UpFront with NGS

05 April 2013

NGS is pleased to announce the Official Bloggers for the upcoming NGS 2013 Family History Conference

The NGS 2013 Family History Conference is just a month away!

We recognize that not everyone can attend in person. Want to read about the news as it happens? Please check in with one or more of your favorite “Official Bloggers.”

(going) The Extra Yad - Emily Garber (http://www.extrayad.blogspot.com/)
About Genealogy - Kimberly Powell (http://genealogy.about.com/)
BCG Springboard News and Notes - Barbara Jean Mathews (http://blog.bcgcertification.org/)
Family Cherished - Valerie Elkins (http://www.familycherished.blogspot.com/)
Genea-Musings - Randy Seaver (http://www.geneamusings.com/)
Gena's Genealogy - Gena Philibert Ortega (http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/)
GenealogyandFamilyHistory.com - Carolyn Barkley (http://www.genealogyandfamilyhistory.com/)
Genealogy Blog - Leland K Meitzler (http://www.genealogyblog.com/)
Little Bytes of Life - Elizabeth O'Neal (http://www.littlebytesoflife.com/)
My Ancestors Lived Here - Victoria Kinnear (http://myancestorslivedhere.com/)
My Genealogy Obsession - Patricia Stanard (http://mygenealogyobsession.wordpress.com/)
NGS Conference Blog - Julie Miller (http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/)
Remembering Those Who Came Before Us - Sara Campbell (http://rememberingancestors.blogspot.com/)
Root Cellar Ramblings - Sandra Gardner-Benward (http://www.rootcellarramblings.blogspot.com/)
California Genealogical Society and Library Blog - Kathryn Doyle (http://blog.californiaancestors.org/)
Sun City Vistoso Genealogical Society (http://scvgs.org/)
the Family Curator - Denise Levenick (www.thefamilycurator.com)
The Ancestry Insider - Ancestry Insider (http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com/)
The Cotswold History Blog - Nell Darby (http://www.cotswoldhistory.com/)
The In-Depth Genealogist - Stephanie Pitcher Fishman (http://www.theindepthgenealogist.com/)
The Passionate Genalogist - Ruth Blair (http://blog.familyhistorysearches.com/)
Welsh and Wales DNA (https://www.facebook.com/groups/95845841347/)

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Photos and Identification -- How Do We Make Sure Descendants in the Future know WHO, WHEN & WHERE?

Image by Jonathan D. Blundell, used under Create Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike2.0 Generic license

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdblundell/4994433174/

Keeping with our theme of photos and images which are such a big part of our research, how do we make sure that future generations know the details of a photo such as who is in it, when it was taken and by whom, and many other relevant details.

We can’t be sure that the image will remain “connected” to a report, webpage, Facebook (FB) post, etc. And, short of putting a “label” on the front (since we don’t digitally really have a “back” to digital photos), what are we to do?

Okay, raise your hands if you remember flipping a photo, with fingers crossed, hoping that the names, place and date of a photo were written there? How often were you disappointed? If you are like my family – they had NO tradition of labeling photographs! I do envy the holders of photos where I can see clear labels about who what and where.

Well, we have the same issue now with digital photos – we do want them labeled for future generations.

And, since we are being perfectly honest, though I have my images stored in folders on my computer labeling place and often date and sometimes who, I have NOT associated any identifying data with each image. I guess this means that my “to do” list just got longer!

Here are a few posts/articles/videos that I found on this topic about “how” we might accomplish this:

How to Add Source Information to Digital Image Files (Genealogy Decoded, blog post)
Labeling Digital Genealogy Images (GenealogyScrounce, YouTube Video)
Labeling Digital Photos (All About Digital Photos, blog post)
Fototagger software (though I have not personally used this, I’ve seen frequent references to it. Have you used it? If so, please post a comment to share your experience, thoughts and whether you suggest it or not)

Do you make sure that your digital photos/images have metadata?

Do you have some other way of “labeling” photos you’ve taken or that you have digitized to share with others?

Please share your tips and techniques by posting a comment.

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04 April 2013

AncestryPaths -- Neat FREE resources for Genealogists and Family Historians

It seems that every time I look on Facebook (FB) or open a newsletter lately I am hearing news about information available on AncestryPaths. This is a FREE site and it has some neat links to interesting and useful material available.

