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For NGS members: videos to check out

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Thomas H. Shawker, MD, is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of DNA and family health history. He is the author of the NGS publication, Unlocking Your Genetic History: A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering Your Family’s Medical and Genetic Heritage.

This brief conversation provides an introduction to how DNA analysis can support genealogical research as well as some basic guidelines for studying your family health history.

Log in at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on the Members Only tab, and then click on NGS Videos in the sidebar menu.

Film by Kate Geis and Allen Moore.

Posted in DNA, Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites, News | No Comments »

How I’m Spending my Summer

Friday, July 15th, 2011

The scroll is handwritten

When we were in Kentucky for my husband’s grandmother’s 100th Birthday, my mother-in-law gave me her scroll of genealogy.

This is a six foot long handwritten document with  the names, dates and some of the places of the living family members and ancestors she knew about in 1973. She asked me to get it reproduced, but I have yet to find a place that can scan this 2 foot by 6 foot scroll on a flat surface, and it is too delicate to feed through a sheet feeder.

It should be noted that she does not have the documentation to go with it. It comes from some interviews with people living at the time, some information from printed genealogies, some personal knowledge (e. g. she was at some of the funerals, so she remembers those dates), and a little bit of hands-on, 1970′s style research in libraries and courthouses. I don’t know how much of this data is provable, in other words.  Maybe all, maybe some, maybe just from the people she and I know or knew personally.  It’s all right with me if she doesn’t need any more evidence, but I’d like to find some just for myself.

The solution I have come up with is to try to type all this data into Ancestry.com, and then find a way to output it. As I type, I am looking for the little leaf hint that says some form of documentation may exist  for that person, hoping to fill in the gaps with census records and so on. I am also searching the Web for the names of the 19th, 18th and 17th century people on the scroll. I hope to come up with something!

Then, Russ Worthington suggested for output I try GenealogyPrinters.co.uk . They offer a variety of styles and as much or as little details as you like, from about $50US and up. He has had one project completed by this company and was very pleased with it.

So that’s what I’m doing this summer!

Posted in And More..., Genealogy, Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites | No Comments »

Google+ Impressions

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
So I’ve been trying Google+ ever since my son Matthew sent me the invitation July 8 and I’m ready to give a few thoughts about it on my blog.
1. The “circles” feature is much like “groups” in Facebook, but easier to use. The list of your circles (e. g. Family, Friends, Acquaintances, etc.) is always on the left, so filtering the “stream” is much easier. Creating circles is also much, much easier than creating groups in Facebook. Instead of pawing through each and every friend, you just drag and drop, or when someone adds you, you can put them in a circle with one click.
2. With the installation of StartGoogle+, a Google Chrome browser plug in specifically designed to help make the process of transitioning from Facebook to Google+ as smooth as possible, the new social network is is easy to use. You can also track Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ all at once with this plug in. The StartGoogle+ instructions also say that if you use it to log into Twitter and Facebook using the plugin,  your Google+ posts will appear on the two others.  I have not yet gotten that feature to work, but I’m sure that is operator error.
3. It can be useful for genealogy if you create a circle just for your genealogy buds, and post your genealogy  queries to that circle only.
4. I am in love with the “Hangout” feature. I just had a really fun hangout with +Russ Worthington about Google+, the video features, EfM, printing genealogies, and more! I want to use that with my kids, siblings, cousins, etc!
5. Posting your pictures, especially your profile pictures, from Picasa on your desktop to Google+ is not as easy and intuitive as it should be. I expect they will tweak that in future.
6. Like Twitter, someone can follow you but you don’t have to follow them (see their posts) back. In Facebook, it must be mutual.
7.  With all of that said, Google+ still does not feel quite so friendly as Facebook. The interface is clean and open, but not “cozy.”  Once I get more used to it, perhaps that will change.
I shall keep experimenting with this new tool and put some observations on a later blog.

