30 June 2008 by Libbi.

One way to share what data you have and note what data you need is to post your genealogy on the web. Before you do that, however, please read the Guidelines For Publishing Web Pages On The Internet. This document sets out the best ways to make your page findable and useable by other genealogists.

How do you publish? Almost every genealogy database program has an HTML option for printing reports. However, you can simply print the text of an Ahnentafel to a file and paste it into an HTML page, as I’ve done here. Note that though I did mention two living people, the essential data is excluded, to help prevent identity theft. Most genealogy programs allow you to simply exclude any living person from any report.

That brings up another point, that is very, very important. Some folks are afraid that their data might be “stolen” from the Internet, so they delibrately insert factual errors on their web pages.

Dont. Do. That.

Ever.

If you have data you want to keep in reserve for future information swaps, simply omit it. If you have data you want to keep private until you publish your hardbound, limited edition genealogy, that’s fine. But do not ever publish anything, in print or online, that you know to be false. It’s extremely difficult to remove all traces of anything on the Web, and that incorrect information may linger longer than you do!

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28 June 2008 by Libbi.

National Archives Announces Successful Completion of Major Milestone of Electronic Records Archives System

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21 June 2008 by Libbi.

I’m not going to blog the week of June 23 - 30. I have three magazine articles to work on and that’s going to keep me busy!

By June 1, I should be able to start up again!

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20 June 2008 by Libbi.

Need some genealogy related clip art for your family reunion? Wish you had a handy little program to quickly convert Roman numbers to Arabic numerals?  Want to know how a certain genealogy program works?

Try this great page: Genealogy Freebies . It lists lots of things you can find online that will only cost you the connect time to download! Charts, software, even the free areas of Ancestry are included. Bookmark this one!

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19 June 2008 by Libbi.

I’m hoping to get this mirrored to my other sites soon!

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18 June 2008 by Libbi.

As soon as possible, I am transferring my Crowe’s Nest blog to

blog.epcrowe.com

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18 June 2008 by Libbi.

The Record Search pilot has added 72 million new names to its Mexico Baptism collection online. The collection was transcribed from Mexico parish records dating from 1659 to 1905, and is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region. It also includes records from the Middle America Vital Records Index–Mexico that was published in 1999 on CD only. The newly expanded database can be searched for free at
http://pilot.familysearch.org.
The data was transcribed by FamilySearch’s impressive force of volunteer indexers worldwide (see www.familysearchindexing.org)
You, too, can donate a little time each week or month transcribing select information from digital images of original source documents using FamilySearch’s online indexing utility. Anyone interested in joining the global, community-based indexing initiative, or wanting to see what projects are currently being indexed, can do so at www.familysearchindexing.org.

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17 June 2008 by Libbi.

As I noted in my post on May 22, it’s important to back up your documents and data. Folks in the Mississippi Valley and tributaries are now having to deal with soggy documents, flooded photo albums, and trashed treasures. Besides these 10 Tips from the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC), the state of Indiana has posted a document, Assistance to Preserve Flood Damaged Materials, to help flood survivors. Here’s what it says:

My books/photographs/important documents got wet, but aren’t muddy. How do I dry them out?
It’s of the utmost importance to deal with wet items as quickly as possible so that they
don’t become moldy. You can place books, most photographs and photographic
negatives (excluding glass plate negatives and rolled negatives…), and documents into a
regular freezer as an interim measure to avoid the onset of mold until they can be dried
completely and properly.
Photographs should be removed from frames if they have not become stuck to the glass.
Books, papers and home-printed digital photographs can be safely dried in a place where
air is circulating (i.e. not in a tightly closed room). Place plain paper towels in between
sections of 15 pages or less and change out with dry paper towels as they become
saturated. To dry photographs that have been professionally developed, place wax paper
in between each photograph as they are drying, or lay the photographs out individually.
Be aware that photographs may curl if dried in this manner, but can be flattened later.
Smaller books can be stood on end on a flat surface with the pages fanned open to air dry.
Only use this method if the book is strong enough to stand open in this manner. Books
and magazines with clay-coated (glossy) paper must be opened so that every page
remains separated while drying to avoid the pages becoming stuck together.
Syracuse University Library has diagrams online that show many of these procedures.

My book/photograph/important document is moldy. What do I do with it?
It is best not to come in contact with the mold as it is an allergen and a health hazard.
Wear gloves and a protective mask. Freezing the item will prohibit the growth of mold
but not kill it. Freezing will buy a person time until the item can be dealt with properly.
Wrap it in plastic to keep mold spores from traveling to other things.
A professional conservator can evaluate the mold but understand that while the
appearance of mold can be reduced, it will never be completely eradicated and, given the
right conditions of humidity and moisture, will become active again. To reiterate, mold
cannot be removed completely and most of the damage cannot be reversed nor can the
original appearance of the document be restored.
Get the moldy item to an environment that is cooler and/or drier. When determining
whether to keep the item, consideration must be made as to the potential toxicity of
exposure to mold.

