[Genealogy] Brick Walls, Notebook Class Openings

Sat Sep 5 04:55:37 CDT 2026

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Genealogy Update 5 September 2026

** Brick Walls
** Notebook Class Openings

*-----------*

*Brick Walls*

*-----------*

Do genealogy “brick walls” actually exist?

Some say they do and others say they don’t. I say the debate is moot. What
people usually mean by “brick wall” is a point at which they are stuck. And
almost all of us get to a point where we are stuck. Sometimes these points
of being stuck are places where records simply do not exist to take us
further back.

And sometimes those stuck points result from one or more of the following
factors:

   - our inability to access all extant records (which may not be our
   fault);
   - our ignorance of certain terminology, laws, social customs, historical
   context, etc.;
   - our unwillingness to let go of certain family traditions, hastily
   drawn conclusions, or assumptions;
   - our inability to locate certain records because there are things about
   the person we don’t know (but which we need to know to locate the record);
   - our failure to adequately analyze information already located;
   - our confusion because what has been located *is* confusing;
   - our unwillingness to learn about all available records;
   - our personal misfortune to descend from people who left few records,
   lived life outside social norms, or were simply a few bricks shy of a load.

A true brick wall, in my opinion, is when we’ve exhausted all available
materials and have extended the ancestry to the earliest available records.
Other times we are probably at a stuck point.

And depending on the situation, it can be difficult to get beyond that
stuck point.

*Due to a schedule change, we have a few spaces open in our "Notebook for
Genealogy-Four Week Course"--don't miss it!*

Notebook for Genealogy–A Four Session Pick Your Own Problem Course

With Michael John Neill

Our focus is on being practical, exhibiting sound genealogy methodology,
and demonstrating responsible use of Notebook (Google’s suite of AI tools)
in genealogy research. This course is for those who would like guidance and
suggestions in how to use Notebook and have a place to get feedback and
additional direction.

*What is Notebook?*

NotebookLM (often simply Notebook) is Google’s suite of AI-driven tools to
analyze data from files and information you provide it. .

Notebook uses sources of your choosing, not what it found online. You
upload your own materials—including PDF files, text files, Google Docs,
slides, or web links—and the AI creates a private workspace built
exclusively around that data. You can upload any genealogy information to
it tht you wish , but it is recommended that only deceased people be
included and that you not upload DNA information on living people.

Capabilities

   -

   Answers with Citations: When you ask questions or search your uploaded
   files, every response includes citations to your uploaded documents,
   allowing you to double-check sources.
   -

   Synthesis & Content Creation: Notebook automatically generates concise
   summaries, outlines main themes, and identifies connections or conflicts
   across dozens of sources at once. You do need to validate its summaries and
   conclusions.
   -

   Audio-visual Outputs: Beyond text answers, Notebook can create study
   guides, briefing documents, timeline charts, slide decks, podcast
   interviews, and videos based on your content. Even if you never share the
   created materials, just viewing them and interacting with them may give you
   some insight into your genealogical problem.

Course Prerequisites & Required Materials You should have digital records
for one ancestor or a father-mother-children family, including every extant
record available.

   -

   Format: PDF or JPG for images; PDF, Word, or raw text for transcriptions.
   -

   Preparation: Be familiar with the specific ancestral research problem
   you plan to work on to get the most from Notebook LM and AI concepts.
   Gather all materials between registration and the start of class.

Course Format & Zoom Sessions

   -

   Pre-Recorded Lectures: Students will view two hours of presentations
   before group sessions begin.
   -

   Live Zoom Sessions: Held on Sunday nights (and recorded for later
   viewing). Sessions combine live demonstrations by Michael working through a
   set of family records alongside group discussions where students share
   prompts, results, challenges, and questions.

Class Focus & Weekly Assignments

   -

   Weekly Assignments: One assignment per week focused on Notebook's media
   outputs using your own research problem.
   -

   Scope: The course focuses on mastering the tools and capabilities of
   Notebook rather than providing individual research advice, making it
   accessible to participants working on problems from any region.

Community Discussion & Communication

   -

   Private Google Group: Used for asynchronous discussion, peer
   interaction, Q&A, and prompt sharing outside of live sessions.
   -

   Email Requirement: A Gmail account is strongly recommended. Accounts
   with AOL, Yahoo, or Hotmail frequently experience delivery issues with
   group emails.

Take the class live on Sunday Night or Tuesday Mornings!
*Sunday sessions--7 PM Central Time--*

*Important Dates*

   - *1 September:* Pre-recorded lectures become available for download,
   and the private Google Group opens.
   - *Live Zoom Discussions (Sunday Nights):* 13 September, 20 September,
   27 September, and 11 October. Time: 7 pm US Central Daylight Time.

*Registration & Tuition*-

   - *Fee:* $70–register now to save your spot
   <https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S>
in
   the Sunday night sessions--five spaces left.
   - *Availability:* Registration is limited.
   - Register for Sunday night sessions.
   <https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S>

Upcoming Trips:

   -

   Midwest Genealogy Center–Independence, Missouri
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/mid-continent-genealogy-library-october-2025-research-trip/>--October
   2026
   -

   Library of Virginia
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025-library-of-virginia-research-trip-richmond-virginia/>--March
   2027--make deposit and pay balance later
   -

   Allen County Public Library–June 2027
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/allen-county-library-2027-research-trip/>

Ready-to-Go Webinars–download immediate:

   -

   Creating Children’s Stories from Genealogy Events
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/>
   -

   Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/>
   -

   DeedMapper webinars
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/>
   -

   Farming Ancestor webinars–landowner and non-landowner versions
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/>

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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17
Henderson, IL 61439
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