UpFront with NGS

17 February 2015

The Italian Americans Premieres TONIGHT on PBS

I finally caught up on reading my Sunday newspapers and learned that The Italian Americans is premiering on tonight (9pm Eastern).

The Italian Americans reveals how Italian immigrants challenged the notion of the American “melting pot” — chronicling four generations of Italian-American lives, from the massive late 19th Century wave of immigration to today. From the importance of the family over an individual’s personal aspirations, to their distinctive, circular migration patterns, to the specter of the Mafia that still plagues Italian Americans today, this series peels away myths and stereotypes to reveal a world uniquely Italian and uniquely American.

Check out the preview video.

I personally do not have Italian heritage and I know many who do!

What’s your reaction to the program? Do you see your family in this documentary? How is your family different?

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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.

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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 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.

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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!

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

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

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Genealogy Roadshow TONIGHT + Season 2 Archive + Season 3 Casting Call!

Catch another episode of Genealogy Roadshow Tonight! Season 2 (started 13 January) episodes continue to air through 24 February.

Missed an episode? Not a problem, you can watch Season 2 episodes here. There is also a tab on this page with an archive for Season 1.

Interested in being cast for Season 3? You can fill out a casting application.

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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.

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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!

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

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

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16 February 2015

Missed Rootstech/FGS 2015? Catch up via Video Archive

Missed Rootstech/FGS 2015? Not a problem ... as we mentioned in FREE -- 20 Rootstech 2015 (12-14 Feb) Sessions Will Live Stream (and remain available for FREE viewing) + Syllabus Materials NOW Available (also FREE) some sessions were live streamed and now there is an archive (FREE to access) of some of those sessions.

The video archive includes sessions by D. Joshua Taylor, Dian Southard, Thomas MacEntee and others.

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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.

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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!

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

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

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11 February 2015

20 Free and (Relatively) New Genealogy and Family History Resources, Part 1

I have a present for you ...

When producing Upfront with NGS Mini Bytes (currently on moratorium), as I trawled genealogy newsletters, blogs, and elsewhere, I kept an email folder of all the news items that caught my eye that I might possibly include. These range from how-to type information to databases. There is so much information out there and it’s impossible to fully blog about most of it.

Well, I’ve decided that I don’t want those collected items to go to waste and so I’m planning to create a few posts over the next few weeks where I present you with 20 “relatively” new resources and the associated hyperlink. That’s it; a very no frills list. If the title doesn’t convey enough info I will add a note about what content caught my eye ...

I will be doing this from oldest to youngest in my queue – so, some of these may seem familiar to you (e.g. old news) and probably less familiar as I get to the more recently collected pieces. And, I've always found that being reminded of resources I knew about is often a good thing and just what my research needs now!

Authenticity and your digital files (GHL blog, NC)
Finding Your Roots (CNN piece)
Why Your Family Name Was Not Changed at Ellis Island (and One That Was) (NYPL)
Slides from [Ancestry.com] Presentations (2013)
A Colonial goldmine (Harvard) -- Two digital projects aim to bring vast numbers of early documents, many unexamined, to light
Historical Scene Investigation (LOC et al)
Mocavo Announces Major Advance In Handwriting Recognition
Google Scholar Library
WW1 Scottish Medical Database -- Database contains over 3000 records of Scottish doctors who registered to provide civilian coveror were intending to enter active service
The Racial Dot Map (Demographics Research Group) – based on 2010 US census data
Online Digital Archives (Louth County, Ireland)
Letters of 1916 (Ireland) -- creating a crowd-sourced digital collection of letters written around the time of the Easter Rising (1 November 1915 – 31 October 1916)
British Library uploads one million public domain images to the net for remix and reuse
New version of the Naturalization Records, 1915-1951 database (Library and Archives of Canada)
Find Your Ancestors in Historic Jewish American Newspapers
Driving Through Time (Blue Ridge Parkway)
Historical Maps of Major U.S. Cities and More in New Online Tool
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
Thousands of years of visual culture made free through Wellcome Images
Laws Designed to Disarm Slaves, Freedmen, and African-Americans

Editor’s Note: As of today, each of the above links worked. Now, whether the links in any of the identified articles work, I cannot vouch for that. And, armed with the information provided, it should be relatively easy to get to determine where the discussed database currently resides. If you get really stuck, drop me an email and I’ll try to ferret out the recalcitrant link or cross out my entry in the above list!

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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.

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

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10 February 2015

Come Visit the National Genealogical Society (NGS) at Rootstech & FGS Conferences This Week!!

Are you attending the FGS and Rootstech conferences starting later this week?

If you are, please stop by the NGS booth (#1333). The hours at the vendor hall are Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Susan, Pat, and Jordan would love for you to stop by and say “Hi!”

While visiting, find out more about upcoming NGS conferences, new courses, publications, planned research trips, and more.

You can also purchase publications (including Research in the States series, Mastering Genealogical Proof, Genealogy and Law, etc), a membership, conference pins, and more.

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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.

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

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09 February 2015

DAR -- Supporting Documentation Now Available for Purchase Through GRS

Another great bit of news for researchers!

The great Genealogical Research System (GRS) of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) has gotten even better!

Previously you could purchase record copies (e.g. applications for $10 each) for those who have previously applied for DAR membership. This is great because if your ancestor is found as either someone who “served” of the descendant of someone who served, you could get a sense of the lineage and type of service and a peek into the documentation provided (without actually seeing more than a list of what was used as given on the application). Very helpful as you try to identify a qualifying candidate not just for DAR and for SAR, Colonial Dames, Society of Cincinnati, and other Revolutionary War or Colonial era based lineage societies.

Now, you can purchase the Supporting Documents associated with applications for $20.

The documents may include family bible records, deeds, wills and other various materials that were used to prove lineage to a patriot of the American Revolution. Similar to Record Copies, any vital records or applications that contain personal information (birth, death, marriage, divorce or other sensitive documentation) will not be included with the Supporting Documents unless they are over 100 years old. DAR is committed to privacy and these efforts are in place to keep members and their family’s personal information confidential.

Before becoming available for access, these records are all “reviewed and indexed by DAR staff genealogists and DAR member volunteers. More Supporting Documents will become available as more are reviewed.”

FREE -- 20 Rootstech 2015 (12-14 Feb) Sessions Will Live Stream (and remain available for FREE viewing) + Syllabus Materials NOW Available (also FREE)

The title might be a mouthful and it's worth it!

If you are like me and will not be attending RootsTech this year, we are again happy to hear that 20 sessions will be live streamed for FREE. These sessions will also remain available afterwards for free viewing for those unable to catch in real-time.

These sessions will be streamed 12-14 February 2015.

Details can be found here.

Additionally, the syllabus materials for Rootstech are now available here and are also FREE.

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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!

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08 February 2015

Starting TODAY -- SiriusXM to Launch "African Ancestry Radio"

We often talk about genealogy-themed television shows and today let’s discuss a new radio show!

Hosted by Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, and award-winning producer Shirley Neal, "African Ancestry Radio" will launch live on Sunday, February 8 at 12:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Urban View channel 126 with Louis Gossett Jr. and Aunjanue Ellis as their first celebrity guests. Launched in celebration of Black History Month, the show will feature the hosts leading the conversation on heritage and guiding SiriusXM listeners of African descent looking to more accurately and reliably trace their roots.

... After the broadcast, "African Ancestry Radio" will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App ...

Read this article for more details.

If you happen to catch this program, we’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Editor’s Note: If you do not have access to Sirius XM Internet Radio, you can sign up for a free trial.

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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!

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Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter