For those of you who will miss out on going to the Afro American Genealogy and Historical Society conference in Salt Lake City Utah in October, there is another alternative. Although this group will not have the interesting speakers, workshops and vendors I can recommend traveling with them because I have done so. The St Louis Genealogy Society takes a group every year in November- around the 1st week, for 7 days for researchers only. No workshops. Go to their site for info. www.stlgs.org They will help you in any way they can to get prepepared. Instead of ordering all of those FHL boxes of microfilm, you can go to the Family search site, request the the film be on hand when you get there, to cut down on research time. You will also need these microfilm numbers when you get to the FHL library, none of them have names on them. There are computers that are internet connected as well as different floors with books for areas of your research. I will always recommend attending a AAHGS-Afro American Genealogy and Historical Society conference because I have learned so much there networking, and meet some fantastic well known speakers from all over. By the way I have been informed throught the newsletter AAHGS, that they are considering going to different states for their conference's in the future. That will be a plus. The actual AAHGS conference's last 3 full days, but you can usually get the hotel rooms at the conference rate the same week before the conference starts.
The hotel the St Louis Society use is right behind the FHL library. For the St Louis Society members, you get a discount for rooms, you book your own air fare. So consider joining. You need not live in St Louis, Mo. to be able to take advantage of the trip.