UpFront with NGS

11 June 2015

Couldn't Attend the Global Family Reunion -- No Worries -- Select Sessions Recorded & Available to Watch

The Global Family Reunion took place this past Saturday (6 June 2015).

If you weren’t able to attend, many sessions were streamed and are now available in an online archive. You need to click on which venue interests you and then select which video you would like to watch. Note that the video labels are not always terribly descriptive (e.g. Theatre Session 5).

Here is a schedule of events which might help you correlate the archived sessions for the three venues. The Vicusi Gallery archive includes some names familiar to our genealogy community – David Rencher and CeCe Moore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

10 June 2015

Yesterday was International Archives Day -- Did you Celebrate?

Happy Belated National Archives Day!

Though I didn’t celebrate National Archives Day (yesterday), I did use the many online resources available for several archives as I plotted and planned some future research.

Per the International Council on Archives, an International Archives Day in 2015 announcement is available in many languages. The corresponding media release states ...

All around the world, archivists will unite their voices on International Archives Day, June 9, to make the public understand why it is important to support archives and the profession. An excellent opportunity to discover or better know the archival profession, and to get in closer touch with a fascinating domain!

June 9 was launched in 2007 as International Archives Day because on the 9th of June 1948, the International Council on Archives (ICA) was created under the auspices of the UNESCO. This choice was adopted by the archives community as a whole around the world.

On this important universal awareness day, the President of the International Council on Archives, David Fricker reminds us to recognise the unique quality of archives as authentic evidence of administrative, cultural and intellectual activities and as a reflection of the evolution of societies. We also recognise the role of archivists in supporting the creation of records and making records available for use.

David Fricker says: "Archivists are the keepers of memory, bringing the past into the present. Archivists make these primary sources available so that citizens can make their own sense of the past, to understand ourselves and to make informed decisions about the future" adding that "The Archivists true obligation is not to the past or even the present; archivists must always think of the future" ...

Do read the full release for more details.

You can check out a gorgeous collection of images of documentary treasures held by archives here (click on View Photos in the upper right corner).

Though it’s important that we celebrate archives, libraries and other repositories invaluable to our research and our shared history, every day, it is nice to pause, even if for a moment, to consider how valuable these institutions are!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

08 June 2015

NHPRC Awards 33 Grants for Historical Records Projects

We always like to share when NARA awards grants! Preservation and improved access benefit us al. Here is the latest news ...

Washington, DC…Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero has awarded 33 grants totaling $3,066,505 for historical records projects in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The National Archives grants program is carried out through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The complete list of new grants is available online.

Grants went to 16 documentary editing projects to publish the papers of key American figures, including Jane Addams, Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, the Civil War Governors of Kentucky, and the Presidential Recordings project ...

Read the full press release.

Full list of grants awarded.

Editor's Note: The current crop of Grant Opportunities have deadlines ranging from 17 June to 8 October 2015. Full details here. [added 1:34pm 060815]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

05 June 2015

Family History Library -- FREE week-long US Research Seminar; 1/2 of classes offered as FREE webinars

The Family History Library (in Salt Lake City UT) is offering a FREE week-long United States Research Seminar (30 classes) 12^th -16^th October 2015. Half of the classes will also be offered as webinars (also FREE).

The Family History Library and the Research Specialists of the United States and Canada Reference team invite you to a free, never before offered, week-long seminar. The focus will be exclusively U.S. research. The seminar is perfect for beginning and intermediate genealogists interested in learning about U.S. records, FamilySearch resources, and Family History Library collection ...

Read more about the seminar, how to registrar and bookmark the page since it also contains the links for the planned webinars.

Do check out the seminar brochure for additional information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

04 June 2015

Bible Records added to DAR Genealogical Research System

Some good news from The National Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) ...

