NGS Research Trip to Salt Lake City, 24-31 January 2010

The National Genealogical Society is sponsoring a research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the last week of January 2010. This is the eleventh year for this educational event, and it will be co-led by Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS, and Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL.

The trip package price includes seven nights at the Salt Lake City Plaza Hotel, located next door to the Library. The Plaza is ideally located with access to the library, shopping malls and restaurants. Also included in the price are an informal reception on Sunday evening, pizza on Wednesday, and a last night dinner. Other meals are at your own expense, and airfare and personal expenses are not included. Click here to read complete details.

Online Video: Genealogists on Joys of Research

The National Genealogical Society announced the release of Paths to Your Past, a twelve-minute video documentary available online and on DVD, in which noted genealogists and family researchers tell why they are passionate about researching their family history.

Whether you have been researching your family history for a number of years or you are just beginning, membership in the National Genealogical Society has something for you, including publications, educational courses, and an annual conference. View the video online at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org at the Publications and Videos tab to learn about the benefits of membership. By discovering your family history you learn about the struggles and accomplishments of your ancestors that molded your family values and influenced who you are today.

Paths to Your Past was produced by award-winning cinematographer Allen Moore at the NGS Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, in May 2009 and on location at the National Archives, the Alexandria (Virginia) Library, the Maryland Historical Society, and other research sites.

The National Genealogical Society also offers a companion publication, Paths to Your Past, which provides an overview of how to begin your family research or, for intermediate-level genealogists, a review of sources and methodology. The fifty-page soft cover book or a downloadable PDF version can be purchased online at the NGS Store (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org).

The National Genealogical Society was founded in 1903 and is the largest national organization for all family researchers, including beginner, intermediate, and professional genealogists, interested in expanding their research skills and preserving their family history for future generations.

Discounts on Airfare and Car Rental for NGS 2010 Conference

NGS has set up a special discounts for travel to the conference between 21 April and 8 May 2010 with Delta/KLM/NWA. Discount varies between 2–7% depending on the departure/arrival cities and type of fare. In addition, Thrifty Car Rental is offering 8% off the lowest rate available at time of booking for rentals in the Salt Lake area at conference time.

To see details and the discount codes for these offers, go to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/discounts.

Announcing 2010 NGS Conference Registration Plus International Workshops

The National Genealogical Society issued the following press release on 16 November 2009. Note that seating is limited at the International Workshops, so sign up early to reserve your seat.

Follow Your Ancestral Trail

Where did your ancestors come from? Whether they came from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, or Central or South America, there’s something for you at the National Genealogical Society’s 32nd Family History Conference, “Follow Your Ancestral Trail.” This year’s conference will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center nestled in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, from 28 April–1 May 2010. The convention center is steps from the Family History Library, the largest genealogy library in the world.

The major focus of this year’s conference will be increasing research skills in foreign countries. Featured at the conference are several International Workshops that will combine lecture and hands-on research planning and problem solving. The Hispanic Workshop will look at the establishment of settlements in La Nueva España (what we now know as Mexico), some areas of the southern United States, and parts of Central America. Learn about migration routes of immigrants to Latin America as well as the importance and availability of Catholic Church records. The Eastern Europe Workshop will include a presentation of the changing borders of Eastern Europe. Participants will learn record keeping fundamentals in Austria, Hungary, Russia, and Prussia, what records are available, and how to build pedigrees using church records and civil registration. The Norway/Denmark Workshop will discuss the latest Norwegian and Danish genealogical collections available and explore record types from parish records to seldom used and lesser-known collections. The Italy Workshop will discuss how to find Italian records and how to read Italian civil and church records. The Swedish Workshop will be a great launching point whether you are just starting out or have been working on Swedish research for some time. The workshop will use a case study approach followed by hand-on activities.

Each International Workshop also includes prearranged lab time at the Family History Library. There is no additional fee for the workshops beyond the conference registration; however, pre-registration is required. Seating is limited, so be sure to register early.

