Tweets to be archived in the LOC

I was researching online this past month and found out that if you are a member of twitter and posted some tweets, they are going to be archived in the Library of Congress. Just think...the daily activities that everyone writes about will be in the Library of Congress. The News posted at the Library of Congress states: "The archive follows in the Library's long tradition of gathering individuals' firsthand accounts of history, such as "man on the street" interviews after Pearl Harbor; the September 11, 2001, Documentary Project; the Veterans History Project (VHP); and StoryCorps. While the Twitter archive will not be posted online, the Library envisions posting selected content around topics or themes, similar to existing VHP presentations."

If you would like to learn more about this, you can visit Library of Congress or the The Twitter Blog.

Unlikely location for a bit of History

This past Monday I was reading on the Reuters website to learn more about the current market environment when I came across an interesting article written by JoAnne Allen titled: "Museum finds "secret" message in Lincoln's watch". I was intrigued and began reading the article. The article discussed that a recent discovery by the Natural Museum of American History revealed that an inscription by the watchmaker dated April 13, 1861 was loacted on the back of President Lincoln's watch. The inscription states: "Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels; thank God we have a government."

This made me contemplate the various avenues we take to increase our knowledge and understanding regarding our ancestors. We frequently look in the census, land, and vital records. These types of records provide the statistical data regarding one's life. How can we learn about the individual on a more personal level. How can we learn about the "dash" between the birth and death dates of our loved ones. Our knowledge about our ancestors can be enhanced from heirlooms or other artifacts from their lives. These items can help us to fill in some of the missing blanks of our past loved ones, providing insights into their likes and dislikes. You can also learn more about your ancestor by learning about the environment in which they lived including their neighbors, religious and community groups in which they participated.

Family History can be found in unique places as in the example of Lincoln's watch. Once you have the back bone of an ancestors information, don't forget to put the meat on by gathering information about who they really were by collecting pictures and stories. You might be surprised with new information after searching out information on your ancestors neighbors and/or associates. Who know, you could come across your ancestors being mentioned in a neighbors diary, family bible or as in the case of the President Lincoln, in the back of his watch. You find out about President Lincoln by the type of watch he had and also learn information about the watchmaker. If you would like to learn more about how the inscription ended up on the back of President Lincoln's watch, click Museum finds secret message in Lincoln's Watch. I would encourage you to read the article. It is very interesting.

**** News Flash **** FamilySearch Facelift

FamilySearch has had a face lift of the site and it is wonderful. You now browse to FamilySearch which now provides links to the Library Catalog, Record Search Pilot (which I blogged about earlier today), and the BYU Archives. A link for Indexing has also been provided on the site as well. This improvement will make for you to go to one web address and access multiple areas of FamilySearch. Bravo!!

Have fun researching!

FamilySearch Record Search

If you haven't checked out the FamilySearch Record Search site, you are missing out. The FamilySearch Record Search site is currently in the pilot stage, but they welcome one and all to research the information that is currently available.

I have posted about FamilySearch Indexing and how many indexers are working feverishly on indexing the thousands of microfilm and fiche in the Salt Lake Family History Library. The result of the indexing can be viewed at FamilySearch Record Search. The 1870 United States Census has just begun to show up on the site and the 1900 United Census is almost completely up. Each of the indices that are located on the left side of the page have both the index and the images available to searching. The indices located on the right side of the web page have only the images and not the indexes categorized by specific locality and type of record.

Other records in various stages of completion that are available for searching include US and state census records, The Freedman Bank, Civil War Pension Records, Germany, Norway, and Mexico Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials and Cheshire England, Church of England Baptism, Marriage, and Burial records to name a few.

These records are available for searching for free. If you would like to browse or search these records, check out FamilySearch Record Search. Have fun!

Great FamilySearch News

FamilySearch is teaming up with several groups to make your experience on FamilySearch and at the Family History Centers more rewarding. The first group they have teamed up with is FamilyLink which will increase the efficiency of the Family History Library Catalog by adding the Web 2.0 functionality allowing the catalog to be searched with the major online search engines. FamilyLink will also add an annotation feature encouraging user contributions to include other possible sources and to rate and review the sources listed. If you would like to read the press release click FamilyLink and FamilySearch Library.

Searching in the British Historical records will become easier as FamilySearch has also teamed up with FindMyPast and the National Archives of the United Kingdom. The National Archives of the United Kingdom has granted a license to FindMyPast and FamilySearch to digitize, index and make available for searching the Chelsea Pensioners retired soldiers records between 1760 and 1914, and the Merchant Seamen’s collection of records dating from 1835 to 1941. FamilySearch will digitize these records and FindMyPast will provide the indexes and transcriptions for ease of searching. If you would like to read this press release, click British Historical Records.

