NEH Common Heritage Grant Applications Now Being Accepted (11 May 2017 Deadline)

NEH Common Heritage Grant Applications Now Being Accepted (11 May 2017 Deadline)

We first talked about this National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant program back in 2015, its inaugural year in National Endowment for the Humanities announces new “Common Heritage” grant program.

NEH invites historical societies, libraries, archives, museums, colleges and other local institutions to apply for the Common Heritage grant program, the first federal grant program of its kind. Grants will support day-long events, organized by community cultural institutions, in which members of the public will be invited to share materials important to their family or community histories, such as photographs, artifacts, family letters, and works of art.

It’s been exciting to see the projects funded by these grants.  You can access a list of the so far 38 projects here or read the announcement from December 2015 of the initial winners.

The deadline for projects beginning January 2018 is 11 May 2017.  Full details on the program, submission guidelines, application, and more are found here.

America’s cultural heritage is preserved not only in libraries, museums, archives, and other community organizations, but also in all of our homes, family histories, and life stories. The Common Heritage program aims to capture this vitally important part of our country’s heritage and preserve it for future generations. Common Heritage will support both the digitization of cultural heritage materials and the organization of public programming at community events that explore these materials as a window on a community’s history and culture.

What community or specific ethnic or cultural group or tradition would you like to see involved in this opportunity?

If your community or cultural group et al is one of the past recipients – please share about the funded project.

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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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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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George Eastman Museum Releases Over One Quarter of a Million Photographs!

George Eastman Museum Releases Over One Quarter of a Million Photographs!

There is always something about an image ... “seeing” what we may have only just imagined.  It might be “meeting” an ancestor for the first time via their photograph.  Or, seeing the church founded by and worshipped for generations in by your family. Possibly viewing a place of importance to them.  Regardless, images have a tendency to produce a visceral reaction in the viewer.

More and more archives of images are regularly becoming available.  The most recent one to catch my eye is the one by The George Eastman Museum; after all his name is so synonymous with early photography. 

The George Eastman Museum, among the oldest archives of photography in the world, recently launched an online platform that allows you to search through over 250,000 objects from its collections. Aside from thousands of photographs that date back to the medium’s earliest years, the digital archive also features objects from its massive library of artifacts that together chronicle the history of image-making, from vintage cameras to film splicers to advertisements for the Eastman Kodak Company. There is also plenty of material related to the eponymous founder himself — did you know he was a shooter in more ways than one?

Read more about what’s been placed online via Over 250,000 Photographs from the George Eastman Museum Go Online (Hyperallergic).



What image or image series did you find most compelling?

Editor’s Note: Check out related Upfront with NGS posts on photography, photos, images, and historic photos.

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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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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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A new podcast program -- Twice Removed hosted by A. J. Jacobs

A new podcast program -- Twice Removed hosted by A. J. Jacobs

A new podcast program from Gimlet hosted by A. J. Jacobs – described as being “like a giant game of six degrees of separation.”

Take a look around and find the person closest to you. Maybe that woman in the scarf in line ordering a latte. Or the little boy on a scooter, waiting to cross the street. What if we told you, that you and that person are related. And what if I told you, we can prove it? In Twice Removed, Gimlet’s new limited series, New York Times best-selling author A.J. Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically, Drop Dead Healthy) is on a mission to show that all of us are related in some way. That we’re one big family.

In each episode of Twice Removed, AJ and team dive deep into a guest’s family tree. They build a roadmap down through that tree to the most interesting people and stories. At the end of that roadmap is a mystery relative. AJ and team will surprise the guest with an in-studio reveal of this surprising mystery connection… someone the guest couldn’t possibly have thought they were related to.

You can access the archive (as of today, a preview and two episodes) here.  You can subscribe to the program on iTunes, Google Play or Spotify.

If the name A. J. Jacobs sounds familiar, that’s because he was a headliner at Rootstech 2015 and also convened the Global Family Reunion later that year.



What’s your reaction to this new show?

How does it differ from Who Do You Think You Are? Finding Your Roots? Genealogy Roadshow?

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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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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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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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Meet the winners of GIF IT UP

Meet the winners of GIF IT UP

GIF IT UP is a fun event sponsored annually by the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and in 2016 in association with Europeana and Trove (Australia).

GIF IT UP is DPLA’s annual international gif-making competition.  A GIF (or Graphics Interchange Format) is an image format that supports using multiple frames to create motion graphics in a continuous loop, allowing us to seemingly bring still images and other cultural heritage materials to life …

… GIF IT UP was created to promote appreciation of the public domain and creative engagement with digitized cultural heritage materials.  The most important part is to have fun and to share cool stuff in awesome ways.

Check out these winners here and use the link at the bottom to check out all the entries on Tumblr and GIPHY. “As you browse the entries, you will see an amazing array of cultural heritage materials re-mixed and re-made into fun, creative and inspired animated gifs.”

This contest provides a fun way to explore cultural heritage materials dynamically.



Which one is your favorite?

Are there any iconic genealogically-inspired recognizable images that might be converted to GIFs?

