with resources helpful in everyone’s research. Using specific examples for beginners, as well as more advanced researchers, we will explore the site and point out how to make the most of the categories and the links found within.
• The Path to Digital Libraries and Archives – Today every nook and cranny of the Internet is filled with hidden gems in digital library and archive collections. Often part of a special project or a larger web site, these collections aren’t always easy to find and explore. We will discuss methods for locating them and, once found, methods for using them to answer specific research questions.
• Smarter Searching: Refining Search Parameters for Genealogists – Are you still using only the basic search options available on your favorite genealogical research sites? Do you get a lot of less-than-helpful search results? We will explore features and strategies.