Your Crossroads, Your Decision, Welcome

When you step off the plane or out of your car into Salt Lake City this October, take a deep breath and drink in the crisp air and majestic mountain vistas. With a passion like yours, you will feel right at home here. Ancient peoples left their stories buried in the Utah cliffs and etched in petroglyphs on the walls of caves. The human longing to be acknowledged and remembered is universal, and the work of preserving one’s personal history is indeed as old as mankind. Today, these mountains are home to billions of individual records. The methods of preservation range from microfilm stored in the granite vault in Little Cottonwood Canyon to the books at the Family History Library and scanned images published by thousands of web servers on FamilySearch.org. Each record leaves traces of the decisions that make up a person's existence on this earth.

Paulette Stevens Conference Program Chair

Today, as life moves so quickly, there is much to gain from a patient look at where we have been, the heritage we build upon, and what choices we've made through our lives. Attending the 2008 APH Conference at the “Crossroads of the West” will be one of your best professional decisions as a personal historian. As pioneers in this new industry, we all need a few new tools to succeed.

You will learn firsthand how to strengthen your clients' personal histories with the added dimension of family history documentation. You'll spend a fun afternoon at the famous Family History Library while being tutored by dozens of staff members and twelve special mentors we have handpicked to guide you on your way. These skills will give you the tools to connect all over the earth with people who study these records and learn about their families.

According to recent studies by Pew Research and The Generations Network, interest in family history in America grew from 45 to 73 percent in just ten years. You will seriously increase your market by growing your professional knowledge.

The conference theme, Crossroads in Personal History, explores concerns faced by each of us, professionally and personally. Our topics are designed to positively impact the direction of your life. As you'll read in this advance program, the conference format is ambitious and new. The speakers are dynamic and varied, and we have an outstanding lineup of workshops and activities to improve the quality of our products and services.

We enthusiastically invite you to join this company of personal history pioneers, friends, and mentors at the 2008 APH Conference in Salt Lake City and contribute to its success. The decision we make to move forward together might make "all the difference."

Sincerely,
Paulette Stevens, APH Conference Program Chair
Email: conferenceprogram@personalhistorians.org

A few tips…

Opt to come a day early to attend one of two in-depth, pre-conference seminars (one for video biographers and one for life writers) being offered for the first time.

Take voracious notes and ask questions of a panel of personal historians who make their living in this business.

Enjoy two outstanding keynote speakers: Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and Terry Warner.

Choose from thirty excellent workshops and panel discussions.

Start networking earlier this year as members display their products at Thursday’s Regional Tables event and share your work during Print Show & Tell, MediaShare, and informal salon sessions.

Rest easy as skilled mentors will assist you in accessing the resources of the Family History Library.

Interact with select vendors at Town Square and receive bursts of insight through Speed Coaching sessions, back by popular demand.

Join friends for an old-fashioned community hoedown dance is in the works.

Bring your handkerchief on Sunday for a special Tales from the Heart.