Posted in And More..., Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites, News | No Comments »

Press Release from FamilySearch July 11

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

1930 US Census Project Concludes

Volunteers Consider Options for Next Projects

The 1930 U.S. Census indexing project will be completed this month. This enhanced index will be a great benefit to online patrons. We will now start many new U.S. projects for volunteers to consider. We are working toward building a nationwide marriage index. There are several already underway, and many new marriage projects are coming. We also started a Civil War era initiative recently that will include record collections expanding before and after the Civil War that will help researchers identify their Civil War era ancestors. We’re also adding some fun emigration projects (passenger lists, naturalization records).

See the lists below for the newest additions and status of other projects and invite friends, family, and colleagues to help out on projects of interest. Of course completed projects will be searchable for free at FamilySearch.org.

New Projects Added

(See the chart below for a complete list and current status of all indexing projects.)

Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at familysearch.org in the near future.)

  • Argentina, Cordoba, Rio Segundo—Registros Parroquiales, 1888–1926
  • Argentina, Santa Fe—Registros Parroquiales, 1634–1926 [Parte A]
  • Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Imigração Cartões, 1900–1965 [Parte A]
  • Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Imigração Cartões, 1900–1965 [Parte B]
  • Chile, Concepción—Registros Civiles, 1885–1903 [Parte 2B]
  • España, Avila, Barroman—Registros Parroquiales, 1550–1930
  • Jamaica—Church of England Parish Baptisms, 1664–1880
  • Mexico, Veracruz—1930 Federal Censo
  • Norway—1875 Federal Census [Part B]
  • Polska, Diecezja Lublin—Księgi Metrykalne, 1902–1945
  • Sverige, Uppsala—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]
  • Sverige, Örebro—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]
  • U.K., Yorkshire—Parish Registers, 1845–1930
  • U.S.—Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files, 1812–1905
  • U.S., Arizona—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., California—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Hawaii—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Idaho—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Illinois—1865 State Census
  • U.S., Indiana—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Indiana, Floyd County—Marriages, 1811–1959
  • U.S., Iowa—County Births, 1880–1935 [Part A]
  • U.S., Iowa—County Marriages, 1838–1992 [Part A]
  • U.S., Michigan—1894 State Census
  • U.S., Missouri—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., New Hampshire—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., New Jersey—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., New Mexico—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., New York—1930 Federal Census [Part B]
  • U.S., North Carolina—County Marriages, 1762–1959 [Part B]
  • U.S., Ohio—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Oklahoma—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Oregon—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Pennsylvania—1930 Federal Census [Part A]
  • U.S., Pennsylvania—1930 Federal Census [Part B]
  • U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part D]
  • U.S., Utah—1930 Federal Census
  • U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part C]
  • U.S., Virginia, Winchester—Evening Star Obituaries, 1899–1909
  • U.S., Washington—1930 Federal Census

Current FamilySearch Indexing Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

