NARA – Genealogical Institute on Federal Records

Announcing Date Change for Gen-Fed 2024

February 13, 2024

Gen-Fed 2024 Date Change!

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will now be held in-person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.,
from Sunday, August 11th through Saturday, August 17th, 2024.

Sometimes, we just have to roll with the punches. If these new dates allow you to attend now, Gen-Fed is still accepting entries for the registration drawing through February 16th, 2024. One of the benefits of this change is that we can add three more seats. It may not seem like a lot, but with our limited classroom size, we try to accomodate as many as we can. If you have already signed up for the drawing and cannot now attend, send an email to info@gen-fed.org.

To enter your name in the drawing click here after reading the FAQ below: https://airtable.com/app89NTnfxcLGjVIM/shrEBtczX6ITPEa6S

The form closes at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, 16 February 2024. Gen-Fed will send an email to entrants after the form closes on 16 February with the Zoom link for the live drawing on Saturday, 17 February at 1:00 p.m. ET / noon CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT. You do not need to attend to be awarded the registration seat. Please mark “info@gen-fed.org” as a safe contact in your email!

READ THE F.A.Q. FIRST

Q: How will I know if I won a Gen-Fed seat?
A: Winners will be randomly drawn on Saturday, 17 February 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET during a live session, viewable by all, via Zoom (you don’t need to be present to win).

Q: How many seats are available?
A: In 2024 we will be now be drawing 38 seats. This is determined by (a) the number of persons allowed in the space reserved for us at Archives I, plus (b) the number of 2023 scholarship winners or sponsored students who selected Gen-Fed as their institute of choice. Twenty additional names, above and beyond the remaining available seats, will be drawn for waitlist status.

Q: How many times can I enter?
A: Once, please. Duplicates will not be included in the drawing.

Q: When will waitlist entrants be notified that they’re “in?”
A: ASAP, if/when seats become open. No waitlist students will be notified after July 10th. The waitlist students will not be held over for 2025.

Q: When do I pay tuition?
A: Payment ($650) will be due, in full, upon email notification that you’ve won a seat and are officially registered.

Q: What if I’m attending on a scholarship (ex: Lackey, ASG, BCG, other sponsorship, etc.)?
A: No need to fill out the form–your seat has already been reserved.

Q: What about hotel and transportation?
A: Each student is responsible for their own transportation and board. Gen-Fed has contracted with a local hotel for a lower group rate. Go to the Registration FYI page for more.

Q: What else should I know?
A: Students must all agree to abide by the Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct to be allowed to register. Additionally, the National Archives has COVID regulations in place, and the Gen-Fed Institute has also amended it to include their own recommendations. Both must be at least read before a person can be entered into the drawing. Read them here.

Q: Am I ready for Gen-Fed?
A: This is an important question. Gen-Fed is a week of advanced-level courses on federal records in a complex facility. It is best to have at least intermediate to higher-intermediate level skills and education going into this week. Try this self-evaluation test here.

Good luck and we hope to see you in the second week of August!

Rebecca and Mary

Announcing Registration for Gen-Fed 2024

January 1, 2024

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will be held in-person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Sunday, August 4th through Saturday, August 10th, 2024.

Gen-Fed will begin accepting entries for the registration drawing the week of February 10th through February 16th, 2024. More people want to attend Gen-Fed than we can accommodate at NARA. For that reason, we use a random selection process to even the playing field:

1. Fill out the Attendee Seat entry form (remains open for one week).
2. If you win a seat in our random drawing, you’ll be registered.
3. If you are selected, you must be prepared to pay the fee, agree to policies, and attend the week of Gen-Fed.

To enter your name in the drawing click here after reading the FAQ below: https://airtable.com/app89NTnfxcLGjVIM/shrEBtczX6ITPEa6S

- Form opens at 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, 10 February 2024
- Form closes at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, 16 February 2024

Gen-Fed will send an email to entrants after the form closes on 16 February with the Zoom link for the live drawing on Saturday, 17 February at 1:00 p.m. ET / noon CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT. You do not need to attend to be awarded the registration seat.

READ THE F.A.Q. FIRST

Q: How many seats are available?
A: In 2024 we will be drawing 35 seats. This is determined by (a) the number of persons allowed in the space reserved for us at Archives I, plus (b) the number of 2023 scholarship winners or sponsored students selected Gen-Fed as their institute of choice. Twenty additional names, above and beyond the remaining available seats, will be drawn for waitlist status.