If you are new to Genealogy, Family Search has provided two new research aids for researching your English and/or your Scottish ancestors. These guides are available for you to review through FamilySearch. The English Ancestor Research Guide can be found Finding Records in England 1837 - 1901. This guide includes many helpful hints regarding finding locations, vital records, using church records, and many other valuable sources of information. The Scottish Ancestor Research Guide provides hints and suggestions for searching your ancestors for between the years of 1855 and 1901. The Scottish Ancestor Research Guide can be viewed by clicking Finding Records in Scotland 1855 - 1901.

The last bit of "teaming up" news involves FamilySearch and FootNote. I have posted about FootNote previously FootNote, FamilySearch, and the Revolutionary War. Footnote and FamilySearch will be allowing users to search two historic Civil War Era databases online—the 1860 U.S. Census and Civil War Pensions Index. The Civil War Pension Index not only includes veterans of the the Civil War but also include veterans who served between 1861 to 1917 in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion. If you would like to read this press release, click FamilySearch Teams with Footnote.com to Publish Historic Civil War Era Records.

Have fun searching!

Have You Heard The Latest RegardingFamilySearch and The Generations Network?

Have you heard the latest about FamilySearch and The Generations Network? A press release from The Generations Network was just released today stating that the 13 Regional Family History Centers listed below will have free access to their patrons for Ancestry.com. Free access will also be available to patrons at Brigham Young University, Idaho, Hawaii, and Provo campuses and the LDS Business College. I have provided a copy of the press release from The Generations Network for your review below.

Provo, UT – December 19, 2007 – FamilySearch and The Generations Network, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com, today announced an agreement that provides free access of Ancestry.com to patrons of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and the 13 largest regional family history centers effective today.

With this new agreement, full access will be provided to more than 24,000 Ancestry.com databases and titles and 5 billion names in family history records. In addition to the Family History Library, the following 13 regional family history centers have been licensed to receive access to Ancestry.com:

• Mesa, Arizona

• Los Angeles, California

• Oakland, California

• Orange, California

• Sacramento, California

• San Diego, California

• Idaho Falls, Idaho

• Pocatello, Idaho

• Las Vegas, Nevada

• Logan, Utah

• Ogden, Utah

• St. George, Utah

• Hyde Park, London, England


“We’re excited for our patrons to receive online access to an expanded collection of family history records on Ancestry.com,” said Don Anderson, director of FamilySearch Support. “Ancestry.com’s indexes and digital images of census, immigration, vital, military and other records, combined with the excellent resources of FamilySearch, will increase the likelihood of success for patrons researching their family history.”

The Generations Network and FamilySearch hope to expand access to other family history centers in the future.

FamilySearch patrons at the designated facilities will have access to Ancestry.com’s completely indexed U.S. Federal Census Collection, 1790-1930, and more than 100 million names in passenger lists from 1820-1960, among other U.S. and international record collections. Throughout the past year, Ancestry.com has added indexes to Scotland censuses from 1841-1901, created the largest online collection of military and African American records, and reached more than 4 million user-submitted family trees.

Free access is also available at Brigham Young University Provo, Idaho, and Hawaii campuses, and LDS Business College patrons through a separate agreement with The Generations Network.

“FamilySearch’s Family History Library in Salt Lake City is one of the most important physical centers for family history research in the world, and we are happy that patrons to the Library and these major regional centers will have access to Ancestry.com,” said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of The Generations Network, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com. “We’ve enjoyed a ten-year working relationship with FamilySearch, and we look forward to continued collaboration on a number of family history projects."

If you would like to view the press release click Family History Library and Major Family History Center Patrons to Receive Free Ancestry.com Access.

I Relate, You Relate We Relate, We All Relate

When you get right down to it we are all related in some way. If you go back far enough in our family trees we end up being related to most people. The population of the world (as I understand it) has steadily grown over the centuries suggesting that a few centuries back the population was less. Mathematically each time you trace back a generation you double the size of just your direct family line, for example, you have yourself, two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents, sixteen great grandparents, 32 great great grandparents etc., until we begin connecting with people that we did not even know existed as part of our family tree.