Argentina, Balvanera—Registros Parroquiales, 1833–1934 [Parte C](Argentina, Balvanera—Church Records, 1833–1934 [Part B]) Spanish 66%
Argentina, Córdoba, Bell Ville—Registros Parroquiales, 1759–1946(Argentina, Cordoba, Bell Ville—Parish Registers, 1759–1946) Spanish (New)
Brasil—Registro Civil, 1852–1914 [Parte 2A](Brazil—Civil Registration, 1852–1914 [Part 2A]) Portuguese 9%
Brasil, Florianópolis—Registros da Igreja, 1751–1954 [Parte A](Brazil, Florianópolis—Church Records, 1751–1954 [Part A]) Portuguese 23%
Brasil, Pernambuco, Recife—Registro Civil, 1900–1920(Brazil, Pernambuco, Recife—Civil Registration, 1900–1920) Portuguese 5%
Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Cartões de Imigração, 1900–1965 [Part C](Brazil, Rio de Janeiro—Immigration Cards, 1900–1965 [Part C]) Portuguese (New)
Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Cartões de Imigração, 1900–1965 [Parte D](Brazil, Rio de Janeiro—Immigration Cards, 1900–1965 [Part D]) Portuguese (New)
Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Matrimonios, 1900–1910 [Piloto](Brazil, Rio de Janeiro—Marriages, 1900–1910) Portuguese 66%
Canada—Passenger Lists, 1881–1922 English 8%
Canada, Bas-Canada—Recensement de 1831(Canada, Lower Canada—1831 Census) French 43%
Canada, Ontario—Births, 1869–1912 [Part B] English (New)
Canada, Ontario—Marriages, 1869–1927 [Part B] English 23%
Chile—Registros Civiles, 1885–1900(Chile—Civil Registration, 1885–1900) Spanish 91%
Chile, Concepción—Registros Civiles, 1885–1920 [Parte 3](Chile, Concepción—Civil Registration, 1885–1920 [Part 3]) Spanish (New)
Colombia, Bucaramanga—Registros Parroquiales, 1649–1959(Colombia, Bucaramanga—Church Records, 1649–1959) Spanish 19%
Deutschland, Baden-Württemberg, Emmendingen—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869(Germany, Baden-Württemberg, Emmendingen—Church Books, 1810–1869) German (New)
Deutschland, Brandenburg, Posen—Kirchenbücher, 1794–1874(Germany, Brandenburg, Posen—Church Books, 1794–1874) German (New)
Deutschland, Mecklenburg, Schwerin—1867 Volkszählung(Germany, Mecklenburg, Schwerin—1867 Census) German (New)
El Salvador—Registros Civiles, 1835–1910(El Salvador—Civil Registration, 1835–1910) Spanish 67%
El Salvador—Registros Civiles, 1836-1910 [Parte B](El Salvador—Civil Registration, 1836–1910 [Part B]) Spanish 12%
España, Andalucía—Registros Civiles, 1837–1870(Spain, Andalucia—Civil Registration, 1837–1870) Spanish 33%
España, Lugo—Registros Parroquiales, 1530–1930 [Parte 1](Spain, Lugo—Parish Registers, 1530–1930 [Part 1]) Spanish 47%
España, Málaga—Nacimientos, 1841–1870(Spain, Malaga—Births, 1841–1870) Spanish 13%
Estonia—Lutheran Church Books, 1603–1940 [Part B] German (New)
France, Cherbourg—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907(France, Cherbourg—Parish Registers, 1802–1907) French 70%
France, Coutances—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907 [Part 2](France, Coutances—Parish Registers, 1802–1907 [Part 2]) French (New)
France, Protestant Church Records [Part 2A] French 11%
Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1800–1900 [Parte B](Guatemala—Civil Registration, 1800–1900 [Part B]) Spanish (New)
Guatemala, Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1800–1900(Guatemala, Guatemala—Civil Registration, 1800–1900) Spanish 46%
Guatemala, Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1877–1900(Guatemala, Guatemala—Civil Registration, 1877–1900) Spanish 58%
Honduras, Tegucigalpa—Registros Parroquiales, 1684–1930(Honduras, Tegucigalpa—Parish Registers, 1684–1930) Spanish (New)
Ireland—Tithe Applotment Books, 1824–1840 English 40%
Italia, Mantova—Registri Civili, 1806-1815(Italy, Mantova—Civil Registration, 1806–1815) Italian (New)
Italia, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Atti di Morte, 1889–1924 [Part 2](Italy, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Death Records, 1809–1885 [Part 2]) Italian (New)
Italia, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Atti di Nascita, 1809–1885 [Part 1](Italy, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Birth Records, 1809–1885 [Part 1]) Italian (New)
Italia, Provincia di Vicenza—Registri Parrocchiali, 1597–1937(Italy, Vicenza Province—Parish Registers, 1597–1937) Italian 71%
Italia, Torino, Torre Pellice—Atti di sepoltura, 1692–1969(Italy, Torina, Torre Pellice—Burial records, 1692–1969) Italian (New)
Italy, Trento—Baptisms, 1784–1924 [Part 2A] Italian 91%
Magyarország, Szabolcs—polgári anyakönyvi adatok, 1895–1978 [1. Rész](Hungary, Szabolcs—Civil Registration, 1895–1978 [Part 1]) Hungarian 67%
Mexico, Aguascalientes – Nacimientos 1860-1921(Mexico, Aguascalientes—Birth Records, 1860–1921) Spanish (New)
Mexico, D.F.—Bautismos, 1536–1900 [Parte A](Mexico, D.F.—Church Baptisms, 1536–1900 [Part A]) Spanish 17%
Mexico, Tlaxcala—Nacimientos, 1867–1925(Mexico, Tlaxcala—Births, 1867–1925) Spanish 19%
New Zealand—Passenger Lists, 1871–1915 [Part 2A] English 21%