In addition to the workshops, the international lecture track will offer talks about Irish, Italian, German, French, Polish, Swedish, Finnish, and Canadian research. Learn to research in the archives of Spain and Latin America, to solve research problems using probate records in England and Wales, or learn about Austrian Catholic church records.

Registration for the conference is now open. Registration details and the conference program can be found online at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration.

Laura G. Prescott Elected APG President

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) issued the following press release on 13 November 2009.

WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 13 – Laura G. Prescott of Brookline, New Hampshire, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. Prescott is genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association and a consultant for Footnote.com. She will succeed Jake Gehring of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Prescott, reflecting on her upcoming tenure, said “I’m very excited about the next two years. We have a diverse and enthusiastic group of people on the board. This enthusiasm, coupled with the momentum from the current administration, will surely bring benefits to our members. Chapters will continue to play a vital role in reaching members and genealogists on a local level, while we try innovative ways, nationally and internationally, to educate and inform the membership, as well as aspiring genealogists. As professionals, we have a responsibility to set an example and support each other in making positive contributions to the entire genealogical community and to the profession.”

APG members also elected three members of the board’s executive committee to two-year terms, eleven of its nineteen regional directors, and two members to one-year terms on the nominating committee.

Kenyatta D. Berry of Santa Monica, California, a genealogist, entrepreneur, and lawyer with more than 12 years of experience in genealogy research and writing was elected vice president of the nearly 2,000 member organization. Andrew M. “Drew” Smith, MLS, of Odessa, Florida, president of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, and co-host of the Genealogy Guys Podcast was elected secretary. Current APG treasurer, Gordon Gray of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was re-elected. He owns GrayLine Group, a genealogical/family history research business and is the president of the International Society for British Genealogy & Family History.

Eleven regional director positions will be filled by:

West Region: Suzanne Russo Adams, AG, of Utah, specialist in Italian research and employee of Ancestry.com. James Ison, AG, CG, of Utah, president of the APG Salt Lake Chapter and manager of Strategy and Planning for the Family History Library.

Midwest Region: Mary Clement Douglass, Salina, Kansas, former museum curator and co-founder of the APG Heartland Chapter. Jay Fonkert, CG, St. Paul, Minnesota, genealogical educator and writer, and president of the Minnesota Genealogical Society.

Southeast Region: Alvie L. Davidson, CG, a Florida-based Private Investigator and Circuit Court qualified expert. Craig Roberts Scott, CG, President and CEO of Heritage Books, Inc. Melanie D. Holtz, of North Carolina, specialist in Italian research.

Northeast Region: Debra Braverman, New York, national speaker and forensic genealogist who regularly testifies as an expert witness. Pamela S. Eagleson, CG, Maine, researcher, writer, and teacher focusing on New England, the mid-Atlantic, and Midwest.

International Regions: Michael Goldstein of Israel, traces roots worldwide, specializing in family reunification, heir searches, and holocaust research. Carole Riley, a professional genealogist based in Sydney, Australia with a background in computer applications.

David McDonald, CG, of Wisconsin, currently serving as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and a director of the National Genealogical Society; and Donna M. Moughty, Florida, speaker and writer were elected to one-year terms on the nominations committee.

The Association of Professional Genealogists (http://www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents nearly 2,000 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers, and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring, and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy, local, and social history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada, and thirty other countries.

2010 OGS Family History Writing Contest

Editor's Note: The helpful hints in this article are useful for anyone writing a story about their family (Click the "Read more" link below the article's beginning on the UpFront home page). While you're trying your hand, why not send in an entry to this or another genealogy writing contest? It's a great way to learn and grow, and maybe even win a prize!

