Globalism in Genealogy Webinars! Foreign to us languages are less of a barrier than ever before!

 

Recently, I have been invited to attend a couple of non-US (and one non-English) webinars on genealogy research. 

I didn’t attend one because it was in Spanish and my Spanish-speaking daughter is away at college and the other took place at 4am EST! I was sorry to miss them and fortunately, both webinars have been archived and are available to those of us who did miss them.

It is very exciting that the genealogical webinar community is now truly becoming more and more global.

Let me share a bit more about these two webinars:

1. Genealogy: Latin American Immigration to Brazil (in Spanish). This webinar was streamed live on 25 October 2013.  It was introduced by Sonia Meza Morales (Red de Antepasados (Ancestors Network)) and the presenter was Adriana Weber who shared her lecture given at the Ibero-American Genealogy Conference held in Utah, from 9 to 14 September 2013. Even if you don't speak Spanish, the presentation slides are easy to understand and you can always use a translation service (such as Google Translate) to help translate what is not obvious.

Red de Antepasados also has a Youtube channel where there are many other archived webinars (all in Spanish) including:

- Genealogy: In search of your Italian roots II

- Basic notes for the novice Genealogist

- Genealogy: Learn how to create your own blog

Genealogía: La inmigración de América Latina al Brasil (en español). Este seminario se transmitió en vivo el 25 de octubre de 2013. Fue introducido por Sonia Meza Morales (Red de Antepasados (Antepasados Network)) y la presentadora fue Adriana Weber quien compartió su conferencia pronunciada en la Conferencia Genealogía Iberoamericana celebrada en Utah, del 9 al 14 septiembre de 2013. Incluso si usted no habla español, las diapositivas de presentación son fáciles de entender y que siempre puede utilizar un servicio de traducción (Como Google Translate) para ayudar a traducir lo que no es evidente.

Red de Antepasados también tiene un canal de Youtube, donde hay muchos otros webinars archivados (todos en español), como:

- Genealogía: En la búsqueda de tus raíces italianas II

- Apuntes básicos para el Genealogista principiante

- Genealogía: Aprenda a crear tu propio blog

2. GeniAus Hangout on Air (in English). This webinar was streamed live on 30 October 2013.  It was run by Jill Ball. It discussed items of interest to genealogists down under but warmly welcomed participants from all over the globe. This is the first in what is hoped to become a continuing webinar series.

Do you know of other non-US and/or non-English archived webinars that would be of interest and/or relevance to our global genealogical community?

[French] Vous connaissez des webinaires de généalogie en français?

[German] Wissen, dass Genealogie Webinare auf Deutsch?

[Norwegian] Vet om slektsforskning webinarer i norsk?

[Yiddish] ?וויסן פון קיין ייחוס וועבינאַרס אין ייִדיש

[Irish] Know d'aon webinars ginealais i nGaeilge?

Editor’s Note: A big thanks to Dear Myrtle (aka Pat Richley-Erickson) for bringing these webinars to our attention.

Editor's Note: All translation was done using Google Translate though a Spanish-speaker did help clean up the Spanish-language entry; please take that into account.

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I love digital, but sometimes paper is just better ... What do you think?

Though many enthusiastically embrace a paper-free world, I have to agree with Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten when he states “I love digital, but sometimes paper is just better.”

He goes onto say ...

There are just moments when paper is still superior to digital, in at least these five categories:
- Boarding passes
- Taking notes in meetings
- Sticky notes
- Magazines
- Business cards

I wholeheartedly agree with taking notes in meetings and sticky notes! There is no easy/quick/efficient way on my laptop that I can take notes in the margins, use circles to connect one item to another, link seemingly disparate ideas and more!  My notes often become a flow chart of my thinking.  I attend a lecture, hear about a resource (which I note) and then I think of a project where I should apply that resource and then that reminds me of something related to the local genealogy society, etc.  I think you get the picture.

And, sticky notes – I use them every day.  Though I have a notes app on my cell phone, I only see it when I check my cell phone.  I use sticky notes on my research papers to point out my research target for the day, to put brief “to do” items lists that I can then throw out (and with great satisfaction) when done, to put on my computer screen to remind me of something critical to do as the very first item when I get to my laptop (e.g. write an Upfront with NGS post for that day), etc.  I have used many other means (low tech and high tech) and the colorful, multi-sized and ubiquitous sticky note is still a must use tool for me.

