Jean: Cari, you know what the first question has to be: Why
“pants”? (Of course, once someone visits your website http://genealogypants.com,
it becomes clear . . . well, sort of.) It certainly is a moniker that catches
the eye. Can you explain a little about how you came up with that business
name?
Cari: I had decided to move from being a high-level hobbyist to
a “professional” and needed to come up with a business name. My husband and I
brainstormed and came up with many ideas that all seemed to fall flat. I wanted
something that would stand out, that would be a little quirky, and didn’t have
some variation of roots, trees, family, or ancestors. We had been in the habit
of calling people either “fancy pants” or “smarty pants” and so during this
brainstorming one of us simply said “genealogy pants” and it just felt right.
It is quirky and a little bit weird, kind of like my sense of humor. And so it
stuck.
Jean: You are a Board-Certified genealogist. This is not an
easy accomplishment and is probably not for everyone. Can you tell our readers
a little about why you decided to take that step and maybe how they might be
able to determine if it is something they would want to pursue?
Cari: Well, I would argue that it isn’t terribly difficult
exactly. It is just a lot of work, a lot of details, and a lot of reading,
understanding, and following directions. I would argue that some people simply
may not have the level of experience needed to pursue it just yet. Some get
bogged down in that and feel like they are never ready. But the truth is, you
just need to jump in.
I decided to pursue certification because I had a mentor
who told me to do it, and more importantly, that I could do it. I had someone
who I admired and respected telling me that it was possible. So, I looked into
what certification entailed and set it as a distant goal. I began by reading
the portfolio requirements and determining where my shortcomings were. Then I
worked at education in those areas. I also determined which projects or case
studies might be the best for the required portfolio pieces. I met a group of
other genealogists interested in becoming Certified in the Denver area (where I
lived at the time) and we formed a support group of sorts. Several of us in
that group sent in our preliminary applications that year. Having a group of
individuals with similar goals was very motivating and helpful in completing
the portfolio. Deciding to become Certified is a personal choice. There are
many reasons for and against. For me, it was a personal decision to honor my
mentor who sent me on that path but passed away before I finished. This was my
personal way to thank her for her guidance and to show her that she wasn’t
wrong about me.
Jean: I see that you have written a number of Legacy
“QuickGuides”® . . . what is a Quick Guide and can you tell us what subjects
you have addressed in these?
Cari: “Quick Guides” by various names have been published by a
variety of companies and are essentially small nuggets of information on a
specialized topic gathered in a short, compact, and easy-to-use format. When they
first came out they were often laminated cards you could purchase at
conferences and institutes. The Legacy QuickGuides are PDF files that you can
download and use from your computer. They are full of helpful links on the
Quick Guide’s topic so all you have to do is click and go to the site right
from the electronic guide. I have enjoyed writing them because as an author
they are pretty straightforward with a narrow enough focus. I love using them
as a researcher because someone has already done a lot of that preliminary
searching for me and now I just have to click.
I have written a few state guides on Arkansas, SouthDakota, Iowa, and Oklahoma, as well as some topic-focused guides on vitalrecords, researching family legends, using obituaries in your research and
establishing genealogical proof.
Jean: I love the title of your blog: Pants Pockets. How
appropriate. I was glancing through some of your subjects and see that you have
a sincere desire to assist others in being successful in their research experiences.
What things to you see people doing WRONG when they first begin to research
their family tree? (and don’t cop out and say “not being prepared” . . . give
us a little more)
Cari: I can really only speak to what I did wrong when I
started and wish someone had helped me out from the beginning. Genealogy often
starts out as an isolated hobby. You work from home at your desk and begin
looking into your family history. For me, I had worked on researching a family
story for about a year before I even knew that genealogical societies even
existed. From there I learned about all of the education opportunities that
were available at national conferences and institutes. (I began in 2000, so
there weren’t very many online opportunities as there are now.)
I wish I had taken better notes from the beginning. I was
a research assistant in college and thought I knew about sources, citations,
research methods, etc. When I look back at some of my old notes, I do not know
where I got some of that information. Or I realize now that it is not good
“quality” information and I needed to go to the original source. (I have
scribbles on pieces of paper and do not know if I found it in a book, from
talking to a relative, etc.) Or I don’t know what the note even means! And I wish
I had organized my notes better. I have a system now, but getting all of the
prior research into that system is kind of a nightmare.
I guess I “wish I knew then what I know now.”
 |
| Cari Taplin. Used with permission. |
Jean: Congratulations on your recent election to the Board
of Directors for APG. When people “campaign” for that position, they usually
present a “platform” or some ideas of what they can and/or would like to offer
the organization. Many of our readers probably didn’t get to read it or have
forgotten what you wrote. Will you share that with us here?
Cari: I did not campaign with a platform in mind. I was simply
asked to run and gave them my bio. Having said that, if I were to have a
platform it might be something having to do with education. And from the APG
angle, it would be to offer and require education for professionals. I strongly
feel that education is the key to higher quality professionalism in our field.
And, I feel education can also foster those professional networks that we all
need when we run our genealogy business. Nearly all of the professional
colleagues I work with I met through educational events.
Jean: Anything else that you would like people to know about
you or your work?
Cari: I feel that it is a “calling” when one decides to become
a genealogist. We have the capability to connect with ancestors on a level that
others cannot. They want their stories to be told and they don’t want to be
forgotten. It is up to those of us who have chosen this vocation to do our best
to complete this task and share it with others.
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