Jan Meisels Allen is the President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County (JGSCV). She also serves on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles (JGSLA) Board of Directors. Jan is the chairperson of the IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee (PRAMC) since 2003. She served on the IAJGS Board of Directors from 2004-2013, and since 2004 represents IAJGS on the Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC). In 2015 she was awarded the IAJGS Volunteer of the Year award. In 2013, the National Genealogical Society (NGS) awarded Jan the President’s Citation. She speaks on records access at national genealogical conferences.

“Privacy and Genealogy: What Are The Rules?” (Thurs-130), 9:00-10:15 A.M.

Privacy remains a huge issue for many genealogists and their family members, and the legal landscape concerning records access is constantly changing. Personal genealogy websites, as well as online collaborative trees offer different levels of privacy protections.

The panelists will discuss the varied approaches to the question of privacy, focusing especially on ethical considerations. For example, how should a genealogist respond if someone says she does not want to be on your online tree? Should minors be allowed to use online genealogy platforms? Can the right to privacy ever be reconciled with online collaborative genealogy?

As genealogists increasingly utilize public, or semi-public online collaborative genealogy platforms, these questions are becoming more common.

[with E. Randol Schoenberg]

Topics: Ethical considerations in genealogy, Repositories, Technology in support of genealogical research

“Will You Be Able to Get Records In The Future?” (Thurs-146), 4:30 – 5:45 P.M.

Globally, access to public records is becoming increasingly difficult. Whether it be due to the expansion of the “right to be forgotten/erased” which will prevent genealogists from searching their ancestry by names, places or events; or by governmental legislation and regulations that impinge on our access to vital records, our access to genealogically relevant records is being challenged.

Learn what is happening worldwide as well as in the United States. You need to become engaged in your state/country to help retain access to these records that are so important to genealogical and historical research.

[presented with Teven Laxer]

Topics: Ethical considerations in genealogy, Organization and preservation