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is excited to announce a new resource has been added to its Genealogical Research System (GRS). The new resource is an index of over 40,000 digitized family Bible records, and each day more records are digitized and added to the Index. This is one of the largest known collections of such genealogical materials in existence. The DAR collection spans many decades, so even those researchers who are not looking for Revolutionary War era ancestors, may find the new Bible Records Index useful ...

Read the full press release for details.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

03 June 2015

A Jewish Cemetery That is only Accessible 2 Times a Year!

JUST AN IMAGE -- WORKING LINK TO VIDEO IN BODY OF ARTICLE

We often talk about access to cemeteries, or just as often, lack of access to cemeteries. Most often it’s a case where the cemetery is on private land, in a church cemetery with limited access, etc. Earlier this year we blogged about Hart Island – NYC’s Public Burial Ground – Over 1 Million Burials – Trying to Reveal Their Stories.

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — Beth Olem Cemetery is like many aging, final resting places, with assorted tombstones in varying condition, sizes and styles, encircled by a brick wall and iron gate.

Yet surrounding it on all sides is an unusual neighbor: a massive automotive plant.

The serene, green oasis is enveloped by the steel and concrete structures and grounds of General Motors Co.'s Detroit Hamtramck Plant, which makes Chevrolet Volts, Cadillacs and other cars. To maintain plant security, public access to the cemetery is limited to a couple days a year ...

Read the full article and watch the short video clip here to learn more about this fascinating cemetery which handled burials from the 1860s through the 1940s.

FindaGrave does list some of those interred in the cemetery.

Do you know of a cemetery located in a challenging location?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

02 June 2015

New & Free collaborative guide for teaching about WWI

The School of Education at UNC (this time along with Virginia Tech) continues to create resources that both help educate on historical topics of interest to family historians while expanding the ways that youth can be engaged in learning about the history behind family stories.

The most recent partnership is with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

ABMC, a government agency that administers America’s overseas Armed Forces cemeteries, established a partnership with LEARN NC, the outreach arm of the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Virginia Tech to create a guide to help educators teach about World War I. The initiative matched curriculum-development experts from the two universities with middle and high school teachers from North Carolina and Virginia to study an American WWI cemetery in France and to develop a multimedia teaching guide from what they learned.

You can access the FREE guide, Bringing the Great War Home: Teaching with the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, via this link.

Read more about the project on the UNC site and also on the ABMC site (you can also access the 10 chapters of the guide or it is available to be downloaded via iBooks with a link provided).

Are you aware of other collaborative efforts between academia and a government entity (whether Federal, State or Local) we should be aware of?

Editor’s Note: Previous Upfront with NGS post, UNC, Ancestry.com collaborate to create new history teaching guide -- Family History in the Classroom discusses another collaborative project involving the UNC School of Education which has relevance to family historians.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

01 June 2015

Global Family Reunion (6 June 2015)

There’s a new event taking place on June 6^th called Global Family Reunion.

The Global Family Reunion will have more than 30 wonderful speakers, including Henry Louis Gates, Dr. Oz, CeCe Moore and Joshua Taylor. We've got genealogy games, trivia and seminars. We even have Sister Sledge singing the ultimate genealogy anthem: "We are family."

The goal of the Global Family Reunion is threefold:

1) Incite a passion for genealogy worldwide
2) Raise awareness that we are all part of the human family and should treat each other with kindness.
3) Help fight Alzheimer's, which robs us of our family memories (all proceeds from the event go toward fighting the disease).

... The main event is in New York City. And there are more than 30 branch parties all around the country.

To learn more about the Global Family Reunion, you can read a New York Times article Are You My Cousin?, or listen to a TED talk (A.J. Jacobs) and/or a RootsTech keynote (Saturday session – scroll down page to almost the bottom).

Here is a list of the around-the world branch parties.

The main event requires you to pay an admission fee. Full details can be found on the Global Family Reunion website.

Will you or someone you know be going?

Editor’s Note: We’ve previously blogged about TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) in this post, New StoryCorps App (FREE) -- Your "story" could end up archived with the Library of Congress

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter