Pennsylvania State Archives closing for 4 months

Paula Stuart-Warren  Archives, Research, Research trips  Leave a comment

According to a press release, the Pennsylvania State Archives will close from Oct. 18 through Feb. 3, 2011, for needed renovations. October 16th is the last day researchers can visit the facility in person, but the staff will continue to respond to telephone, e-mail, and postal inquiries during the renovations.

“Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director, said the $250,000 project will expand and modernize the existing lobby and public research areas. A larger vestibule is required to facilitate access for people with disabilities and will include automatic doors. The work will provide more space for the increasing number of researchers, as well as new wiring and additional computers to improve access to the collections. Security systems will also be upgraded.”

A good reason to double check with a research repository before any research trip. Visit the PA State Archives website to learn more.

Salt Lake Christmas Tour adds Thomas MacEntee

Paula Stuart-Warren  Family History Library, Salt Lake City  Leave a comment

I just received this press release from Leland Meitzler. This sounds like a great experience.

THOMAS MACENTEE JOINS 2010 SALT LAKE CHRISTMAS TOUR
Featured Speaker To Offer Technology Education for Genealogists

October 13, 2010 – Bountiful, Utah: The 2010 Salt Lake Christmas Tour – an annual genealogy event in its 26th year and celebrating its 25th anniversary – is pleased to announce that noted genealogist and technology educator Thomas MacEntee will be joining in the holiday fun as its featured speaker. The Tour takes place beginning Sunday, December 5, 2010 and runs through Saturday, December 11, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Over a five-day period, MacEntee will offer eight different presentations covering various aspects of genealogy and how technology and social media can be used to expand the genealogy experience. Topics include “Building a Research Toolbox,” “Facebook for Genealogists,” “Build a Genealogy Blog,” and “Twitter: It Isn’t Just ‘What I Had For Breakfast’ Anymore.”

The Salt Lake Christmas Tour ( www.SaltLakeChristmasTour.com ) is an annual event attracting genealogists and family historians and is renowned for the genealogy research success of its attendees, many of whom come back year after year. The Tour provides the highest ratio of professional researchers to attendees of any genealogy research tour utilizing the Family History Library located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Throughout 2010, Thomas MacEntee has been covering the United States and Canada presenting technology education to genealogists and family historians in an easy-to-learn format. All presentations demonstrate applications such as Facebook and Twitter in real time and include cheat sheets and other handy reference materials.

Leland Meitzler, of Family Roots Publishing Company and owner/organizer of the Salt Lake Christmas Tour, says “we think that this year’s Tour not only offers an excellent research opportunity at the Family History Library but also provides a way to increase your technology knowledge especially as it pertains to genealogy. Thomas has a way of making technology approachable no matter what your computer skills.”

Register before October 31, 2010 to take advantage of special savings and to reserve your space on the Salt Lake Christmas Tour. Not only will you be amazed at the progress you can make in your genealogy research, but you’ll do so in good company and be able to witness the sights and sounds of Christmas in Salt Lake City.

About Thomas MacEntee
As a genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and to interact with others in the family history community, Thomas MacEntee relies upon his 25 years of experience in the information technology field. And as the creator of GeneaBloggers.com, he has organized and engaged a community of over 1,300 bloggers to document their own journeys in the search for ancestors. Thomas shares his knowledge of technology and experience as a genealogist with others through various forms of social media and speaking engagements. Through his business High-Definition Genealogy, he provides consulting services in the genealogy industry covering such areas as market research, education, technology and more. Thomas MacEntee is available nationwide for presentations and classes focusing on social media and technology as a way to assist genealogists and genealogical societies.

About the Salt Lake Christmas Tour
The Salt Lake Christmas Tour specializes in professionally assisted genealogy research at the world-famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Now in its 26th year and celebrating its 25th anniversary, the tour is renowned for the high success-rate of its attendees, due in part to the outstanding professional to attendee ratio. Hosted by Leland K. Meitzler, Patty Meitzler, Donna Potter Phillips, and Bill Balter, the 2010 tour promises to be one of the best ever! For more information and registration, see: www.SaltLakeChristmasTour.com.