Q: How many times can I enter?
A: Once, please. Duplicates will not be included in the drawing.

Q: When will waitlist entrants be notified that they’re “in?”
A: ASAP, if/when seats become open.

Q: When do I pay tuition?
A: Payment ($650) will be due, in full, upon email notification that you’ve won a seat and are officially registered.

Q: What if I’m attending on a scholarship (ex: Lackey, ASG, BCG, other sponsorship, etc.)?
A: No need to fill out the form–your seat has already been reserved.

Good luck and we hope to see you this year!

Rebecca and Mary

Richard S. Lackey Scholarship for 2023

December 20, 2022

2023 Richard S. Lackey Memorial Scholarship Application

Genealogical Institute on Federal Records Alumni Association

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association is sponsoring the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship. The Gen-Fed Alumni Association’s purpose is to promote, conduct, and foster education, research, study, and analysis related to genealogy and to disseminate information and support other similar undertakings.

Richard S. Lackey (1921–1983) of Mississippi was a leader in the drive to improve the professionalization of the genealogical community. In addition to lecturing and teaching, he was an author/compiler of standards for genealogical writing, and of Mississippi source material. His work exemplified the highest standards of competent research and scholarly citation of sources. His books Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records (1980) and Write it Right (1983), co-authored with Donald R. Barnes, promote proper documentation of sources within family histories and genealogical papers. At the time of his death, Richard was President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an experienced researcher active in a paid or volunteer position which directly benefits the genealogical community. This year the scholarship will award $1000, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal costs. Provided the public health situation allows it, the Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide dinner at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, August 11, 2023, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.

Susan Schuler, the 2022 scholarship recipient, says, “Attending Gen-Fed 2022 through the Lackey Scholarship was monumental for my genealogical education. The opportunity to learn from some of the most knowledgeable and generous professionals in genealogy bolstered my own knowledge and confidence. This has allowed me to grow and develop the genealogy program at East Lake Community Library in Palm Harbor, Florida, and in turn has benefited our patrons and their research.”

For more information about the Institute, visit www.gen-fed.org. The application can be downloaded from the Scholarships page. All applications and additional attachments must be submitted in PDF format, combined in one file.

The completed application form and attachments should be emailed to Jonathan Deiss at jdeiss@soldiersource.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2023” in the subject line. The PDF file name should include your last name and first initial, such as “DoeJ Lackey Scholarship 2023 Application.” A complete application must be received by midnight (EST) January 31, 2023. The winner will be notified by 1 March 2023. Other applicants will be notified shortly after that date. The scholarship winner will automatically be accepted for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from August 7-12, 2023.

Good luck!

Gen-Fed Registration 2022: March 12th

March 10, 2022

R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R G E N – F E D V I R T U A L – 2 O 2 2

A drawing for the remaining seats plus 20 waitlist names will be held online live on Saturday, March 12th, at 10 am Pac./11 am Mtn./12 pm Cent./1 pm EDT. We originally planned to host that publicly, but due to privacy concerns, the link will only be shared with those persons who signed up for a chance at registration. Thank you for your understanding.

If you are one of the over 100 requests we received for the remaining seats, please check your emails and your spam folders for the link. Attendance is not required to gain a seat.

A total of 30 seats will be drawn for registration and 20 waitlist names, in case of cancellations. The drawing will be completely randomized, we want to make this as fair as we can.

Good luck!

Rebecca & Cinda

Register Now for Gen-Fed 2022: March 1 to March 7

March 1, 2022

R E G I S T E R N O W F O R G E N – F E D V I R T U A L

Read the following carefully before registering:

Gen-Fed will be held virtually Monday, August 8th through Saturday, August 13th. Classes run everyday 10 am to 6 pm EST, except Saturday which ends at noon.
Registration will stay open until Monday, March 7th at 6 pm Pac./7 pm Mtn./8 pm Cent./9 pm EDT.
The applicants’ names will be put in a drawing throughout that week, therefore the day and time of application will not determine place in line for a seat.
A drawing for the remaining seats (once we know how many of the current students will stay), plus 20 waitlist names will be held online LIVE on Saturday, March 12th, at 10 am Pac./11 am Mtn./12 pm Cent./1 pm EDT. We will post the link for that a few days before here at this website news page.
By registering, you accept the responsibility to pay the institute fee by check or money order of $575.00.
Note: Due to limited seating, it is Gen-Fed policy to not allow persons to re-take Gen-Fed again for 5 years.