The pages of my book, etc. stuck together after they got wet. Can I separate themnow that they are dry?
If your book or magazine has pages that have dried in a block, it is likely that they won’t
be able to be separated, especially if the paper was a clay-coated ‘glossy’ style paper
(often found in magazines and coffee-table books).
If your photographs or negatives have dried and adhered together, it is probable that the
photographic emulsions have bonded to each other. A trained photograph conservator
may be able to reverse this damage. Call the American Institute for Conservation
202/452-9545.

My photo/paper tore after it got wet. Can I tape it back together?
It’s not a good idea if the item is antique or if it has historic, sentimental or monetary
value because over time the adhesive of all pressure sensitive tapes, even those marketed
as archival or ‘acid-free’, will leach into the paper and damage it permanently. Consult a
conservation professional who can properly repair the item. One way to find conservation
professionals is to contact the American Institute for Conservation at (202) 452-9545.
Until a conservator can treat the item a book can be safely tied together with cotton tape
and books and papers can be placed in high quality plastic sleeves (Mylar ™ and Melinex
™ are examples of archival quality plastic). If the item has no intrinsic/permanent value,
then it should be dried completely before using tape of any kind to repair it.

My book/photograph/important document got muddy. Can I wipe the mud off?
If the item is wet it should be rinsed gently in clear water first. Paper is fragile when wet
should be supported. Blotting or brushing debris off is the preferable method. Attempts
at removal should be executed with great care.If the mud/dirt has dried on the item it is OK to gently brush it off but be aware that staining may have already occurred. Keep in mind that if you have a damaged picture, especially if it has adhered to the glass
in its frame, it may be possible to scan it through the glass and reprint it successfully. {Note: blotting may cause loss of ink if running}

For additional Assistance
You can also reach the Indiana State Archives conservation Lab at arc@icpr.in.gov or at
(317) 591-5220 x 376.

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16 June 2008 by Libbi.

This past weekend I gave a speech and attended a wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. When I got back, I found this email:
“Dear Ms. Crowe, I just wanted to thank you for the presentation yesterday at the library. …I have some additional sites to search now.
I have two real stumbling blocks — one is a grandmother who was adopted within her family — but no one ever really talked about her father and no one stayed close to her family;
and the other is a great great grandfather from somewhere in Ireland. I know his last name only — Lawler, probably born in late 1700 or early 1800.
He married Annie Pike who was also born in Ireland. If you have any suggestions, I would be most grateful. Sincerely, Pat Truesdell”

I have lots of them!
Okay, the Irish problem first, because it is probably the most easily solved.
First, go to Irish Genealogy, specifically the page http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/frame_1024.cfm and download the PDF file on how to search Irish genealogy. Keep it handy.

Second, as I said in my talk, go to Cyndi’s List, in this case, Ireland. You’ll see she has all kinds of professional, governmental and amateur genealogy links. Start poking around in them for ideas of where to look next.

Third, download look at the research guidance from Family Search at Ireland . Now, you’ll see that a lot of the information at the Mormon Church site is on compact disc. Your local Family History Center may have these CDs, or be able to get them from Salt Lake city for the cost of postage.

Finally, read my blog for 9 June 2008, Morse’s search forms may help you find your Irish ancestors’ entry into the country, which can lead you back to place of birth sometimes.
——————-

The adoption puzzle may be harder. Because no one talked about it, expect a scandal lurking back there (read my blog for 3 June 2008.) If you have her death certificate, it should have her birth date and place. It’s possible you can find the details of the adoption in probate court or whatever court in that state handled orphans at the time.
Also check out these sites for adoption search tips:

• Cyndi’s List, of course, on Adoption.
• The National Archives recommends this site: National Adoption Information Clearinghouse The NAIC will assist genealogists seeking modern vital records and gives current information on state laws and procedures.
• An excellent article by Maureen Taylor can give you some pointers.
• And resources at Genealogy Today may also help.

Good luck and Happy Hunting!

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13 June 2008 by Libbi.

Access the entire Ancestry.com newspaper collection FREE through June 19th.

A young boy saves his brother from an oncoming train. A grandmother of 10 robs a local bank at gunpoint. Childhood sweethearts marry in the park where they met. Events like these could be part of your story.

But you’ll only find them in historical newspapers. And Ancestry has just doubled their collection, adding a billion names and 20 million images that can breathe new life into your family story and help you better understand your ancestors and their times.

Historical newspapers can also add context through the breaking news of the day, gossip columns, entertainment listings, advertisements and more.

But the offer is only good until next Thursday, so get busy!

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