Nicaragua, Masaya—Registros Civiles, 1879–1984(Nicaragua, Masaya—Civil Registration, 1879–1984) Spanish 18%
Norge —Tinglysningskort, 1640–1903(Norway—Probate Index Cards, 1640–1903) Norwegian 5%
Perú—Registros Civiles Nacimientos, 1860–1978 [Parte A](Perú—Civil Birth Registrations, 1860–1978 [Parte A]) Spanish 38%
Philippines, Lingayen-Dagupanâ—Registros Parroquiales, 1615–1982 [Part 2](Philippines, Lingayen-Dagupanâ—Parish Registers, 1615–1982 [Part 2]) Spanish (New)
Polska, Księgi Metrykalne—Diecezja Radom, 1654–1946 [Część 1](Poland, Radom Diocese—Church Books, 1654–1946 [Part 1]) Polish 58%
Portugal, Setúbal—Registros da Igreja, 1581–1910(Portugal, Setúbal—Church Records, 1581–1910) Portuguese 33%
República Dominicana—Nacimientos Civiles, 1828–1906(Dominican Republic—Civil Births, 1828–1906) Spanish 3%
Russland, Sankt Petersburg—Kirchenbuchduplikat, 1833–1885(Russia, Saint Petersburg—Parish Register Duplicates, 1833–1885) German 57%
South Africa, Cape Province—Church Records, 1660–1970 Afrikaans, Dutch, English 84%
Sverige, Södermanland—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 2](Sweden, Sodermanland—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 2]) Swedish (New)
Sverige, Uppsala—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 2](Sweden, Uppsala—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 2]) Swedish (New)
Sverige, Örebro—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 2](Sweden, Örebro—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 2]) Swedish (New)
U.K., Dorset—Church of England Parish Records, 1538–1910 [Part A] English 85%
U.K., Essex—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 [Part A] English 24%
U.K., Warwickshire—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 [Part 2 Adv] English,Old English 85%
Uruguay—Registros Civiles (Nacimientos), 1879–1930(Uruguay—Civil Registration (Births), 1879–1930) Spanish 39%
U.S., Alabama—County Marriages, 1809–1950 [Part B] English (New)
U.S., Alaska—1930 Federal Census English (New)
U.S., American Samoa and Guam—1930 Federal Census English (New)
U.S., Arkansas—WWII Draft Registration, 1942 English 78%
U.S., California—WWII Draft Registration, 1942 English 20%
U.S., Florida—County Marriages, 1830–1957 [Part A] English 49%
US, Illinois—Northern District Naturalization Index Cards, 1840–1950 English (New)
U.S., Indiana, Fountain County—Marriages, 1811–1959 English (New)
U.S., Indiana, Fulton County—Marriages 1811–1959 English (New)
U.S., Iowa—County Marriages, 1838–1992 [Part B] English (New)
U.S., Maine—Vital Records, 1892–1907 [Part A] English 42%
U.S., Michigan—County Marriages, 1820–1956 [Part A] English 22%
U.S., Montana—1930 Federal Census English 92%
U.S., Nevada—1930 Federal Census English (New)
U.S., New Jersey—County Marriages, 1682–1956 [Part 1] English 84%
U.S., New York—Marriage Licenses, 1908–1938 [Part A] English 93%
U.S., New York—Marriages, 1908–1935 [Part A] English 83%
U.S., North Carolina—County Marriages, 1762–1959 [Part C] English (New)
U.S., North Carolina—Freedmen Letters, 1862–1870 English 66%
U.S., North Dakota—1930 Federal Census English 82%
U.S., Ohio, Franklin County—Marriage Records, 1929–1951 English (New)
U.S., Oklahoma—Land Allotment Records, 1899–1907 [Part B] English 86%
U.S., Oregon—County Marriages, 1851–1975 [Part A] English (New)
U.S., Pennsylvania—WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942 English 44%
U.S., Puerto Rico—1910 Censo Federal(U.S., Puerto Rico—1910 Federal Census) Spanish 89%
U.S., Puerto Rico—Nacimientos Civiles, 1836–1930 [Parte B](U.S., Puerto Rico—Civil Births, 1836–1930 [Part B]) Spanish 18%
U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part B] English 78%
U.S., Texas—Birth Records 1903–1934 [Part E] English 11%
U.S., Virgin Islands—1930 Federal Census English (New)
U.S.—Registers of Enlistment in the U.S. Army, 1798–1913 English (New)
Venezuela—Nacimientos Civiles, 1873–1909(Venezuela—Civil Births, 1873–1909) Spanish 13%
Venezuela, Mérida—Registros Parroquiales, 1654–1992 [Parte 2](Venezuela, Merida—Parish Registers, 1654–1992 [Part 2]) Spanish 74%
Česká Republika (Tschechien), Litoměřice—Matriky, 1552–1905 [část 1B](Czech Republic, Litomerice—Church Records, 1552–1905 [Part 1B] German 41%
Česká Republika (Tschechien), Litoměřice—Matriky, 1552–1905 [část 1C](Czech Republic, Litomerice—Church Records, 1552–1905 [Part 1C] German (New)
Österreich, Oberösterreich, Steyr—Kirchenbücher, 1601–1906(Austria, Upper Austria, Steyr—Church Books, 1601–1906) German (New)
Österreich, Wiener Meldezettel, 1890–1925(Austria, Vienna—Population Cards, 1890–1925) German 61%
Россия, Самара—Метрические книги церкви, 1869–1917 [часть 2](Russia, Samara—Church Books, 1869–1917 [Part 2]) Russian 43%
Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1843–1845 [Часть C](Ukraine, Kyiv—Orthodox Consistory Church Book Duplicates, 1843–1845 [Part C]) Russian 61%

