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Online registration is now open for the National Genealogical Society 2022 conference, held May 24-28 in Sacramento. Options for either remote or in-person attendance are detailed here.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Our American Mosaic,” with an emphasis on researching the diverse cultures that have made California and the West thrive. The California Genealogical Society is proud to be the local host for this conference.

The conference will offer more than 165 in-person lectures and another fourteen lectures online. Related events include a family history Expo Hall; Focus on Societies; and the SLAM! Showcase of societies, libraries, archives, and museums. There are also sponsored luncheons and the NGS Banquet on Friday evening. CGS has planned many tours, research opportunities, and social events in the Sacramento area (limited spots available–we encourage early registration for these special events).

Visit the NGS Conference Website for more details. To learn more about CGS involvement, contact the local host committee at [email protected]. See you in Sacramento!

Many of our holdings are available to browse online, like the 1916-1917 Colored Directory of Northern California

Due to the current surge in cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, we have closed the CGS Library temporarily as of January 12. All other activities, online meetings and classes, continue as scheduled! Please take advantage of our online presentations and resources. See our Events page for up-to-date listings of online activities. Remember to check out our many Online Resources and searchable finding aids, including the CGS Manuscript Collection Index, vertical files, pedigree charts, Alameda County obituaries, San Francisco cemetery and probate records, and much more. Members have access to a wide range of extra publications, including books, church records, and of course The California Nugget.

We’re all in this together. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

The National Genealogical Society has announced that the program for the NGS 2022 Family History Conference is now available as a downloadable brochure. Mail-in registration is now open. Online registration is expected to open January 18. Early-bird registration closes March 18, and general registration closes April 18.

The conference this year is held in Sacramento, May 24-28, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. California Genealogical Society is the host society.  Registrants can choose to participate in one of three ways:

• In person in Sacramento, California;
• Online at Home; and
• On Demand.

The program, “Our American Mosaic,” focuses on and celebrates America’s diverse heritage. It  will feature lecture tracks on African American, Asian and Pacific, Chinese American, European, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Latin American, Jewish, and Native American genealogy. Stanford University history professor Gordon H. Chang will open the conference with a talk entitled, “The Chinese Who Built America’s Transcontinental Railroad.” Friday afternoon will feature a showing of the award-winning documentary Far East Deep South.

Lecture tracks will also cover thirty lectures on methodology, including Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) skill building presentations. Other tracks focus on DNA; eastern and western U.S. states; families, including LGBTQIA+; immigration and migration; maps and records including the 1950s census; and technology and writing. To make selection easier, lectures are tagged for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced scholars.

In all, the conference will offer family historians and genealogists more than 165 in-person lectures and another fourteen lectures online; a family history Expo Hall; Focus on Societies; and the SLAM! Showcase of societies, libraries, archives, and museums. The week will also include sponsored luncheons and the NGS Banquet on Friday evening. Online at Home participants will also be able to visit our virtual Expo Hall and connect with each other during breakout sessions on the WHOVA platform.

As host, CGS has planned many tours, research opportunities, and social events in the Sacramento area. Number of participants is limited, and we recommend attendees register by 12 January 2022, or as soon as possible thereafter, if they plan to attend any of these events. Proof of vaccination and a booster (if applicable following CDC guidelines) is required to attend in-person.

For up-to-date information about the availability, amenities, and rates for conference hotels, visit the conference website.  Be sure to sign up for the NGS conference blog to receive conference news and announcements. You can also find information on the CGS website and on this blog.

For registration assistance, contact [email protected]. To learn more about how you can be involved, contact the local host committee at [email protected].

COVID-19 Safety Policy & Regulations are detailed in the conference brochure.

We hope to see you in Sacramento!