Please use the airtable link here to register: https://airtable.com/shrYzeJRCxg5M7Zwn.

For your information (and anticipation!) the classes and events you can expect for the virtual session:*

Pre-Class Videos: History of NARA & Understanding Accessioning; Ordering Records; Using Finding Aids
The National Archives’ Catalog by archivist Claire Kluskens
NARA’s Records—Coast to Coast by archivist Trevor Plante
Q&A with NARA Archivists
NARA Records in Other Online Sources by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
US Immigration & Nationality: Beyond Basics with Marian L. Smith
Blasting Brick Walls with Legislative Records by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Mining Land Entry Records with Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Basic Military Records at NARA by archivist John Deeben
Pension Records at the National Archives by Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Reward for Service: Bounty Land Records by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Introduction to the Records of NARA Fort Worth by archivist Jenny Sweeny
Records of Archives II: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Records by Archives Staff
Records of Archives II: Federal Civilian Agency Records by Archives Staff
Introduction to the Library of Congress for Genealogists by Ahmed Johnson & Staff
Underused Sources at the National Archives by Debra Hoffman, PLCGS
Unique Map Holdings by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Researching Enslaved African Americans in Federal Records by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Introduction to Federal Records Documenting Native Americans by Kenneth W. Heger, PhD
Court Records: Making a Federal Case Out of It by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
BCG Board Certification: Your Questions Answered with LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Busted, Bankrupt, Banged Up: Stories in Federal Court Records by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Introduction to the Daughters of the American Revolution Library by Elizabeth Ernst
…and throughout the week: 1) hands-on practice exercises dealing with many of the records we learn about, 2) each student signs up for a 20-minute personal session with a archival records specialist, 3) one each personal military consultation with specialist Jonathan Webb Deiss, and 4) each student is promised 2 record pulls (within reasonable limits!) once the Archives opens. (*sessions subject to change)

We can’t wait to see you there!

Rebecca & Cinda

Registration for Gen-Fed 2022: March 1 to March 7

February 21, 2022

GEN-FED 2022 WILL BE A VIRTUAL SESSION

As much as we hope that the National Archives may be open in August, we fear it may not be as open as we wish or that it may be forced to close again just as we are ready to start classes. So it is with an abundance of caution (and disappointment) we make the decision to hold Gen-Fed virtually again. Our instructors’ and students’ safety is our primary consideration.

Gen-Fed will still be held Monday, August 8th through Saturday, August 13th.
A registration link will be posted to this website, here at Gen-Fed.org News on Tuesday, March 1st. The link opens that day at 6 am Pac./7 am Mtn./8 am/Cent./9 am EDT and it will stay open until Monday, March 7th at 6 pm Pac./7 pm Mtn./8 pm Cent./9 pm EDT.
The applicants’ names will be put in a drawing throughout that week, therefore the day and time of application will not determine place in line for a seat.
A drawing for the remaining seats (once we know how many of the current students will stay), plus 20 waitlist names will be held online LIVE on Saturday, March 12th, at 10 am Pac./11 am Mtn./12 pm Cent./1 pm EDT. We will post the link for that a few days before here at this website news page.
The price for Gen-Fed will remain the same as it has since 2020: $575.00 for the week.

Our next most important consideration, besides safety, is the quality of instruction. While none of us can really predict what will happen about closings, we can certainly predict the excellence of our instructors’ talents, no matter the situation. As a precursor, here are the classes and events you can expect for the virtual session:*

Pre-Class Videos: History of NARA & Understanding Accessioning; Ordering Records; Using Finding Aids
The National Archives’ Catalog by archivist Claire Kluskens
NARA’s Records—Coast to Coast by archivist Trevor Plante
Q&A with NARA Archivists
NARA Records in Other Online Sources by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
US Immigration & Nationality: Beyond Basics with Marian L. Smith
Blasting Brick Walls with Legislative Records by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Mining Land Entry Records with Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Basic Military Records at NARA by archivist John Deeben
Pension Records at the National Archives by Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Reward for Service: Bounty Land Records by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
Introduction to the Records of NARA Fort Worth by Archives Staff
Records of Archives II: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Records by Archives Staff
Records of Archives II: Federal Civilian Agency Records by Archives Staff
Introduction to the Library of Congress for Genealogists by Ahmed Johnson & Staff
Underused Sources at the National Archives by Debra Hoffman, PLCGS
Unique Map Holdings by Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Researching Enslaved African Americans in Federal Records by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Introduction to Federal Records Documenting Native Americans by Kenneth W. Heger, PhD
Court Records: Making a Federal Case Out of It by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
BCG Board Certification: Your Questions Answered with LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
Busted, Bankrupt, Banged Up: Stories in Federal Court Records by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Introduction to the Daughters of the American Revolution Library by Elizabeth Ernst
…and throughout the week: 1) hands-on practice exercises dealing with many of the records we learn about, 2) each student signs up for a 20-minute personal session with a archival records specialist, 3) one each personal military consultation with specialist Jonathan Webb Deiss, and 4) each student is promised 2 record pulls (within reasonable limits!) once the Archives opens. (*sessions subject to change)