Current FamilySearch Partner Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

België—Burgerlijke Stand, 1851–1900 [Deel 3A](Belgium—Civil Registration, 1851–1900 [Part 3A]) Dutch, Flemish 45%
Belgique—Registres Civile, 1851–1900 [Partie A](Belgium—Civil Registration, 1851–1900 [Part A]) French 94%
Belgique—Registres Civile, 1851–1900 [Partie C](Belgium—Civil Registrations, 1851–1900 [Part C] French 21%
Brasil, Minas Gerais—Church Records, 1706-1952 Portuguese 1%
Canada, Ontario, Toronto—Trust Cemeteries, 1826–1935 English 44%
Deutschland, Westfalen, Minden—Volkszählung, 1880–1900(Germany, Westphalia, Minden—City Censuses, 1880–1900) German 20%
España, Avila, Bernuy-Zapardiel—Registros Parroquiales, 1530–1935(Spain, Avila, Bernuy-Zapardiel—Parish Registers, 1530–1935) Spanish 73%
España, Malaga—Registros Civiles, 1846–1870(Spain, Malaga—Civil Registration, 1846–1870) Spanish 54%
España, Sevilla—Nacimientos Civiles, 1844–1874(Spain, Sevilla—Civil Births, 1844–1874) Spanish (New)
France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Notre Dame des Carmes—Registres Paroissiaux, 1771– 1909(France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Notre Dame des Carmes—Parish Registers, 1771–1909) French (New)
Hungary—Jewish Vital Registers Hungarian, German, and more 1%
Italie, Turin, Torre Pellice—Registres paroissiaux 1692–1969 [Partie1A](Italy, Turin, Torre Pellice—Parish Registers, 1692–1969 [Part 1A]) French (New)
Norway—1875 Federal Census [Part C] Norwegian 54%
Polska, Diecezja Lublin—Księgi Metrykalne, 1864–1948 [Część 2](Poland, Diocese of Lublin—Church Books, 1864–1948 [Część 2]) Polish (New)
U.K., Norfolk—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 English 89%
U.S., California—1852 State Census English 78%
U.S., California—County Marriages, 1850–1952 [Part C] English 35%
U.S., Colorado—1885 State Census English 31%
U.S., Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh—City Deaths, 1870–1905 English 88%
U.S., Texas—County Tax Rolls, 1837–1910 [Part A] English 7%
U.S., West Virginia—Naturalization Records, 1814–1991 English (New)