For example, the past two weeks I have been corresponding with a gentleman that I discovered on the Danish Message boards who had a common ancestor as mine by the last name of Christopher Enevoldsen and Ellen Jensen. This in and of itself is not surprising, but as we corresponded via email, it turns out that this person lives in the same city as I and is only about 10 minutes away at the most. Now that is amazing. Christopher and Ellen had 11 children, several who died in childhood. We determined that this couple was my 7th Great Grandparents and my newly found distant(not so distant) cousin's 6th Great Grandparents. Interestingly enough the connection occurs on both of our maternal lines. The picture to the right is of myself and my new found cousin and neighbor Gil. I went over to visit with him at his home with my oldest son and had a wonderful time comparing our records and pictures. After our initial meeting, we have also shared GEDCOM files and plan to get together in the future and meet the rest of each other's family.

You might wonder why I have blogged concerning this experience. The main reason is to reinforce the fact that researching your ancestors encourages a cooperative effort between researchers/cousins. I would also suggest that working with genealogical message boards can be highly successful with little time and effort spent. My cousin posted to the Danish message board approximately 2 years ago. I emailed him thinking that the email address probably changed (which they can) but I figured I might as well try and make the connection. I was fortunate in being able to make another connection as he had not changed his email from two years ago. I have been highly successful in making connections with unknown cousins when utilizing genealogical message boards. I have meet three cousins in England, one in New Zealand, and two in California. My favorite message boards are located at RootsWeb and now Dis-Forum.

I would urge you try your hand on these message boards and you will be happy that you did. If you have questions concerning using message boards feel free to post a comment and I will answer your questions with a response. Have fun!

New England Historic Genealogical Society and Ancestry of The Generations Network Team Up

A press release from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) and The Generations Network this past week announced that they are teaming up to provide for NEW Subscribers to NEHGS, a membership combination to both Ancestry US Deluxe Subscription and NEHGS for the price of $155.40 for an annual membership, resulting in a savings of $75.00. The NEHGS subscription is normally $75.00 and the Ancestry US Deluxe Edition subscription is $155.40 per year. As I see it, you are getting a free NEHGS subscription. You may not think that is much savings, but the NEHGS is the oldest genealogical society in the United States and has a vast collection of information for you to research including Canada, Maine, Vermont, England and Ireland to name a few. If you are thinking of subscribing to Ancestry, it would be worth your while and wouldn't cost you a penny more to subscribe to the New England Historic Genealogical Society and Ancestry together making the information available for research to you more extensive. Unfortunately, this applies only to those that are new subscribers only and not those that are already members of NEHGS or subscribing to Ancestry.com. Please note that this offer is only available until December 31, 2007, so if you are interested in this subscription, it would best to subscribe sooner than later.

When I went to the NEHGS website, I was able to locate with ease the subscription button for the combination, but when I went to the Ancestry site, there is no mention or link to the subscription combination. I am not sure why there is a disconnect between the announcement by The Generation Network and placing information about the teaming up with the NEHGS; it could be because the announcement is new and they haven't had time to update their subscription services. If you would like to investigate the offer for NEHGS and Ancestry further, please click NEHGS and Ancestry Team Up. If you click on this link, you will be able to view the benefits of the NEHGS subscription in addition to more information about the US Deluxe subscription at Ancestry.com.

If you would like to read the press release by The Generations Network, click NEHGS and Ancestry.com Announce New Membership Benefits as Part of Collaboration.

This is good news for new subscribers. Have Fun!!

The Generations Network Buy Out by Spectrum Equity Investments

I am sure that it is well known that The Generations Network was bought by the Spectrum Equity Investments but little has been known about the specifics of the deal. Being curious, I decided to delve into the internet to determine if more can be found concerning the sale.

The Generations Network and Spectrum Equity Investments have been working with other in the past with Spectrum owning only about 10% of Generations. After the sale, it has been stated that the holdings will surpass 50% of the company with the expectation that some of the current shareholders will sell their portion of the company. The management of The Generations Network appears to be retaining a portion of the company according to TheDeal.com. The news article that I read on TheDeal.com also indicated that Ancestry plans for the future include Latin America and China (which includes a deal with the Shanghai Library). If these plans come to fruition, it will be a great asset to The Generations Network.

I personally am hoping that with the buy out by Spectrum, that the genealogical community will see a decrease in the subscription costs to the individual user of Ancestry.com. If The Genearations Network would decrease the subscription rate it would allow more of the public to access their wonderful databases which would also increase their revenue.

If you would like to read more of this article from The Deal.com, please click Spectrum Diggs Into Generations.