NY State Archives INCREASES hours

Paula Stuart-Warren  Archives, Research  Leave a comment

Yes, you read that correctly. The New York State Archives in Albany is adding Saturday hours as of this Saturday, 16 October 2010. This is wonderful in contrast to the many archives, historical societies, libraries, and other research facilities that have seriously reduced hours. This archives is open full days so that researchers have time to order, study, and copy records.

The archives is located in the Cultural Education Center building. The NY State Archives website is at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/aindex.shtml.  “The New York State Archives is located in the Cultural Education Center (CEC) in Albany, New York. The CEC is at the south end of the Empire State Plaza, across Madison Avenue (Route 20) from the Plaza (at the opposite end from the Capitol). Public access to the Archives is gained via the Reference Room” which is located on the eleventh floor of the CEC and is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

On Saturdays, free public parking will be available in the Madison Avenue parking lots adjacent to the CEC.  Directions and parking information is available on the New York State Museum website at http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/information/general/muswhere.html.

The archives as a great Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/nysarchives.

I have a list of things to do at that facility if I ever have the chance to get there.

FamilySearch Beta update

Paula Stuart-Warren  FamilySearch  Leave a comment

Just catching up on some recent press releases that have been patiently waiting in my inbox!

 We made some additional enhancements this week at beta.familysearch.org. The following post describing the updates along with visual illustrations can be found at FamilySearch Blogs. Enjoy!
October 8, 2010
We released another substantial update to the FamilySearch Beta website. In addition to the four major updates outlined below, we’ve made a large number of improvements under the hood that aren’t really visible to users of the site but make a big difference in the overall performance and function of the site. Here’s the quick list of updates.

·         Redesigned Home Page
·         Brand New – Getting Started Section
·         Redesigned Learning Resources including online Research Courses
·         Just Released – FamilySearch Center Section

Redesigned Home Page. We redesigned the home page to highlight more of the site features like the Getting Started Section, Learning Resources and FamilySearch Centers. We also added a basic browse by location feature under the search form. We plan to make the browse by location tool much more interactive over time and would love to get your suggestions of how to improve it. Click the Feedback link on the site to leave us a suggestion.
Brand New – Getting Started Section. We have big plans for the Getting Started section of the site. What we released last week is just the beginning. Right now you can look at profiles of some famous ancestors that have been researched by our experts in the Family History Library. You can also choose from a number of designer pedigree charts and fill out your own family tree. Another valuable addition to the Getting Started section isn’t quite ready yet, but you can still see a placeholder for it on the page. A new four-part video series in the Getting Started section will teach people how to begin researching their family history.
Redesigned Learning Resources Section. The learning resources section has been redesigned to try and make it easier to access the tremendous content created by FamilySearch and a community of volunteers. You can quickly search over 40,000 articles containing a wealth of knowledge about how to do research or where to find records all around the world. You can also add your own knowledge by updating an article or creating a new article. We’ve also added over 100 online courses dealing with a range of topics from Beginning English Research to Reading Russian Records. Watch these courses online to learn to research or improve your genealogy skills.
Paul Nauta
FamilySearch Public Affairs Manager

October is . . .

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

National Cancer Awareness Month, National Anti-Bullying Month, Family History Month, and American Archives Month. All are very special to me.

My mom had breast cancer, my paternal grandmother, maternal grandaunt, and others suffered from this horrible disease. I have some very dear gay friends who have suffered at the hands of bullies. I have only an inkling of all that horrific feeling. All my life I have been picked on for being so short, wearing glasses, and for being overweight. Several of those gay friends helped me through a time several years ago when I was being bullied. The bullying must stop. I hope I never learn that my fellow genealogists have been the bullies — we should respect all human lives, loves, and embrace each other in a special way.

Family history month is important because it is a great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if we are tall, short, thin, wear glasses, go to church or not, are straight, gay, or can’t type! Family history helps us understand what tough times our ancestral families went through. Family history helps us understand who we are. And part of discovering that history comes from research at archives.

