Those of us who love family history research know that this ‘hobby’ of ours not only consumes every waking moment of our lives, but also has a tendency to consume large chunks of our bank accounts as well – between trips to our ancestor’s homelands and that credit card that pays for certificates, wills, books, subscriptions, etc. etc.!
Although I take courses through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/ . I’ve also been investigating free learning opportunities to supplement my UK Genealogy courses, and I thought I’d share a few of my favorites here.
One of my newest favorites is http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/rss/podcasts.xml . There are 89 free podcasts so far on the TNA website and they cover a wide variety of subjects from Merchant Navy Service Records to Criminal Ancestors. When you’ve finished with those, check out their valuable research guides at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp?WT.lp=fh-rg&j=1.
The Board for Certification of Genealogists has a great little section on skill building and also a small “test your skills” section at http://www.bcgcertification.org/skillbuilders/index.html .
Another great online genealogy resource is at : http://www.genealogy.com/university.html
There are many sources for online education and I’ve only scratched the surface here. Don’t forget to also seek out other learning venues such as your local family history society – many of whom offer classes at their meetings and great publications. Check out your local library’s genealogy section and their history section. If they don’t have what your looking for, they might even order it in for you. They may also have online resources you can use. My library card not only gives me access to printed and audio/visual materials, but through my library’s computer I can access Ancestry.com library edition and newspapers such as the Times of London Digital Archives, 1785-1985 and Heritage Quest Online.
Seek out these free opportunities to learn about genealogy. If you can’t fill up your time researching (?) then take an opportunity to learn – a tip or idea you learn today might save you valuable time and money!