Please stay safe and well everyone. We hope to see you there!

Rebecca & Cinda

Update on Gen-Fed 2022

February 1, 2022

The big question in my emails all month has been “When does registration start for Gen-Fed 2022?”

The answer is: hopefully soon. The wave of different variants of the COVID virus and rates of inoculation have changed the dynamic this year, but it is still too soon to tell if we can have Gen-Fed in person at NARA in Washington D.C., or if we should hold it virtually. So we ask you to wait patiently with us a little more.

Updates to research room policies at NARA are found at https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus. If NARA does take a large group, we still do not know if they will take our full capacity of students (so we do not know how many yet to register if we go in person). If we are there in person, be prepared that the current NARA vaccination status rules state that researchers/students will have to be fully vaccinated and sign an attestation form. Or unvaccinated researchers/students must bring a negative COVID-19 test, see: https://www.archives.gov/research/news/faqs-research-room-reopenings.

We will do our next update and hopefully make a decision by President’s Day, February 21st. As with last year, if Gen-Fed is virtual this year, those who already have a seat will be allowed to defer to another year. Whatever does happen, we have the most amazing staff of instructors and archivists to make your learning a success.

Thank you,

Rebecca & Cinda

Gen-Fed Alumni Announces 2022 Scholarship

December 9, 2021

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association is sponsoring the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship in 2022. The Gen-Fed Alumni Association’s purpose is to promote, conduct, and foster education, research, study, and analysis related to genealogy and to disseminate information and support other similar undertakings.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an experienced researcher active in a paid or volunteer position which directly benefits the genealogical community. This year the scholarship will award $1000, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal costs. Provided the public health situation allows it, the Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide dinner at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, Aug 12, 2022, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.

Nancy Calhoun, our 2017 scholarship recipient says, “Receiving the Lackey Scholarship has not only benefited me but also the genealogy and local history staff at Muskogee Public Library and the patrons we assist. We never know what people are going to request. The training received will assist us in being better equipped to search out that information in the vast collections of National Archives.”

For more information about the Institute, visit www.gen-fed.org. The application can be downloaded from the Scholarships page.

All applications and additional attachments must be submitted in PDF format, combined in one file. The completed application form and attachments should be emailed to Jonathan

Deiss at jdeiss@soldiersource.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2022” in the subject line. The PDF file name should include your last name and first initial, such as “DoeJ Lackey Scholarship 2022 Application.”

A complete application must be received by midnight, (EST) 31 December 2021. The winner will be notified by 15 February 2022. Other applicants will be notified shortly after that date. The scholarship winner will automatically be accepted for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Aug 8–13, 2022.

Follow-up on Virtual Gen-Fed 2021 & Announcement for 2022

October 13, 2021

Hello! Thank you all for your patience in this year of change and innovation for Gen-Fed. We’d like to share some highlights from our first virtual Gen-Fed. There have been many questions asked of us, some we could not answer right away but we would like to now.

This year we focused on offering as much education as possible to prepare students for future visits to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Speakers included archivists Trevor Plante and Claire Kluskens, and genealogists including Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA, Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA, Pamela Sayre, CG, FUGA, LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, [now FASG!], Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL, Timothy Pinnick, Jonathan Deiss, Marian L. Smith, Debra Hoffman, Kenneth W. Heger, Ph.D, and myself. Ahmed Johnson joined us to discuss the Library of Congress and Elizabeth Ernst gave us a virtual tour of the Daughters of the American Revolution Library.