Celebrate October and invest in the importance of these four vital designations and all that they mean to our lives. End the month being silly on Halloween. Silly, but not overly teasing, bullying, or forgetting that we are all brothers and sisters. Treat everyone equally in all facets of live.

Historical projects in Minnesota

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesoa Historical Society, Minnesota  Leave a comment

One way to find out about what historical projects are cropping up around Minnesota is by checking out the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants program that operates under the auspices of the Minnesota Historical Society. Grants are awarded for projects that will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. Libraries, archives, churches, historical societies, ethnic organizations, universities, cities, and other groups have been the award recipients. Many of the projects have a direct impact on family history. Just a sampling of the grants in the last couple years:

  • Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (Saint Paul) – To record, preserve and make available oral/visual histories of deaf, deaf/blind and
    hard of hearing Minnesotans, $64,100. 
  • Macalester College, DeWitt Wallace Library (Saint Paul) – To digitize and make accessible issues of the college’s student and community newspapers and catalogs, $10,888. 
  • Blue Earth County Historical Society (Mankato) – To add 140 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records, $3,837.
  • Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (Moorhead) – To add 126 rolls of microfilmed church records, WPA files, and newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records, $6,618.
  • Minnesota Genealogical Society (South Saint Paul) – To add 100 rolls of microfilmed primary records to broaden public accessibility, $7,000
  • Friends of the Willmar Public Library (Willmar) – To broaden public access to primary historic records through a digital reader-printer and additional microfilm rolls to augment the current collection, $19,500. 

To see all the grants visit http://www.mnhs.org/legacy/grants/ and click on Funded Projects.

Ancestry in Kingman, Arizona (Mojave County)?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

Genealogical research on families in this area is about to become easier. The county is digitizing 600 volumes of old records. The article quotes Microfilm Records Technician Stephanie Ciofalo, “As the article says “I love these old books,” Ciofalo said. “The handwriting was amazing in those days. This is Mohave County’s history. These records will be available to the public and much more accessible in digital format. That’s why we are doing this; to preserve the books and to allow ease of access for the public.”

People will be able to request information and the County Recorder’s Office will be able to access the material and print it out but there will be a charge for the copy. I wonder if they will allow the public to view the digitized material? Oftentimes we find valuable details by reading through a book of deeds or other court records.

Click here to read the article in the 3 October online Daily Miner.

Ancestral Journeys blog: David Suddarth

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  1 Comment

I am going to begin publicizing (as my schedule permits) some of the blogs and websites of my professional genealogist colleagues. This first one is from David Suddarth, a fellow member of the Northland Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists, whose blog is titled “Ancestral Journeys.”

David shared these words about his blog:

“My blog is mainly a family blog mainly concerning the names SUDDARTH, MONROE, MURRAY, LEDDY and RICE.  Although family specific, I try to use my own research to illustrate research methodolgy, different types of records and the ways in which they can be used.”

Visit his blog at: http://dwsuddarth.wordpress.com/

Researching Delaware family history?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Archives, Libraries, Research  Leave a comment

According to DoverPost.com (October 1st) The Delaware Public Archives has produced a series of twelve videos that provide info about the holdings and research at the Archives. Each video is two minutes long. Click here to view the videos.The topics include Visiting the Archives, Manuscript Genealogies, Vital Statistics, Tombstone Records, Photographs, and Orphans Court Records.

Thomas M. Summers, Manage of Outreach Services for the Archives, is the man you see in the videos. Also check out their Facebook page and blog. All of these along with the Delaware Public Archives website provide extensive details about their holdings and research.

Makes me wish I had some Delaware ancestry.

FGS Voice: A free montly newsletter

Paula Stuart-Warren  Federation of Genealogical Societies  Leave a comment

The Federation of Genealogical Societies has a monthly newsletter, FGS Voice, that is free to anyone. It’s a great way to keep up with general FGS news and with news from the FGS member societies. Please let your fellow genealogists, librarians, and others know about this great offer.

If your society is a member organization of FGS, be sure to send society news, activities, and events to the editor, Drew Smith, MLS at [email protected].

SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOICE: Send name and e-mail address to the FGS Voice editor at [email protected].