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

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

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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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National Genealogical Society Issues Call for Proposals for the 2018 Family History Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan

National Genealogical Society Issues Call for Proposals for the 2018 Family History Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Arlington, VA, 3 January 2017—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) will open the call for proposals for the 2018 Family History Conference, Paths to Your Past, on 3 January 2017. The conference will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from 2–5 May 2018.

In the nineteenth century, the Great Lakes were major, strategic waterways that aided Americans moving West and immigrants coming from overseas through Canada to settle and develop the Midwest. Cheap land, mining, and the timber industry made the area attractive. The combination of water power from the rivers and rapids, together with access to grain and lumber, encouraged manufacturing and industry, including breweries, furniture, and cereal.

Among the topics being considered by NGS are presentations on migration paths to the Midwest, including waterways, trails, and railroads; records and repositories for Michigan, the surrounding states, and Canada; records generated by France, Great Britain, and later by the newly established United States as they fought for control of the Old Northwest Territory; land grants, deeds, and maps; and laws and court records.

Conference tracks under consideration include ethnic and religious groups, migration into and out of the Midwest, military records, occupations and trades, and other organizations including masons, abolitionists, prohibitionists, and unions. NGS encourages the submission of proposals for broader genealogical categories, including methodology, problem solving, Internet websites, apps, and other technology tools. Proposals may also include presentations about DNA and how to use DNA to solve genealogical roadblocks.   

Speakers who wish to submit lecture proposals, and organizations interested in sponsoring tracks or individual lectures, should follow the published guidelines at the NGS website page: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/call_for_proposals.

All proposals must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. EDT on 1 April 2017.

Speakers may submit up to eight proposals electronically by completing all the requested information at https://goo.gl/forms/5DHIlumuOuTMAn7J2.

Organizations wishing to sponsor a lecture may submit proposals at https://goo.gl/forms/Wpr1gyZ2U00V2WhX2.  

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, 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, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

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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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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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2016 Society of American Archivists Short Fiction Contest Winner -- Family Stories

2016 Society of American Archivists Short Fiction Contest Winner -- Family Stories

You will want to read this short fiction piece by Marcella Huggard, “Family Stories.”  It is a story that ALL genealogists and family historians can relate to.

The jury noted that Huggard's submission addresses issues in the archival profession through a moving story of sifting through the evidence and reminders left behind by relatives after death. Her story speaks to the process of appraisal and its conundrums and how personal relationships can provide perspective. It also considers the question of how records of the less documented in our society are preserved given our presumptions about what constitutes a permanent record. In doing so, “Family Stories” portrays what it means that archivists deal with people’s lives and demonstrates the necessity of context for records.

Real the full article about the contest, the winner and the honorable mentions here.

You can read the winning piece here.  I was thinking that I would include a snippet here that captured the “essence” of her story and like any good story, you just need to read it! 

It probably really spoke with me because just before Christmas I was cleaning out my own files and shredded checks that I had held onto for almost 40 years.  Really?  Who was going to go through my checks?  It’s not like I lived a life that would be analyzed in the future as a case study.  Whirr went my shredder.  Whirr and there went some old tax forms (not the filed paperwork; after all – there are limits on what a pack rack will get rid of) and all the supporting receipts, printouts, and papers … Whirr and there went some credit card statements (though, I did hold onto the original credit cards!).  Whirr … old inventory summaries from my first business became scraps.  With all that, there is still much I’m still holding onto and my attic and closets thank me.  Give me a few years and I’ll be at it again.  

With time, some things become even more important and other things become nothing more than just paper.  We cannot keep it all and it doesn’t necessarily convey the story of our lives or the lives we’ve documented.

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

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

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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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Rootstech Innovator Showdown Announces 10 Semi-Finalists

Rootstech Innovator Showdown Announces 10 Semi-Finalists

Back in October, we announced 3rd Annual 2017 Rootstech Innovator Showdown Accepting Submissions.

… a “Global Innovation Competition” for developers and entrepreneurs seeking an opportunity to impact the growing multi-billion dollar family history industry while competing for $100,000 in cash and prizes. The Innovator Showdown seeks to support, foster, and inspire innovation within the family history marketplace.

The competition has now been whittled down to ten semi-finalists.

After a rigorous judging process, the semi-finalists have been selected. Congratulations to those who have made it this far!  Each of the semi-finalists is invited to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, where the final round of judging will take place in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. We look forward to seeing who comes out on top!

The 2017 semi-finalists are:

Champollion 2.0

CSI: Crowd Sourced Indexing

Cuzins

Double Match Triangulator

Emberall

JoyFLIPS

Kindex

OldNews USA

QromaTag

RootsFinder

You can check out each project here.

The winner will be determined via judges, a live audience and remote participants …

See Innovators from around the world compete for $100,000 in prizes as they pitch their innovative ideas on stage before renowned judges, industry influencers, a live audience, and you. See them live on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. MST. Can’t be there? Watch it live at RootsTech.org.

Which “innovation” would you like to see win?

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

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

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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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Happy Holidays [Upfront with NGS on Holiday]

Happy Holidays

Upfront with NGS will be on vacation from today (24 December) through Tuesday (27 December) so that time can be spent with family.

Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and a safe, healthy, happy, prosperous and genealogically satisfying 2017!

Diane J

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

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

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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!

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

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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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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