For example, I didn’t know that Internet Archive has the Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933 online as a digital microfilm collection. Well, I do now and it’s thanks to AncestryPaths that I learned about this neat collection.

The information discussed on AncestryPaths is all currently in the public domain via Internet Archive and/or openlibrary.org. And, with so much information constantly becoming available, it’s always nice when collections with relevance to genealogists and family historians is brought to our attention!

Here are some of the most recent news items that have crossed my path.

The easiest way to see all that the website has to offer is via the site index page.

Did one of the mentioned resources mentioned or available via the site help you with your research? If so, we always like to hear about successes!

Editor’s Note: This page is a list of the currently available NARA ebooks as listed on openlibrary.org.

Editor’s Note: Open Library is an initiative of the Internet Archive

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03 April 2013

Fold3 is offering FREE Access to ALL their Confederate Records for ALL of April!

Per the fold3 Facebook (FB) page...

In commemoration of Confederate History Month we are offering Free Access to all of the Confederate records on Fold3 for the entire month of April.

Access these records here.

Do you know of any other Confederate records that provide FREE access during April? If so, please post a comment and tell us about such!

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Confederate History Month.

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Legally Using Photos Online

Image source: http://www.dreamstime.com/two-locks-and-a-chain-free-stock-photography-imagefree470187,

Free Stock Photography: Two Locks And A Chain Picture. Image: 470187, Used via RF-LL license.

Lifehacker was reading our mind the other day when it posted The Best Ways to Be Sure You’re Legally Using Online Photos (Sarah Hawkins).

With the explosion of web-based resources for images also comes increased opportunity to misuse such images. Ignorance is no excuse for misusing, whether unintentionally or not, anyone's work. Please do carefully read the mentioned article and the provided resources.

Let's all make a concerted effort to make sure that we respect the copyright of online photos and images.

Some additional resources:

Images and the Law
How to find photos you can legally use anywhere
Legally Using Images
A Guide to Proper Image Use on HubPages
The Legal Genealogist (Judy G Russell) has several articles dealing with photos and copyright

Do you have additional suggestions for license-free artwork or resources on the topic of properly/legally using images?

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02 April 2013

Remembering Life Before Cell Phones: A Glimpse at Corporate History

Guest post by Jan Alpert, Past President of NGS

Do you spend most of your time researching ancestors born a hundred or two hundred years ago? I recently came across the photograph of my father while searching for something else in my four-drawer lateral files. When I checked my genealogy database, I realized I had not entered any information about my father's career with Citizens Utilities.

After my father passed away in 1988, I kept his personal papers and genealogy files. This photo was saved with those papers. Printed on the back of the photo is "Eastman's Studio, 914 Main Street, Susanville, CA." My father was the commercial manager for Citizens Utilities in Susanville, CA in 1960. In the summer of 1961 he was promoted to district commercial manager and we moved to Redding, CA.

I suspect this was a photo taken for a company publication since a professional photographer was used. Although the photo is not dated, I know the photo was taken at a later date. The new Susanville commercial manager reported to my father, and thus my father still had reason to visit the Susanville office several times a year. So how do I date the photograph? My father was heavy most of his life and weighed almost 300 pounds. If you look closely the suit looks a little baggy, especially the trousers. My grandfather died 21 October 1961 at 71 years of age. My father returned from the funeral and went on a serious diet. After losing about one hundred pounds, he maintained his lesser weight for the rest of his life. This photo appears to have been taken while my father was in the process of losing weight but not yet at his final 190 pounds, so I would estimate the photo was taken sometime in 1962.

After my father retired, the company sold many of its assets and reinvented itself. Using Google and landing on Answers.com, I was able to find a four page history of the company from the Gale Directory of Company Histories. So, when you find a company name on a WWI Draft Registration Card or on one of the US Federal censuses for one of your ancestors, try using your favorite search engine to see what you can find about the company they worked for.

This photo is actually important for two generations in our family. Citizens Utilities offered college scholarships for children of employees. As a high school senior I was awarded a $500 scholarship from the company and guaranteed summer employment provided I carried a full class schedule and obtained a B average. During the summer of 1964 I was a telephone operator in Susanville, CA, sitting at this same switchboard. The local calls had been automated, but customers still needed to call the operator to make a long distance call. During the summer, tourists frequented the area's camping and fishing spots, often making long distance calls home from pay phones. I specifically remember we had only four trunk lines for making long distance calls, so customers often had to wait for an available line.