Another paper must use for me is a calendar.  Though I do use Google Calendar to coordinate activities, I use a weekly paper calendar to “document” what I have done as well as note future appointments. This is my only form of “diary” and for that reason I still find consider it superior to Google Calendar.

Additionally, I still think that there is a lot to be said for hand-written notes and cards.  Though I have sent e-cards (more often than I care to admit), there are times when something heartfelt and hand-written has a warmth and intimacy that an e-card just cannot pull off.

Whether we are talking our personal world or our genealogical research world, are there other categories of usage where you feel that paper is still superior to digital?

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Call for Guest Bloggers -- Ethnic Communities Found Within the United States -- Genealogy/Family History Research into!

Source: http://allthingslearning.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/blogging-guest-bloggers-welcome.jpg

Upfront with NGS is considering a series of blog posts focusing on “ethnic” research.  The initial primary focus is research for ethnic communities found within the United States though we hope to expand the list of topics in the near future to be more global.

We would like to use a format of Top XX tips or Top XX resources for XX research.

Initially we would like to publish posts about the following topics:

·    Jewish Genealogy (גניאלוגיה יהודית)

·    Native American Genealogy

·    African American Genealogy

·    French-Canadians who migrated down from Canada (Généalogie Canadienne-Française)

·    Hispanic Genealogy (Genealogía Hispana)

·    any other ethnic group for which research into presents special genealogy research challenges

If you consider yourself an expert on one or more of these topics, please e-mail us at [email protected] with a proposed blog post or hyperlinks to previously written material on the topic which you would like to consider!

Requirements include:

·    Minimum length of 600 words.  Depending on length, a post might become a series such as with the DNA series by Roberta Estes earlier this year.

·    Includes at least one graphic.

·    No remuneration is provided.

·    Author is given a 50 word byline + one hyperlink (at the end of the post).

Upfront with NGS is always looking for quality submissions by “guest bloggers.”  Topics need to be about a genealogy (family history) related or a relatable topic. Broad appeal is preferable to very narrow/specific topics. Are you an expert or passionate about something genealogical? If so, please submit a proposal. If it’s relevant to genealogy researchers, it will be considered. Some topic suggestions include: free and/or large databases, research techniques, new technology, resources, DNA testing, etc.

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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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.

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Social Media -- are you using it as much as you might for your genealogy research?

source: http://infographicality.com/conversations-in-social-media-infographic/
{as appeared with referenced article}

We often talk about social media and genealogy since the options continue to expand, both in personal usage and as a family history research tool. So many platforms, so little time!

The In-Depth Genealogist did a recent post on this Social Media and Genealogy: It’s Not Just About Chats With Friends Anymore.  The post discusses the myriad ways that one can use social media.  Just one of the associated graphics (see above) was startling in how “many” and “different” social media outlets it listed.  I can say that I recognized a very small percentage of those listed!

What are your top 5 social media platforms as far as family history research?  What value do they each provide to you and your research?

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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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.

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Upfront Mini Bytes – Genealogy Roadshow, Medieval Manuscripts, Australia, Medical Miscellany, LibriVox, Auschwitz, WWII Army, Animaps ...

Welcome to our newest edition of our bi-weekly feature Upfront Mini Bytes.  In Upfront Mini Bytes we provide eight tasty bits of genealogy news that will help give you a deeper byte into your family history research. Each item is short and sweet.  We encourage you to check out the links to articles, blog posts, resources, and anything genealogical!

We hope you found the past editions helpful.  Use your favorite search engine with “Upfront with NGS” “Mini Bytes” or use this Google search link.

Do you have questions, suggestions for future posts, or comments?  Please post a comment or send an e-mail to [email protected].

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Did you enjoy watching Season 1 of Genealogy Roadshow?  If you did, and you are interested in having your story told as part of Season 2, fill out an application.

                                                                                              

Are you researching Medieval and earlier Brits?  If so, you might want to check out Fancy Another Giant List of Digitised Manuscript Hyperlinks? This master list contains details of everything that has so far been uploaded by the British Library Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts department, complete with hyperlinks to each individual record.