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Posted in Genealogy, Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites, News | No Comments »

From Argentina to the BVI, Family Search’s Index grows!

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Latest Additions Reach New Milestone in Free Online Historic Record Collections    

The latest additions to FamilySearch’s online collection of free historic record collections pushes it to 600! That’s right, 600 free, original source record collections online from all over the world. The tally of insomniacs will certainly expand as the numbers of family history researchers enjoy the latest updates. This week there are new international records from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Poland, and Spain. Now take a seat while the list of updates for the U.S. collections are noted—California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State, Wisconsin, and the Virgin Islands. Whew! See the table below for details. You can search all of the record collections now for free at FamilySearch.org.

If you are enjoying the steady stream of free records added weekly, please consider “giving back” as a FamilySearch volunteer. You can start and stop volunteering at any time. Find out more at indexing.familysearch.org.

Posted in And More..., Genealogy, Genealogy Sites | No Comments »

Media Release: RootsTech Conference Will Broadcast Select Sessions Free Online

Monday, February 7th, 2011

RootsTech Conference Will Broadcast Select Sessions Free Online

 

SALT LAKE CITY—RootsTech, a new family history and technology conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 10-12, 2011, announced February 4 that six of its popular sessions will be broadcast live and free over the Internet. The live broadcasts will give those unable to attend worldwide a sample of this year’s conference content. Interested viewers can watch the live presentations at RootsTech.org. The first-year conference has attracted over 2,000 registered attendees.

 

The free online sessions include some of the keynote speakers and a sampling of technology and family history presentations.  Following are the six broadcasts, speakers, and times of the presentations. All times are in Mountain Standard Time (MST):

 

Thursday, February 10, 2011

·       8:30-9:00 a.m., A world of Information, Shane Robison, chief technology officer, Hewlett Packard

·       9-9:30 a.m., Turning Roots, Branches, Trees into Nodes, Links, Graphs, Jay L. Verkler, chief executive officer, FamilySearch International

·       3-4:00 p.m., Digitally Preserving Your Family Heritage, Barry Ewell, founder of MyGenShare.com

 

Friday, February 11, 2011

·       8:30-9:30 a.m., The Changing Face of Genealogy, by Curt Witcher, manager of the Historical Genealogy Department, Allen County Public Library

·       9:45-10:45 a.m., Cloud Computing: What is it and how it has been used to create the next familysearch.org, by Brian Pugh, senior engineer, FamilySearch International               

 

Saturday, February 12, 2011

·       8:30-9:30 a.m. Personal Archiving and Primary Documents, Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archives

·       1:45-2:45 p.m., Virtual Presentations Round Table and Collaborative Panel Discussion, Thomas MacEntee, professional genealogist and technology specialist

·       3:00-4:00 p.m., The Power of PDF: Tools for Every Genealogist ,  D. Josh Taylor, Director of Education and Programs at New England Historical Genealogical Society.  