In this age of cell phones, only some citizens remember calling the operator to make a phone call. When my father retired in 1981, he lamented that he saw no future in the telephone business. Every home already had a phone.

So I think the photo was taken at the time the local calls were automated, and to show that operators were still being used for long distance calls.

Editor’s Note: You can access the International Directory of Company Histories, by The Gale Group, Inc. via Answers.com

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01 April 2013

Digital Preservation News -- FREE Webinar Series and Resource Guide

Digital preservation has certainly been in the news lately! Here is a recap of some recent news on the subject that might interest you! All of the mentioned resources are FREE and available to the public.

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Library of Congress has released “Perspectives on Personal Digital Archiving.” This is a free and new e-publication. Described as “a published compilation of selected blog posts published in The Signal. All of these posts are written by NDIIPP staff as well as guest bloggers from inside and outside the Library of Congress. This resource can serve as a primer for the digital archive novice, as well as a refresher for those with more experience.” Read here for more about this new publication.

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Members of the Web Science and Digital Libraries Research Group at Old Dominion University attended Personal Digital Archiving (PDA) 2013. They provide a great summary of the sessions held with links provided to various videos housed on Internet Archive (one of my favorite places!).

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Live in NC? Interested in Digital Preservation? A librarian or interested person?

If so, check out this free webinar series being offered brought to you by ASERL, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, these webinars are targeted toward those preserving digital content as part of their jobs, but are open to all. They’re presented by professionals from all over the country.

“Preservation Planning and Overview of PREMIS for Beginners”
Speaker = Lisa Gregory, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.
This webinar is designed to help participants begin formulating a digital preservation plan for their digital collections. Even if you already have files accumulating, planning and implementing basic digital preservation strategies doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Topics to be covered include what to consider during planning, first steps for implementation, as well as a basic introduction to PREMIS, the Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata. The goal will be to help you start thinking about preservation as part of your everyday digital workflow.
DATE: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/784245138

“Forbearing the Digital Dark Age: Capturing Metadata for Digital Objects”
Speaker = Chris Dietrich, National Park Service.
Metadata is the key to both discovery and long-term accessibility of digital content. This webinar will address metadata for digital photos, documents, audio-video, tabular data, and GIS data. Topics include categories of metadata, metadata standards for different asset types, metadata capture strategies, and metadata software tools. Links to additional resources for digital preservationists will also be provided.
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

“Management of Incoming Born-Digital Special Collections”
Speaker = Gretchen Gueguen, University of Virginia.
This webinar will cover the basics of getting started with managing born-digital archives. Through basic techniques and practical suggestions, you will learn how to assess your collection, develop a management plan, put basic policies in place, and set up an accessioning workflow. Simple tools to help you do the job will be reviewed along with guides and other resources to help answer your questions.
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/366765338

“Using FITS to Identify File Formats and Extract Metadata”
Speaker = Andrea Goethals, Harvard University.
After an introduction to file formats and technical metadata, a demo of the File Information Tool Set (FITS) will be given. You will learn what it does, how it differs from other format tools, how to use it, how to customize it and how Harvard is using FITS in different ways. No experience with FITS is necessary but if you would like to try it out in advance you can download it from http://code.google.com/p/fits/
DATE: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/305875426

Do you have other recent Digital Preservation news? If so, please post a comment!

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Autographs -- Are you using them in your genealogy and family history research?

John Tew, in his blog Filiopietism Prism, recently had a post titled Why Start and Continue A Family “Autograph” Book?

John talks a bit about why you might want to start such a book and the history behind such books.

I had such a feeling of deja vu as I was reading his post? Why does the idea of an autograph book seem to “ring a bell?”

Did I have one as a child? I do remember getting one for my kids at Disney World so the characters could sign their autographs.

My high school and college year books have some similar characteristics in that I “collected” signatures in them.

And, the neat thing about this idea (whether I silence the bell ringing in my head or not) is that autograph books are another source of hand-writing and signatures. Even if your ancestor’s didn’t have one, they may have signed the autograph book of another! Additionally, they might identify those with whom your ancestors interacted – friends, associates and neighbors. The more names we have the better our chance of learning all about our own elusive ancestors.

Have you found any autograph books kept by your ancestors or others in the community?

If not autograph books, something similar?

Were they helpful to you?

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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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