Researching “down under” family? Check out the Biographical Database of Australia (BDA).  This is a new research tool for historians and genealogists, which contains transcripts and indexes of many original records and published biographies of deceased individuals who arrived in or were born in Australia, starting from the earliest times.

 

So little time, so much I don’t know!  Via the Historical Medical Miscellany Blog I just learned that V is for Visitation of God when seen on early death certificates.

Recently stumbled across an online library of free public domain audiobooks, LibriVox.  Remember listening to cassette tapes while driving around town?  Well, now you can just download an audiobook to your smartphone and listen while driving!  Though no books are characterized as genealogy, there are many history books available.

If you know German and your ancestors survived Auschwitz, you might be interested in Audio files of Auschwitz survivors go online. The voices of Holocaust survivors and Nazi death camp guards can be heard in an online audio archive of testimony from Germany's first Auschwitz trial half a century ago.

 

Speaking of World War II, WW2enlistment.org has a World War 2 U.S. Army Enlistment Archive. The site is a searchable archive for World War II era Army enlistment records, generally spanning the years 1938 - 1946. There are records of 8,433,326 U.S. Army soldiers, reservists, and enlistees including enlisted men and women, foreign scouts and nationals, etc.

Like maps?  Like to create maps?  Have you checked out Animaps? Animaps extends the My Maps feature of Google Maps by letting you create maps with markers that move, images and text that pop up on cue, and lines and shapes that change over time. When you send your Animap to friends it appears like a video - they can play, pause, slow, and speed up the action!  We’d love to see an example created by a genealogist!  If you have created an Animap, please contact [email protected].

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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Technological Divide in Genealogy -- Yes, it does exist! What might we do about it?

The Digital Divide and The Complexities of the Digital Era, http://spotlight-universityofbedfordshire.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-digital-divide-and-complexities-of.html

A few weeks ago I read a blog post by James Tanner (Genealogy’s Star) titled Can we overcome the Great Genealogical Divide? which really resonated with me.  This was probably because I had just hung up the phone after talking with a client who does not have e-mail or a computer (barely has cell phone service as he lives so remotely) to suggest that he take the DVD I just sent him with over 600 images of family documents to a Kinkos or similar to get print copies made. A really nice client, who by choice, lives a low-key lifestyle in the wilds of Maryland.

Then I got to reminiscing about other recent clients I have worked with recently which include:

1. clients who have no computer and even no e-mail account – so we talk via phone and/or communicate using snail mail

2. clients who have an e-mail account and no computer -- they access e-mail via phone or at a library periodically

3. clients who have e-mail and a computer but no internet access – so we talk via phone and/or communicate using snail mail

4. clients who may have e-mail, a computer and internet access and for whom health issues increasingly prevent them from using such for any length of time

5. clients who never learned to type and so only use the phone or written correspondence to communicate

And the list goes on of those who do not get their genealogy “fix” online nor by using online resources, at home, as a tool.

These are not always the oldest in our community. Many are those who have chosen to have the technological umbilical cord that many of us are now attached to or many who live in areas with limited access to the internet, etc.

Are we increasingly excluding them from becoming involved in family history research?  Are we (the genealogy community) doing them a disservice by assuming that they are technologically literate? We frequently talk about all the podcasts, webinars, programming, databases and more available online.  What if there is no “online” for someone?

I was fortunate to learn typing in high school (on an old-fashioned typewriter) and then shared that skill with my husband.  He, the computer engineer, is always current on computer technology and has kept me abreast of that world (why else did we build a house over 20 years ago with cat 5 cable running through it that we installed?).  Never mind that my dad (see picture below) in the 1960s and until he retired, worked with some of the newest generation of computers (the type that take up whole rooms) and so for my whole life I’ve been surrounded by technology-minded men!

Warnaco News, January 1973 -- my Dad, Richard Acey

Because of this, I do take for granted that I know how to type and with speed and have worked with computers for over 30 years and with the internet since its creation.  And, it’s easy for me to forget that my situation is not that of others ...

What can our genealogical community do to embrace “everyone” interested in researching their family history? 

Have you or a local society taken steps to assist in helping the technology-free or technology-illiterate become more comfortable with computers, genealogy software and/or the internet?  What have you done?  What would you suggest to others interested in attempting the same?

