2020 was certainly a different year than usual for many reasons. As genealogists and a society, we had many changes to our norm. For example:
- Virtual Programs: So many different societies, ours included, switched from having in-person meetings to virtual ones. The platform we used was Zoom and many of our out-of-town members very much enjoyed the opportunity to meet live with us for programs and Special Interest Groups (SIGs). We were happy to be able to continue to provide content to our members during the shut down.
- Repositories closed to the public: Our NCGS library, along with many others, closed to visitors. It is very important to us that everyone remains safe and healthy. If you need a look-up from our library holdings, please reach out and contact us.
In an effort to try to come up with covid-safe activities, during Memorial Weekend we requested and received pictures of people visiting their veteran ancestors and family members.
We hope that 2020 provided you with opportunities that you might not have normally had, such as more time to scan photos and read a few of those genealogy books that you’ve bought and never sat down to read. We can’t wait for the time when we can be back together in-person again. Until then, we will continue to provide online programs and wish all of you the happiest of holidays and best wishes for the new year.
Jeanette Sheliga is the Niagara County (NY) Genealogical Society’s (NCGS) Chairman of the Board, Vice President, and Program Chairperson. She is a member of many local and national organizations and holds leadership positions with the Niagara Falls Chapter of the DAR as the Chapter Registrar, the Western New York Genealogical Society (WNYGS) as a member of the Board of Directors (starting in 2021), and the Virtual Genealogical Association (VGA) as the Corresponding Secretary. You can learn more about Jeanette on her website and her profile page for the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).
