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Judy G. Russell, "The Legal Genealogist," will present four lectures during this all-day program on ethical and legal issues in genealogy.
9:30-9:45 am: Welcome and Introductions
9:45-10:45 am: The Ethical Genealogist
Genealogists deal with sensitive issues all the time: how to handle family secrets, what to say about living people, crediting the work of others. Learn more about the ethical challenges of trying to solve family history mysteries in the 21st century.
10:45-11:15 am: Break
11:15 am-12:15 pm: Facts, Photos, and Fair Use: Copyright Law for Genealogists
Understanding what is and isn't copyrighted and what genealogists can and can't use is the key to staying out of trouble and to protecting our own work. Learn about what copyright is, and what it isn’t.
12:15-1:30 pm: Lunch on your own
1:30-2:30 pm: DNA and the Golden Rule: The Law and Ethics of Genetic Genealogy
Whose permission is needed to test a child or an adult unable to consent? Who owns our DNA? What can we disclose about a cousin who has tested? The rules of the road for the ethical challenges facing genealogists interested in using DNA evidence as part of their family history research. Learn how applying the Golden Rule can guide us through many if not most of the situations in which we as genetic genealogists find ourselves.
2:30-3:00 pm Break
3:00-4:00 pm Roadblocks, Red Lights and Detours: Records Access for Genealogists
This was supposed to be the Age of the Information Superhighway. Instead, even as so many records are coming online, doors are being slammed shut on so many more – often records that aren't and won't be online, now and perhaps ever. As a community and as individuals, learn what we can do to protect records access.
Judy G. Russell is a genealogist with a law degree who writes and lectures on topics ranging from using court records in family history to understanding DNA testing. On the faculty of numerous genealogy institutes, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, from which she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer℠. Her award-winning blog is at http://www.legalgenealogist.com.
This event is sponsored by the Special Collections Division and the Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.
Main Library, located in the heart of downtown Akron, combines compelling public space with meaningful and relevant public library services for all members of our community. Since opening in 2004, the downtown library welcomes more than one million visitors each year.
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