Do you have a great story about your family? Any stories of struggles, immigration, or “black sheep”? That story may be a winner. Why not share it in 2500 words or less. The Oklahoma Genealogical Society’s (OGS) Family History Writing Contest provides the opportunity for researchers to share special family stories with fellow genealogists. The stories may be historically or ethnically important, humorous, or just plain interesting. Writing a family history story will preserve that precious memory and history for descendants.

There is no entry fee for the contest, and membership in OGS is not required although dues are a low $20 per calendar year for an individual or $25 for family memberships at the same address. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month at the Oklahoma History Center, with a speaker on some area of interest to genealogists. Members receive the OGS Quarterly and are invited to submit free queries as well as receiving a discount on workshops, seminars and other events.

Here are some helpful hints for both beginners and the experienced writer.

• Focus on one event. Write your story from beginning to end without stopping to edit or re-write. Then when you have told the story, go back and clean up the grammar and cut unnecessary words if the story is too long.

• Even very short stories must have a beginning, middle and an ending. Your family history story should, too.

• Start with the action – grab your reader by the throat and don’t let go. You need to catch your reader’s interest in the opening sentence.

• Give the reader a sense of place from the beginning of your story. Where and when is this event happening? What else was going on in the rest of the world that may have influenced your family’s actions?

• In your editing phase, spell out abbreviations, use complete sentences, watch your grammar and avoid hyphenation. Break the story into paragraphs to make it easier to read. You might ask someone who is good in English to proofread your story before submitting it.

• Sources are important. Collect any resources you can find to document the story facts such as family Bible, census record, land record, birth and death certificates, photographs, etc. Enter the sources as footnotes or endnotes and attach copies (not originals) of the documentation.

• Be sure the entry form is attached to your entry and includes: Title of manuscript, whether entering the adult or student category, estimated word count, author’s name and complete mailing address. You should also include your phone number and email address in case the contest chair needs to contact you about a problem with your entry. The entry form is removed before your manuscript is delivered to the judges.

• Entering the contest acknowledges you give permission for your story to be published, and that information and photos concerning the winners may be published in local media.
  

Eligibility:

All family historians and genealogists, except OGS Board members, are invited to submit their favorite story for the contest. There is no entry fee and membership in OGS is not required.

There will be two divisions: Adult and Student. If enough entries are received, the student category will be divided into elementary and high school divisions.

For full details and a downloadable entry form, visit the Oklahoma Genealogical Society’s web site at http://www.okgensoc.org/.

Georgia historic newspapers available online at Digital Library of Georgia

The Digital Library of Georgia is pleased to announce the free online availability of three historic Georgia newspapers: the Macon Telegraph Archive, the Columbus Enquirer Archive, and the Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive. Each extensive archive provides historic newspaper page images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. Zooming and printing capabilities are provided for each page image (via a DjVu browser plug-in).

The Macon Telegraph Archive (http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/telegraph) offers online access to weekly, daily, and semi-weekly issues under various titles spanning the years 1826 through 1908, and includes over 51,000 page images.

The Columbus Enquirer Archive (http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/enquirer) provides online access to weekly, daily and tri-weekly issues under various titles spanning the years 1828 through 1890. The archive includes more than 32,000 page images.

The Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive (http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/milledgeville) offers online access to eleven historic newspaper titles spanning the years 1808 through 1920 (including the Civil War years when Milledgeville was the state capitol). The archive includes over 49,000 page images.

Additional newspaper digitization projects are currently underway and will be announced as they become available online at the Digital Library of Georgia. Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia is an initiative of GALILEO, the state's virtual library.

The Columbus Enquirer Archive, Columbus Enquirer Archive, and Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive are projects of the Digital Library of Georgia as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. The projects are supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

For more information, please contact us at http://www.galileo.usg.edu/contact/.

National Genealogical Society Seeks Nominations for the 2010 Genealogy Hall of Fame

Would your society like to honor a genealogist whose exemplary work lives on today? Perhaps there was a notable genealogist in your state or county whose name should be memorialized in the NGS Hall of Fame.