 

About RootsTech

 

RootsTech is a new conference designed to bring technologists together with genealogists to learn from each other and find solutions to the challenges faced in family history research today. The conference’s activities and offerings are focused on content that will help genealogists and family historians discover exciting new research tools while enabling technology creators to learn the latest development techniques from industry leaders and pioneers.

Posted in Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites, News | No Comments »

A Site You Should Know: Directory of Genealogists

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

I have a chapter in my book, Genealogy Online, 9th Edition,  on how to go about hiring a professional genealogist, and how to know when you need one. Until this month, one place you could go to find a pro was Ancestry.com’s Expert Connect, but the  company has discontinued that listing. In response,  Directory of Genealogists has emerged. STEPHANIE HOOVER is the owner and operator of not only DirectoryOfGenealogists.com but also PennsylvaniaResearch.com.    She has the site up and running, with a Twitter update feed @DirofGens!  Here is the press release about this new site:

 

 

DIRECTORY OF GENEALOGISTS
ESTABLISHED JANUARY 2011
A Global Network of Professional Genealogists
DirectoryOfGenealogists.com
February 2, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stephanie Hoover, Owner
DirectoryOfGenealogists.com
directoryofgenealogists@gmail.com
Free Directory of Genealogists Debuts This Month


A new web site set to debut this month offers both genealogists and those looking to hire them a valuable free service: a worldwide directory of professional researchers.
The recent closure of Ancestry’s ExpertConnect program prompted Pennsylvania genealogist Stephanie Hoover to create a tool that fills the resulting large void in marketing and networking opportunities. Her answer is a simple concept, but one she hopes will be highly beneficial.


“I know that there are professional organizations for genealogists,” says Hoover, “and even other directories. But this directory will be a little different. For one thing, the scope is quite large. Many former ExpertConnect researchers have asked to be included so the directory already represents a number of countries outside the United States. And, basic listings will always be free. A genealogist will never have to pay to have his or her name on DirectoryOfGenealogists.com.”


Hoover is currently absorbing all costs to design and host the site, gather researcher profiles, and database this information.

“I have had generous offers from participants,” she says, “but at this point it would be difficult to delegate tasks.” She has also taken on the role of social media coordinator using services like Twitter and LinkedIn to publicize the directory. “I believe it’s time for genealogists to take control of their own industry,” Hoover says. “Trade groups are in the business of growing the group – and that is certainly reasonable. ExpertConnect was a revenue generator for Ancestry – and here again, that’s to be expected. But this directory benefits no one but the researchers. We are the ones who know what we need to survive in this field. We are the ones who know that clients need direction and education. We are the ones who need one another, to compare notes and share stories of both success and failure. That is my goal for this web site.”


A special discussion board, to be called “The D.o.G. Pound,” will be a researchers-only forum where genealogists can communicate with one another privately. This service will not go live until the directory is posted. Hoover is honest about possible future premium content on DirectoryOfGenealogists.com.

“Once the directory is operational, and if I am confident that premium services or listings benefit researchers, I may eventually charge a nominal annual fee for enhanced directory entries. As I’ve already mentioned, however, basic listings will always be free and I can promise that any future premium fees would be
affordable for one-man-shops or part-time genealogists.”

