A Week of Storms and Achievements

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

I've been inspired by my good friend David to add a weekly blog to my website, which will come out on Wednesdays. Posts will include updates on my genealogical projects, fulfilling orders, updates on waitlists, and anything relating to my work.

The Storm at the Library

On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, we had an absolutely wild storm. It started off as just a little bit of wind and some sprinkling, but it very quickly became hail, and the wind started swinging the door open. Not even our regulars were willing to visit the library in that weather. Having no patrons to help, most of the workers started crowding the doors and windows to watch the streets flood. Those who parked downhill opted to move their cars into our main parking lot as it was particularly empty due to the weather. Two hours before closing, our supervisor for the evening decided to send everyone home before it got worse because we had gotten a flash flood warning.

Completing a Major Order

On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, I finally finished editing and sorting my biggest order ever. I clocked a whopping SEVENTY-FIVE hours. That was 13 VHS tapes—two of which I had to open and do some repairs, 12 VHS-C tapes, and 37 Super 8 reels—which all took an hour each, not counting editing. It definitely had me reconsidering my pricing for reels, but ultimately I want to maintain affordable and attainable services. You can still get 20 3-inch reels for $10, although my minimum is still $20 for any order.

Starting New Projects

I'm currently working on two new orders; a mother and a daughter sent in separate orders at the same time. It's so sweet working on a multi-generational project. Order number 1 has 7 VHS tapes and 6 Video8 cassettes. Order number 2 has 17 VHS tapes, 12 VHS-C tapes, and 6 Video8 tapes. Overall, the waitlist for new orders is around 56 hours for any type of VHS or cassette. Reels, photos, and film slides/strips don't have any waitlist currently, so now is a good time to order those services.

Auditioning for Rootstech 2026

During the month of May, I was asked to teach a seminar at a small local genealogy conference. I spent a lot of time preparing for it and ended up having around 100 people show up to my class. I was very nervous since I had never taught in this capacity, but the class was very engaged, and I heard good reviews afterward. Ever since teaching that seminar, my husband has been trying to convince me to audition for RootsTech. Initially, I was brushing it off, not feeling qualified, but on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, one of my fellow workers at the library who attended my seminar found out that I was considering it, and she also started encouraging me. The following day, I made a plan to prepare a seminar to audition with. I'll be spending 1 hour on Wednesdays doing research or making my slideshow and 1 hour on Saturdays doing the same.