If so, the National Genealogical Society would like to hear from you. NGS is seeking nominations from the entire genealogical community for persons whose achievements or contributions have made an impact on the field. This educational program increases appreciation of the high standards advocated and achieved by committed genealogists whose work paved the way for researchers today.

Since 1986 when Donald Lines Jacobus became the first genealogist elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame, twenty-four outstanding genealogists have been recognized for their contributions. The 2010 honoree will join this select group of distinguished members. This year’s selection, and the society that honored the nominee, will be feted at the 2010 NGS Conference in the States to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, 28 April -1 May 2010.

Nominations for election to the Hall of Fame are made by genealogical societies and historical societies throughout the United States.

Guidelines for nominations:

• A nominee must have been actively engaged in genealogy in the United States for at least ten years, must have been deceased for at least five years at the time of nomination, and must have made contributions to the field of genealogy judged to be of lasting significance in ways that were unique, pioneering, or exemplary.

• The National Genealogy Hall of Fame is an educational project in which the entire genealogical community is invited to participate. Affiliation with the National Genealogical Society is not required.

• The National Genealogy Hall of Fame Committee elects one person to the Hall of Fame annually. Those elected are permanently commemorated in the Hall of Fame at Society headquarters, Arlington, Virginia.

• Nominations for election to the Hall of Fame are due by 31 January each year. Official nomination forms are available from our website, www.ngsgenealogy.org, Awards & Competitions, or by contacting the National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22204-4304; phone 1-800-473-0060.

Honored Members of the National Genealogy Hall of Fame

• 1986 Donald Lines Jacobus (1887-1970)
• 1987 Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966)
• 1988 Gilbert Cope (1840-1928)
• 1989 John Farmer (1789-1838)
• 1990 George A. Moriarty Jr. (1883-1968)
• 1991 Lucy Mary Kellogg (1899-1973)
• 1992 Meredith B. Colket Jr. (1912-1985)
• 1993 Henry Fitz Gilbert Waters (1833-1913)
• 1994 Archibald Fowler Bennett (1896-1965)
• 1995 Joseph Lemuel Chester (1821-1882)
• 1996 George Ernest Bowman (1860-1941)
• 1997 John Insley Coddington (1902-1991)
• 1998 Jean Stephenson (1892-1979)
• 1999 James Dent Walker (1928-1993)
• 2000 Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern (1915-1994)
• 2001 Richard Stephen Lackey (1941-1983)
• 2002 Hannah Benner Roach (1907-1976)
• 2003 Milton Rubincam (1909-1997)
• 2004 Herbert Furman Seversmith (1904-1967)
• 2005 Mary Lovering Holman (1868-1947)
• 2006 Dr. Kenn Stryker-Rodda (1903-1990)
• 2007 Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr. (1911-2000)
• 2008 Lowell M. Volkel (1936-1992)
• 2009 Willard Heiss (1921-1988)

National Archives Tweets

The following is a press release from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Washington, DC…The National Archives has signed on to Twitter! Check for all the latest Archives news and upcoming events ((http://twitter.com/archivesnews/). New tweets will alert the public to exciting programs taking place at the National Archives in the Washington, DC, headquarters building and around the country at the 13 presidential libraries and 14 regional facilities. Learn about the National Archives connection to Elvis Presley's military hair cut and his famous visit to meet President Nixon. Be reminded of anniversaries of famous treaties, documents, and national events. Find out news about major projects happening at the Archives by following our tweets.

Visit the National Archives other social media sites. Check out our three Facebook pages for news and events, research, and the Federal Register at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nationwide/US-National-Archives/128463482993, our YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/USNationalArchives, and our Flickr photostream at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives. For more information about the National Archives, visit our web site (http://www.archives.gov/).

