Genealogy Interest Group to Convene for Discussion on Utilizing AI in Research
Upcoming Meeting of Windham County Genealogy Interest Group to Explore AI Tools and Historical Newspaper Resources
Brattleboro, Vermont – The Windham County Genealogy Interest Group (WCGIG) will hold its next meeting on Saturday, December 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This hybrid event will take place both in-person at Brooks Memorial Library and virtually via Zoom, accommodating genealogical enthusiasts and researchers regardless of their location. Should inclement weather arise, the meeting will transition exclusively to the Zoom platform.
A central focus of the meeting will be on innovative tools for genealogical research, particularly the use of artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Participants will be introduced to NotebookLM, a sophisticated AI platform designed to streamline genealogy research. This cutting-edge tool facilitates the organization and synthesis of extensive family history data, enabling users to upload diverse documents such as Google Docs, PDFs, transcripts, and historical clippings into a dedicated notebook for specific individuals or family lines.
NotebookLM excels in generating concise summaries from lengthy or intricate documents, including probate records and land deeds. This capability not only saves researchers valuable time but also enhances comprehension by distilling essential facts, themes, and relationships that may not be immediately apparent. Furthermore, users can engage with the AI by asking targeted questions about their sources, with the assistant providing answers based on the uploaded material and meticulously citing the original passages.
Another significant highlight of the meeting will center on Elephind, an invaluable resource for genealogical research. Recently updated to version 2.0 by Veridian, this free newspaper search portal connects users to over 30 million pages of historical newspapers compiled from various educational and cultural institutions. Elephind serves as an index for searching an extensive database of newspaper titles—specifically, it indexes more than 3,400 newspapers across over 50 collections. Notable among these are the New York State Historic Newspaper Collection, which boasts 7 million pages across 616 titles, and the California Digital Newspaper Collection, featuring 4.9 million pages across 66 titles.
The upcoming meeting of the Windham County Genealogy Interest Group presents a unique opportunity for local residents and online attendees to enhance their genealogical endeavors through the integration of advanced AI tools and extensive historical archives. The event is free and welcome to anyone interested in genealogy research.
Interested participants can register online at this link. A Zoom invitation will be disseminated prior to the meeting, while those who wish to attend in person are encouraged to gather at Brooks Memorial Library, located at 224 Main St.