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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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.

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Using Radar To Do Cemetery Mapping and Find Unmarked Graves -- Fascinating!

GPRS, the company mentioned in the referenced article, http://www.gp-radar.com/Photo_Gallery/Locating_Unmarked_Graves.html

I came across this neat post Radar Used To Find Unmarked Graves.  What a neat idea.  The article states ...

“When they started 15 years ago, they were able to locate 80 headstones, but his­torical lists have told them there were up to 200 people buried at Potter Cemetery at one time.

Now, with the help of radar technology, they are hoping to find more.”

So often we visit a cemetery and find that few to no tombstones are visible and yet there is an extensive paper trail (death certificates, obituaries, etc) telling us that there are many individuals who were buried in the cemetery.

Or, there is a situation where we know from records that there was a family cemetery on the farm and yet no such cemetery is delineated or marked on any plat.  So, where was it?

Of course, this got me wondering if it’s pretty common to use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for grave identification and I came across these related articles:

·    Using radar to find unmarked graves (San Antonio TX)

·    Identification of Unmarked Graves at B.F. Randolph Cemetery Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) (Richland County SC)

·    Mapping Of Unmarked Graves In Dresden (Ontario Canada) (YouTube Video)

·    Radar search turns up more unmarked graves (Athens GA)

Here is a webpage by another GPR provider which describes Locating Graves.

Are you aware of a cemetery where this technology was used? Was it successful?

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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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.

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Who is ALWAYS Missing from Family Photos? How Will Descendants Know About Them?

Selfie taken 17 October 2013, NC State Fair
Copyright, Diane L Richard

Are you one of those people who resists being photographed?  Do you know of someone in the family who is never to be found when it's time to take pictures and/or declares that they will NOT be in any photos?

I do -- my dad's 2nd wife is #1 on my list.  If, over the last 20+ years I have 10 photos of her I would be shocked!  And, my own mother, my dad's 1st wife, was not much better though we do have a horrible set of family photos through time to show she was present and accounted for!

Obviously, these are examples of people purposefully making sure they are NOT photographed.  What about the person who is always taking the photographs?  Do you have the family photographer who is busy snapping away and then you find that after every event, that person forgot to ask someone else to include them in a photo and they laughingly are identified as the ghost family member?

Even for all the pictures I take, I will meet my dad for lunch and then another lunch and then another and just "forget" to take out the camera to take his photo.  And, as a retired couple, it's not like my dad and his wife are out and about having others take photos of themselves.  I'm not even sure that my dad owns a camera and I know that they don't have smart phones with built in cameras.

I was reminded of all this when I recently read the post Unintentionally removing myself from family history. The author states:

The result of my photo aversion is a lot of family history documented without everyone accounted for. It’s easy to do when you volunteer to be the photographer. Fast-forward to when I try to make one of those cheesy bulletin boards filled with family photos for my daughters’ weddings, will I have to search far and wide to find myself? I might.

Her post was prompted by the post Lessons Learned from a Year of Staying in the Picture.

I will say, that as time goes by, though I still take photos of things (pretty flowers, neat architecture, critters, and more), the photos of my family are what are most precious to me.  I have even started taking "selfies" with my kids or even the whole family so that we have those images to share in the future.  Are they often the prettiest photos in the world?  Heck no! Do they remind us of fun times?  They sure do!  Check out the "selfie" at the start of this post (taken with a smartphone).  It was just taken a few days ago.  It reminds me of a fun day at the NC State Fair, that we visited the duck/geese pond, and had a blast watching them (as we munched on yummy honey sweetened cotton candy!).

So, if you or others you know are always missing from the photos, how will your descendants know what you look like? The activities you participated in? The life you led?

Trust me, just as we crave to know about our ancestors and how they looked, our descendants will want the same!

copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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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.

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Posters Speak a Thousand Words -- October is American Archives Month!

What better way to celebrate American Archives Month than through the posters created by the various state archives.

  

   

 

 

  

Is there a poster for your local, regional or state archive that we haven't included? Send us a link or image and we'll do another round!

BTW, for those genealogists who live outside the U.S.  Is there a day, week or month set aside to celebrate your local archives? If so, please let us know for which country and when!

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copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

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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.

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