Click below to access the recordings and handouts from our recent online meetings. The most recent video is at the top of the list. Presentation videos are also on the Members Only pages indefinitely. Handouts for repeating classes are also available in the Members Only pages of this website. [Please be respectful of the copyrighted materials and do not download or share the videos.]
14 Apr 2026 Class Video – Cool Tools in AncestryDNA Did you know that once you test in Ancestry, you have nearly 50,000 AncestryDNA matches!? So how can you organize them to find or verify ancestors? AncestryDNA tools – many new – can help sort and find useful matches. Confidently using the tools allows you to answer questions you have about your family ethnicity and to organize those matches into groups to help locate cousins and ancestors. Whether you are trying to break down a brick wall or verify a lineage, using these cool tools in your AncestryDNA matches offers a gold mine of family tree information. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
9 Apr 2026 Class Video – Lineage Society Hows and Whys Learn tips for documenting your early arrival ancestors for lineage society use. We will discuss what is a hereditary or lineage society, why you might want to join, and how to find the right ones for you. Then we explain the paper trail requirements and what documentation you need to verify your tree is ready for submission. Even if you’re not interested in joining a group, you will learn useful tips to organize your data. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
21 Mar 2026 Program Video – Meaningful Stories Turning your genealogy research discoveries into meaningful stories can be challenging. Follow the re-creation of one family’s story using hands-on, step-by-step, try-this-now story-building strategies. Turn a single record discovery into a simple paragraph, then a paragraph into a story by looking for the “plot” and other interesting elements that make up the most interesting stories. Presented by Sunny Jane Morton. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website for 90 days.
21 Mar 2026 Program Video – Meet PERSI You may be missing out on 30% of genealogy discoveries if you’re not digging into history and genealogy newsletters, journals and magazines. Biographical profiles, stories about ancestral churches or schools, how-to tips for researching a locale, indexes and transcripts of local records are all among those treasures found in PERSI, the Periodical Source Index. Presented by Sunny Jane Morton. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website for 90 days.
12 Mar 2026 Class Video – Welsh Records The National Library of Wales contain Welsh family history. Discover of library and resources to expand your research. Wales has lesser-known archives, many of which we also explore online. Open doors to help track down your elusive Welsh ancestors. Demonstrated by Liz Pearson. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
12 Mar 2026 Class Video – The National Archives The British National Archives contain English Family History. Discover of archives and resources to expand your research (1639-1974). England has a multitude of lesser-known archives, many of which we also explore online. Open doors to help track down your elusive English ancestors. Demonstrated by Liz Pearson. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
18 Mar 2026 Class Video – Research Trip Planning Turn your genealogy research trip into a productive and rewarding experience! This session covers smart planning strategies—from setting goals and building a detailed plan —who, what, where, when—helping to pave the way when you arrive, gathering records on site, and organizing your findings. You’ll leave with a roadmap to make every research trip count. (Not for planning a visit to the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City.) Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer Sue Styx. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
14 Mar 2026 Class Video – AI and My Heritage MyHeritage has been leveraging AI to bring the past to life since long before DALL-E and ChatGPT. Learn how MyHeritage’s revolutionary features transform historical newspapers into a searchable archive, allowing you to experience your family history in a whole new way and giving you a peek into the future of AI-assisted genealogy. Presented by Daniel Horowitz, MyHeritage genealogy expert. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
11 Mar 2026 Class Video – Census Timelines This class focuses on analyzing groups of similar questions asked in different census years, thus creating a timeline of your ancestors’ responses. It also looks at the instructions given to census takers–if you understand the questions, you can better understand the answers. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer Jean Roberson. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
12 Feb 2026 Class Video – Excel for Genealogy You may know and use Excel to crunch your budget numbers, but have you thought about using it specifically for genealogy? Even if you’re new to Excel, we will teach you the basics of building a database right, then we’ll cover how to think through your options to make the exact database that meets your specific needs. Then, as we show you ways to use Excel in genealogy, we’ll add tips to take your skills to the next level whether you’re using your own computer or the library’s. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
10 Feb 2026 Class Video – Harnessing the Internet for Genealogy With seemingly endless websites on the internet, we introduce trusted sites that can help you. Review the fundamentals of research and see essential online resources and databases. Then, we delve into effective search strategies plus collaborating with the genealogy community. Plus, see lots of tips to help you along the way! Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey.