Researchers wishing to be considered for inclusion in the directory can complete a simple form found
at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?
formkey=dGYwLWlxMW5iME9YR2ZDbHNQUVFBVWc6MQ
While the web site is still currently under construction, the basic design and framework are clearly visible to visitors who are encouraged to go to  DirectoryOfGenealogists.com and offer feedback.
Comments or questions about the directory can be emailed to Stephanie Hoover at: directoryofgenealogists@gmail.com
A Twitter account has also been established: twitter.com/DirOfGens
###

 

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Presidential Libraries

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Starting with Frankly D. Roosevelt, presidents have founded presidential libraries to archive and preserve records from their administrations, and to serve as museums about the man and the times. I read a recent article about someone who has decided to set a goal of visiting each one of them over the course of several summers. That would indeed be fun, especially if your genealogy happens to be nearby! However, if you don’t have the time or gasoline to pursue such a goal, each of them has a web site, so you can visit them that way. And wear your pajamas!

Visit the Libraries Online

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News from FamilySearch–(Press Release)

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

The FamilySearch January 2011 Bloginar recording is now available online. If you were unable to attend the event on January 18, 2011, you or your subscribers can now listen to and view the free presentation and discussions at FamilySearch Wiki. Go to Wiki.FamilySearch.org, and search FamilySearch Bloginar.

 

Following is a summary of the January Bloginar agenda.

·       FamilySearch latest collection updates

·       Indexing milestone(s)

·       RootsTech 2011 Conference Update: Overview of Scheduled Open Panels and Discussions

·       FamilySearch Research Courses Online
· 90 day outlook of upcoming developments
· New webinars and podcasts offerings
· Big picture of research curricula coming online
· Community involvement and free training recording services

 

ABOUT FAMILYSEARCH INTERNATIONAL
FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

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Linkpendium: A Source You Should Know

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Linkpendium is a wonderful search site, brought to you by Karen Isaacson and Brian (Wolf) Leverich.

This immensely useful site is a catalog of links to United States genealogy information, records, pages and sources, organized by geography. You can search by a surname, and get links within every state, or you can start your search in a specific state or specific county. Links to obituaries, cemetery lists, wills, biographies and more will be the result.

A quote from the site:

Linkpendium‘s goal is to index every genealogy, geneology, :) family history, family tree, surname, vital records, biography, or otherwise genealogically-related site on the Internet. PLEASE HELP! When you find a useful new resource, go to the right Linkpendium page and click on the “Add your favorite Websites to this page” link. Thanks from all of us at Linkpendium!

The site’s perpetrators are part of online genealogy history, being two founders of the venerable and still indispensable  RootsWeb genealogical community/information/data/search site. RootsWeb started as a few pages that a bunch of genealogists who worked together created to help each other. For more than a decade, RootsWeb was THE starting place for online genealogy. When Rootsweb merged with Ancestry in June 2000, this site had 600,000 registered users, was serving 100,000,000 Web page views monthly, and was delivering 160,000,000 pieces of email monthly to the subscribers of its 18,000 mailing lists. My book, Genealogy Online 9/E  has a chapter devoted to all the ways you can use RootsWeb.

About the page owners:

Before founding RootsWeb, Karen was a member of the research staff at The RAND Corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Washington State University and a Master of Science in Operations Research from Stanford University, where she was a National Science Foundation Fellow. Karen’s hobbies include genealogical research, mountain climbing, and mountain biking. She is a rated leader of the Sierra Club and past Chairman of the Hundred Peaks Section.

Before founding RootsWeb, Brian was a member of the research staff at The RAND Corporation. He has also served on the faculty of the University of Southern Californiaand as Director of Statistical Systems and Credit Marketing Research at The Zale Corporation. He holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, a Master of Science in Operations Research from Stanford University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy Analysis from The RAND Graduate School. Brian’s hobbies include genealogical research, mountain climbing, and mountain biking. He is a rated leader of the Sierra Club, past Chair of the Hundred Peaks Section, and past Administrative Chair of the Angeles Chapter’s Leadership Training Committee.

Contact Information:

e-mail webmaster@linkpendium.com
Mailing address Linkpendium
P.O. Box 6798
Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 USA
Telephone (voice)               (661) 242-1953         (661) 242-1953
Telephone (fax)               (661) 242-1955         (661) 242-1955

Posted in Genealogy, Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites, Traditions | No Comments »

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