David Ferriero Confirmed as 10th Archivist of the U.S.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) issued the following press release on 6 November 2009:

David Ferriero Confirmed by U.S. Senate as 10th Archivist of the United States

Washington, DC. . . Today, the United States Senate voted to confirm David Ferriero as the 10th Archivist of the United States. Mr. Ferriero was the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries and is a leader in the field of library science. Mr. Ferriero, who was nominated by President Obama on July 28, 2009, will succeed Professor Allen Weinstein who resigned as Archivist in December 2008 for health reasons. Deputy Archivist Adrienne Thomas is serving as the Acting Archivist until Mr. Ferriero assumes his duties.

As the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries (NYPL), Mr. Ferriero was part of the leadership team responsible for integrating the four research libraries and 87 branch libraries into one seamless service for users, creating the largest public library system
in the United States and one of the largest research libraries in the world. Mr. Ferriero was in charge of collection strategy; conservation; digital experience; reference and research services; and education, programming, and exhibitions.

Among his responsibilities at the NYPL was the development of the library's digital strategy, which currently encompasses partnerships with Google and Microsoft, a web site that reaches more than 25 million unique users annually, and a digital library of more than 750,000 images
that may be accessed free of charge by any user around the world.

Before joining the NYPL in 2004, Mr. Ferriero served in top positions at two of the nation's major academic libraries, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, and Duke University in Durham, NC. In those positions, he led major initiatives including the
expansion of facilities, the adoption of digital technologies, and a reengineering of printing and publications.

Mr. Ferriero earned bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from Northeastern University in Boston and a master's degree from the Simmons College of Library and Information Science, also in Boston. After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, he started in the humanities library at MIT, where he worked for 31 years, rising to associate director for public services and acting co-director of libraries.

In 1996, Mr. Ferriero moved to Duke University, where he served as University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs until 2004. At Duke, he raised more than $50 million to expand and renovate the university's library and was responsible for instructional technology initiatives, including overseeing Duke's Center for Instructional Technology.

As Archivist of the United States, Mr. Ferriero will oversee the National Archives and Records Administration, an independent Federal agency created by statute in 1934. The National Archives safeguards and preserves the records of the U.S. Government, ensuring that the people
can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to records that document the rights of American citizens, the actions of federal officials, and the national experience.

Its 44 facilities include the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, the National Archives at College Park, 13 Presidential libraries, and 14 regional archives nationwide. The National Archives also publishes the Federal Register, administers the Information Security Oversight Office, the Office of Government Information Services, makes grants of historical documentation through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Among the National Archives' approximately 9 billion pages of materials that are open to the public for research nationwide are millions of photographs, maps, and documents, thousands of motion pictures and audio recordings, and millions of electronic records. Every subject relating
to American history is covered in the records of the National Archives: Revolutionary War pension files, landmark Supreme Court cases, international treaties, legislative records, executive orders, public laws, records relating to all U.S. Presidents and the papers of Presidents Hoover through George W. Bush.

2010 NGS Family History Conference-Registration is Open!

Mark your Calendar for the 2010 Family History Conference, “Follow Your Ancestral Trail”, which will be held 28 April—1 May 2010, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Whether your family helped settle the nation, migrated across the country, stayed in the same place, or recently arrived in America, this conference has much to offer. A few examples of the Family History Conference’s diverse program offerings include the International Workshops which will focus on researching the cultural records of other countries through lectures, research, and problem solving; the Evening Celebration of Family History, which will incorporate a multimedia tribute to family history, a special guest speaker, and a mini-concert by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; and Ask An Expert, where the Utah Genealogical Association will sponsor twenty minute family history consultations to registered attendees.

Registration for the 2010 NGS Family History Conference to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, is now open. View the online conference program at http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/2010Program.cfm or download a PDF version. For more information visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info

REGISTER TODAY If you have trouble logging on or registering, please e-mail Erin Wood at [email protected] or call her at (703) 525-0050 ext. 112.
To receive a conference brochure, please email Erin Wood.
Questions? Call (703) 525-0050 ext 221, or email Gayathri Kher