Special Interest Groups (SIG)

Modern Genealogy SIG

"Modern Genealogy", with an emphasis on innovation and modern approaches to family history research. The group's focus would be on integrating traditional genealogy with cutting-edge technology, including Artificial Intelligence and any future advancements in the field. It would include using the new AI features that are becoming a part of Ancestry, FamilySearch and other genealogy-related websites. This would allow us to explore how these tools can enhance our research and help us make new discoveries, including organizing our family history.

The meeting will take place via Zoom on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) from 1 PM to 3 PM ET. If you're an MVGS member and would like join the "Modern Genealogy SIG" or have any questions, please email moderngenealogysig@gmail.com.

UPCOMING MODERN GENEALOGY TOPICS

THE AI SIG IS BACK ON ZOOM. Be ready to explore how AI continues to change the way we do genealogy.

Virginia SIG

The purpose of the Virginia SIG is to bring together folks interested in Virginia, to learn about her genealogy related topics and resources; to share knowledge with each other; to help each other with brick walls, technology challenges; and whatever else folks want to address/do.

Meetings are planned for the 4th Mondays of each month, from 1-2pm in the Research Library, room 214 at HHSC. However, we'll have the room until about 3:30 if we decide we need more time.

Meetings will likely be in-person or on zoom, depending on what works best at the time. There will be informal presentations and discussions to help us learn about a topic or repository; folks sharing our successes and problems; computer time when needed; and anything else that helps us with our research in Virginia.

A few of the potential topics that have been mentioned so far are:

Background on the history of Virginia, county formation, settlement patterns, etc. What brought folks to Virginia in early 1900’s? What roads were there in 1910?
What areas of West Virginia and Kentucky may still have records here in Virginia? Is there somewhere to find info on who moved away, and when, and with whom?
All about the repositories in Virginia, their resources, availability, etc.
Maybe do by geographic areas, e.g., Fredericksburg/Central Virginia; Northern Neck; Middle Peninsula, e.g., Gloucester, Williamsburg, Jamestown; Southeast Virginia; Southwest Virginia, etc.
What kinds of valuable info do folks find in various types of records/repositories?
Learn about using Virginia church records, road orders, land records, chancery records, David Rumsey maps, and more.
Look at different groups of folks in Virginia , e.g, Native Americans, Huguenots, African Americans, Germans, Scots-Irish; early Quakers, etc.
Get help on navigating the Library of Virginia website.
Genealogy resources available on social media,

Field Trip/Road Trip SIG

There are no MVGS field trips currently scheduled for the rest of 2026. If there is a place of interest that you think members would like to visit, please contact any member of the Board and they will work to make it happen.

African American Special Interest Group (AA-SIG)

The African-American SIG was formed to explore the rich history of our ancestors and their experiences. A combination of learning tools (group discussions, computer searches, lectures, presentations, case studies, site visits, etc.) will assist the genealogist in uncovering clues that help tell and document their stories. Generations to come will appreciate and enjoy the care that went into preserving this bit of history.

The African American Special Interest (AA SIG) Group continues to do in-depth research on several families from the United states and abroad.

We'd love to hear your experience with Roots Magic 11 software. There are several members that have begun using this software. The group's experience ranges from beginner to intermediate. Don't hesitate to share any tips, tricks or discoveries you find during your research.

On-site AA SIG meetings are normally scheduled on the second Tuesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 pm in the MVGS Research Library, Hollin Hall Senior Center. If you’d like more information or have a question you’d like help researching, send an email to MVGSaaSIG@gmail.com.

You are welcome to come to the RL and work independently on your genealogy research Tue - Thu 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The next group AA SIG on-site meeting will be September 8, 2026.