VIDEOS FOR NEW GENEALOGISTS
16 Jul 2023: Getting Started on Your Family Tree. This video leads you through a hands-on tutorial on getting started on your family tree. When you follow the link to the video, you will be offered additional links to handouts which you can download for a more beneficial experience.
VIDEOS FOR NEW GENEALOGISTS. The following videos are listed in order of complexity. As you become familiar with various genealogy research skills, choose from the listed topics to tailor your skills development.
A consolidated handout is available by clicking here: CONSOLIDATED HANDOUT.
The following three presentations are from the “Essentials Collection”. They cover topics aimed at researchers new to the study of their family’s genealogy and history:
Video 1: Getting Started in Genealogy
Video 2: Key Records in Genealogy
Video 3: Internet Genealogy
The following four presentations are from the “Skill Builder Collection.” They delve more deeply into some of the research topics introduced in the Essentials Track:
Video 1: Newspapers in Genealogy Research
Video 2: Military Records in Genealogy
Video 3: Evaluating Genealogical Evidence
Video 4: Documenting Your Sources
The following two presentations are from the “DNA in Genealogy Research Collection”:
Video 1: FUNdamentals of DNA
Video 2: The Whys of Y-DNA
5 Mar 2026 DNA Basics: The following videos are aimed at introducing the essential concepts of DNA in genealogy research. There is a consolidated handout for the videos in the member pages of the website.
VIDEO: DNA Basic Series Overview
VIDEO: DNA Basics I – Types of Tests and Ethnicity
VIDEO: DNA Basics II – Centimorgans and Shared Matches
VIDEO: DNA Basics III – Ancestry DNA
VIDEO: DNA Basics IV – X, Y, MtDNA
21 Sep 2024 Monthly Program: Unique Challenges of African American Genealogy. Genealogy is the same the world around, yet there are some unique challenges when researching African American family history. For example, specific strategies are required to identify and work with records before 1860 and locating identifiable names among government records can raise the difficulty level. Even though it can be challenging, it can also be rewarding. Especially if you plan to volunteer for community projects like our Clearwater Colored Cemeteries program. We’ll provide research strategies to take you around the obstacles to help you find the records you seek. Presented by Taneya Y. Koonce. There is no handout for this presentation.
PGS HISTORY VIDEOS:
Five program meetings during 2022 were dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of PGS. The videos collected here are recordings of each of those five meetings They will be available on the public as well as member pages of our website for the foreseeable future. Use these videos to gain an appreciation of the breadth and depth of the Society’s activities over the past fifty years. (You can purchase a 50th Year Commemoration book by clicking on the “Publications Tab” at the top of the website homepage.)
There are no handouts associated with these videos.
15 January 2022 – VIDEO – FIRST DECADE: Debbie Schuler, PGS President shares the history of the start of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary First Decade Event. This is also the first PGS hybrid meeting held both in-person in the Largo Library and online via Zoom.
19 March 2022 – VIDEO – SECOND DECADE: Maridell Hahn, PGS Seminar Director shares the history of the second decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Second Decade Event. This is also the first PGS hybrid meeting with both in-person and virtual speakers.
18 Jun 2022 – VIDEO – THIRD DECADE: Damon Hostetler, PGS Anniversary Committee member shares the history of the third decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Third Decade Event.
2 Dec 2022 – VIDEO – FOURTH DECADE: Damon Hostetler, PGS Anniversary Committee member shares the history of the fourth decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Fourth Decade Event.
17 Dec 2022 – VIDEO – FIFTH DECADE: Karen Fortin, PGS Anniversary Committee member shares the history of the fifth decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Fifth Decade Event.
Follow this link to join the Society: JOIN HERE