UpFront with NGS: July 2011

29 July 2011

Bring Back Memories -- Check out this collection of Billboards and other Outdoor Advertisements

The new Resource of Outdoor Advertising Descriptions (ROAD 2.0) digital collection contains more than 27,000 images of billboards and other outdoor advertisements (e.g. wall paintings, neon signs, displays on taxis, buses and other vehicles, etc) mostly taken between the 1930s and 1980s and have been digitized and made available online by Duke University Libraries.

These images are part of a vast collection of historical advertising images from the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Marketing & Advertising History, part of Duke’s Special Collections Library.

I encourage you to be nostalgic and walk down this memory lane.

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

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 [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

28 July 2011

Swedish American Genealogist Now Online

Swedish American Genealogist is a quarterly journal devoted to Swedish American biography, genealogy, and personal history. The journal was founded in 1981 by Nils William Olsson and is currently edited by Elisabeth Thorsell. This online collection is free to the public and contains issues published as recently as 2007.

This collection is part of the CARLI Digital Collections, established in 2006 as a repository for digital content created by member libraries of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) or purchased by the consortium for use by its members.

CARLI also includes a collection of Historical Society Newsletters as well as other collections.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

27 July 2011

Google +

Everybody seems to be talking about Google +.

Before I heard about it from various genealogists on Facebook and elsewhere, my husband sent me this link to an article with the title “Why Google Plus is about to change the Web as we know it” published by TechRepublic.

To be honest, I only skimmed the article and figured I did not have time or interest in one more kind of social media.

Then something happened – I started reading about it in posts on EOGN, GeneaMusings, Olive Tree Genealogy, etc. That got a bit more of my attention, after all, this was now fellow genealogists talking about it. And, I still dilly-dallied about exploring it further.

Then something miraculous happened, my husband, who does NOT belong to Facebook or any social media group started talking about what he likes about the Google +. That’s when I really appreciate how it is different from Facebook and could very helpful in keeping up on all the diverse topics and people who interest me and yet not having to do it in one long mish-mash of posts that swing, as on Facebook, from family posts to genealogy colleague posts to local news to coupons & savings opportunities and much more.

I like the idea of the different circles and have now created ones for family, friends, genealogy, etc. I still haven’t had much time to really delve into it and I am more appreciative of how it might be more than “just another social network” and definitely benefit family research by creating distinct circles for various family lines and also to separate out my personal and professional genealogy projects.

Do know that as of this writing not everyone is able to join as it continues in its beta stage and if you know anyone who is a member, ask them to invite you.

Check out this demo.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

26 July 2011

Books and Other Fetish Objects

An opinion piece by this title appeared in the New York Times on 16 July 2011.

An excerpt states …

“Apparently historians know the feeling well — the exhilaration that comes from handling the venerable original. It’s a contact high. In this time of digitization, it is said to be endangered. The Morgan Notebook of Isaac Newton is online now (thanks to the Newton Project at the University of Sussex). You can surf it.

The raw material of history appears to be heading for the cloud. What once was hard is now easy. What was slow is now fast.

Is this a case of “be careful what you wish for”? “

Read the full thought provoking article.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

25 July 2011

NGS Magazine -- July/August/September 2011 Edition Now Available!

NGS is happy to announce that a new issue of the NGS Magazine, July/Aug/Sept 2011 (PDF 4.1MB) is now available to NGS members.

Here is the table of contents for this issue:

Features

NGS 2011 awards and competitions, by Phyllis Matthews Ziller, MLIS
Albert Cook Myers elected to the National Genealogy Hall of Fame
Ask Granny, by Judith F. Russell, PhD
Genealogy in the classroom, by Elizabeth Drembus
Breaking through the scholarly divide: open access for family historians, by Dawn C. Stricklin
Protecting precious photographic memories, by Gordon Lynn Hufford
How typical were your ancestors? Carl Ludwig Richter and New York City’s “Little Germany,” by John Philip Colletta, PhD
Fur trade permits granted in the District of Montréal, 1721–52, by Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne
Who was Brockbank of the Confederate Submarine H.L. Hunley?, by Eric Stroschein
Case study: Kilroy was here, by Michael Brophy

Columns
National Archives, by Claire Prechtel-Kluskens
Technology, by Jordan Jones
Writing family history, by Harold E. Hinds Jr., PhD

Departments
President’s message, by Ann Christnacht Hilke^CG
Editor’s Column, by Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens^CG NGS news
Genealogy news
Upcoming events

Editor’s Note: Remember that members are able to access the Magazine Archives as part of their membership.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected]

22 July 2011

A Celebration of Family History Showing in Austin TX, 26 July 2011

The Austin Genealogical Society, in Austin, Texas, invites your to our July meeting on Tuesday evening, July 26.