Classes started before the week of Gen-Fed with pre-recorded lectures on a history of the Archives and how to navigate NARA and request records. Gen-Fed’s official week covered federal military records, federal land records, congressional records, African Americans and Native Americans in federal records, immigration, using the NARA catalog online, and more. To broaden the experience, archivists & subject matter experts from Archives II (College Park, MD), NARA Kansas City, and NARA St. Louis gave presentations on their repository holdings as well. Trevor Plante also made special arrangements for each student to have a one-on-one chat with a NARA subject matter expert during the week at our Learning Lunches breaks. Additionally, students were offered three hands-on practical exercises to help familiarize them with the records they had just learned about.

We are happy to announce that if the National Archives is open for in-person research, we will hold Gen-Fed in Washington, D.C., the week of August 8–13, 2022. If the National Archives is not open or not fully open for a conference-level event, we will repeat the virtual schedule in 2022.

Here are some FAQs to answer questions we have received:

Q: When will NARA open?
- A: I wish we knew! They are doing the best they can under the circumstances. The last official word was at this page https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2021/nr21-50, however the public is not currently able to make appointments.
Q: When will registration happen and how will it take place?
- Registration will be in February and the specific date will be announced mid-January. Registration will be a lottery-based system; prospective students will submit applications over a one-week period. Those names will be put into a random drawing and chosen by an automated system.
Q: How many students may attend Gen-Fed each year?
- Due to the size of the room at the National Archives, we are limited to taking 50 students (including seats set aside for sponsored scholarship students). If the program is virtual, we may consider adding more seats.
Q: Is there a waiting list? Can I be on it for next year?
- We will choose a number of people from the 2022 registration and notify them that they are on the waiting list, should any of the students need to cancel their registration. We do not hold any waiting lists over until the next year (the only exception was when the 2020 program was unexpectedly cancelled). People who held over their 2020 registration will be already registered, if they can attend. They will be contacted before the 2022 registration begins.
Q: What are the costs and related fees for the program?
- The program cost for Gen-Fed is currently $575. There are no additional fees for a printed and digital syllabus, those are included. Attendees pay their own travel and accommodations. Gen-Fed does make arrangements with a nearby hotel for a block of rooms for students at a reduced rate.
Q: Do I get a certificate for being at Gen-Fed?
- Yes, each student receives a certificate of participation. This is not the same as a certificate of merit from a program that tested skills, and not the same as being “certified” in genealogical research.
Q: How about holding an in-person Gen-Fed and a Zoom Gen-Fed every year!?!
- Well…. as the new director who hasn’t had an in-person event yet, let’s hold off on that decision just yet.

Thank you and we hope to see you join us in August!

Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Director, Genealogical Institute on Federal Records

info@gen-fed.org

Limited Seats Open for Virtual Gen-Fed 2021

March 15, 2021

Gen-Fed is going to be virtual in 2021! Although we will miss the in-person experience of researching at NARA, the virtual schedule may interest you. Typical years at Gen-Fed include about 18 lectures, plus tours to the Library of Congress and Archives II, plus research time at the repository. There will also be cameos from satellite NARA archives! Archivists will be available to talk to students at lunchtimes during the week, and some instructors will be introducing hands-on exercises to give students a feel for working in the records. Topics will range from military records, immigration records, federal land records, to African American records – all available at the National Archives.

Gen-Fed 2021 will take place from 19-24 July and the cost of the virtual institute is $575, the same as the in-person program in 2020.

With such wide-ranging content, Gen-Fed is going to open 8 additional seats.

Registrants for those 8 seats will be chosen through a randomly drawn lottery.

Enter your name for a chance at registration on or before Monday, March 22nd by midnight, Eastern Standard Time.

Email to info@gen-fed.org
Include in the subject: Gen-Fed 2021 Registration Lottery
In the email include your name, address, email address and phone number. Indicate that by entering the lottery you are willing to pay the institute registration fee of $575 and will be available from 19-24 July for the program.
All entrants will be notified on March 23rd. If chosen, payment will be expected within 30 business days.

Thank you and we hope to see you join us in July!

Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL
Director, Genealogical Institute on Federal Records

Gen-Fed 2024 Date Change!

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will now be held in-person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Sunday, August 11th through Saturday, August 17th, 2024.

READ THE F.A.Q. FIRST

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will be held in-person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Sunday, August 4th through Saturday, August 10th, 2024.

READ THE F.A.Q. FIRST

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will now be held in-person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.,
from Sunday, August 11th through Saturday, August 17th, 2024.