~~Speaker: Drew Smith
Sunday, November 13, 2016
 
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday November 13, 2016 for a presentation by Drew Smith on  “Your Ancestor's FAN Club: Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls”.
 Researchers often run into problems when trying to research a particular ancestor through direct means.  In this presentation, attendees will learn which individuals are most closely associated with their ancestors, including friends, neighbors, and relatives outside the immediate family.  Once the associated individuals are identified, attendees will learn which records to find them in, and how to figure out which persons to tackle first. The attendee will also learn how to use the FAN Club technique to distinguish between two different individuals with the same name, or to figure out if two individuals with different names are the same person. The presentation will conclude with some real-life examples of applying the FAN Club technique.
Drew Smith, who is very well known in local and national genealogical circles, is an Assistant Librarian with the USF Tampa Library, and is the 2016 winner of the Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship, presented by the National Genealogical Society. He is past president of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, and has served on the boards of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the Association of Professional Genealogists, and the Florida State Genealogical Society. Drew is the author of the book Social Networking for Genealogists, is the co-author of the book “Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques”, and has written extensively for a number of genealogical print and online magazines. His latest book, “Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher”, has just been released.
 
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay’s library and research resources are available to all meeting attendees and can be loaned out to members.  Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to participate.  Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. The meeting is open to the public and is free of charge.
 
The pre-program social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.  For information about the organization or directions to the meeting, call Bruce Hadburg at 727-796-7981.