We’re having a night at the movies! We’ll watch the FamilySearch DVD, “A Celebration of Family History,” a DVD that shows several individuals tying their past and present families together, with emphasis on preserving stories and searching for connections. The highlight is a moving presentation by David McCullough, author and historian, examining our relationship between ourselves and our ancestors.

The meeting will be held at Highland Park Baptist Church, 5206 Balcones Dr., Austin, Texas, 78731. Refreshments are served at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7:00 p.m.

This is a free event, and our activities are always open to visitors. If you’re in the area, we hope you'll come join us!

Editor’s Note: Here is the original NGS announcement about this DVD.
Editor's Note: Correction 24 July 2011 -- NGS DVD changed to FamilySearch DVD -- though this video was shown at the 2010 NGS Family History Conference, the evening event and the DVD produced were both handled by FamilySearch.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

NGSQ, Volume 99, No. 2, June 2011 Now Available

NGS is happy to announce that a new issue of the NGSQ, Volume 99, No.2, June 2011 (PDF 2.5MB) is now available to NGS members.

Here is the table of contents for this issue:

Feature Articles

Documents and DNA Identify a Little-Known Lee Family in Virginia

Judy Kellar Fox^CG 85

Illegitimacy, Desertion, and Divorce: Using Indirect Evidence to Find Nicholas Mauer of Dromersheim

Karen Mauer Green^CG 97

Dirkje Vanalstine, Dorothy Porter, Dorcas Carroll: One and the Same Woman?

Brenda Dougall Merriman, cg 115

Which Isaac Purnell was Esau’s Father? Unraveling Relationships in Wiltshire

Marci Despain^CG, AG 145

Notes and Documents

Using Freedman’s Bank Registers to Trace Enslaved Families: A South Carolina McFall Example

Morna Lahnice Hollister 125

Village Jews in Imperial Russia’s Nineteenth-Century Minsk Governorate Viewed through a Genealogical Lens

Neville Lamdan, D.Phil. 133

Communications 81

Editors’ Corner

Time for Tenets 83

NGS Administration 84

Sidelights

A Woman Soldier [Abstracts from an Interview with Colonel Charley Richardson] 114

The War of 1812 Looms 124

Editor’s Note: Remember that members are able to access the NGSQ Archives as part of their membership.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected]

21 July 2011

NGS Book Loan Collection Video Online

ARLINGTON, VA, 21 July 2011: The National Genealogical Society proudly announces the release of an online presentation about the NGS Book Loan Collection presented by St. Louis County Reference Specialist, Ruth Ann Hager, CG, CGL2.

In November 2001, the National Genealogical Society (NGS) moved their lending library of more than 20,000 books from their headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, to St. Louis County Library’s Special Collections Department in St. Louis, Missouri.

The collection was previously available to only NGS members. Now, the entire genealogical community can access the books through interlibrary loan at their local library. This noteworthy collection, which has strong holdings for East Coast and New England states, contains family histories and published abstracts of cemeteries, church records, court records, deeds, marriages, wills: and related probate records as well as state, county, and local histories.

In this presentation, Ms. Hager covers such elements of how to find, request, obtain, and donate to the NGS Book Loan Collection.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists. Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

2011 Edition of the Jewish Genealogy Yearbook

The 2011 edition of Jewish Genealogy Yearbook is now online. Included is information about 195 organizations dedicated to supporting Jewish genealogy and preserving Jewish history. It is published by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and edited by Hal Bookbinder.

Don't forget that the 31^st IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy will be held in DC in August! NGS will be an exhibitor!

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].

20 July 2011

Digital Time Capsules

We’ve recently posted a few pieces that talk about Digital Preservation.

A related topic is Digital Time Capsules. A recent post by Leslie Johnston on the Library of Congress Digital Preservation blog broaches this topic.

“I was recently asked a question that I had never considered before: If I wanted to create a digital time capsule, how would I ensure that it is usable in twenty or fifty or more years? The International Time Capsule Society provides tips on creating a physical capsule. But what about the digital?

At its core, a time capsule is a collection of memorabilia documenting a place, organization, events, or a family. Think of a digital time capsule as being something like a multimedia scrapbook, containing records and mementos, including born-digital and digitized version of physical keepsakes. A time capsule should be more than a random collection, though; it should tell a story…”

Read the full post as well as comments made by others, one of which refers to the Planets TimeCapsule.

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

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

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

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 [email protected].