Also for a personal interview between the well known Genealogist, Dick Eastman and Tim Sullivan, The Generations Network CEO, click A Talk with the CEO of The Generations Network. The article is well written and is a candid interview the the CEO, Tom Sullivan

This will be interesting to follow the progress of the change over and the possible ripple effects that will occur with the major components of The Generations Network namely: myfamily.com, ancestry.com, genealogy.com, and rootsweb.com. I hope that they will not make changes to where they charge for rootsweb.

FamilySearch News - Georgia Death Certificates Viewable Online

FamilySearch released to the press that the Georgia Archives has teamed up with FamilySearch to make available for free, 275,000 death certificates ranging from 1919 to 1929. These death certificates are available for viewing at Georgia Archives or Family Search Labs. These death records are just the beginning fruits of the volunteers that are are participating in the FamilySearch Indexing. The FamilySearch Indexing project is massive but there are numerous volunteers working to make records such as the "Georgia Death Certificates" available for the searching family historian or genealogist. Please find below in it entirety the press release.

Georgia Death Certificates Now Viewable Online
15 October 2007

275,000 death certificates from 1919 to 1927 linked with index and images

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—FamilySearch and the Georgia Archives announced today that Georgia's death index from 1919 to 1927 can be accessed for free online. The online index is linked to digital images of the original death certificates. This free database will open doors to additional information for family historians and genealogists with Georgia ties. The index and images can be searched and viewed at www.GeorgiaArchives.org (Virtual Vault link) or labs.familysearch.org.

The names of Georgia's deceased from 1919 to 1927 are now very much alive, searchable, and viewable online—and for free. The online index to some 275,000 Georgia deaths is the result of a cooperative effort between FamilySearch Record Services, the Georgia Archives, and the Georgia State Office of Vital Records and Statistics.

FamilySearch digitized the records, and volunteers from both FamilySearch and the Archives used FamilySearch indexing technology to create a searchable online index from the digital images of the original historic documents. "These death records are obviously a gold mine for genealogists and historians. Certificates include age, county of death, parents names, occupation, gender, race and cause of death; these documents open all kinds of possibilities to researchers," said Georgia Archives director, David Carmicheal.

The deceased person's name, birth and death dates, sex, spouse and parents' names and location of death were extracted from each certificate for the searchable database. The linked image of the original death certificate can reveal additional interesting facts and clues for the family historian—like the names and birth places of the deceased person's parents, place and date of the decedent's birth, marital status, occupation, permanent residence, and place and date of burial and cause of death.

Before making the certificates viewable online, Carmicheal said patrons had to order copies through the mail for a fee or visit the state archive's office in person. The new online database will make it quicker and easier for patrons to get the information they are seeking.

"It is always exciting for family historians when they can freely search a vital record index online like the Georgia death records. The link to the original death certificate is an added bonus—it saves you time, money, and provides rich genealogy data," said Paul Nauta, manager of public affairs for FamilySearch. The users just type in an ancestor's name that died in Georgia between 1919 and 1927. They will see a brief summary of information from the ancestor's death certificate with a link to also view the original image. Additional state indexes are currently in production.

FamilySearch maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources accessed through FamilySearch.org, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries. The Genealogical Society of Utah, doing business as FamilySearch, is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch is a trademark licensed to the Genealogical Society of Utah and is registered in the United States and other countries.

A Call for Bilingual Volunteers!

Below you will find the press release from FamilySearch regarding the Latin American Genealogical Records. The Indexing Project that the Family History Library in Salt Lake City is well underway working on the 1900 US Census, 1871 Canadian Census, 1930 Mexico Census, some individual State Census records from the 1800's, and a German Census records to name just a few. If you haven't volunteered yet, come join the fun and help get the records indexed so that we can all benefit. Once the information being indexed is ready for publication, it will be made available for "FREE" on FamilySearch. Indexing is easy and requires only your time (which you determine how much time you can give)and a computer.

Below is the press release from The Family History Library and Family Search regarding the request for assistance with the Indexing of millions of Latin American Genealogical Records.

Massive effort will provide online access to millions of Latin American genealogical records

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—the world's largest repository of genealogical records—is calling for 10,000 volunteers who can read both English and Spanish to help index Mexican, Argentine and other Latin American records for the Internet.

FamilySearch is embarking on a massive initiative to digitally preserve and index millions of Latin American records that are now difficult to access because they are located on microfilm or in an archive.

The first target is the Mexican census of 1930. People interested in finding their ancestors in that census now have to hunt among 506 rolls of microfilm at a special library. When the project is finished within about one year from now, people with Mexican ancestry will be able to search for relatives easily from their computers at home.

The project is being launched in cooperation with the National Archives of Mexico.

Paul Nauta, manager of public affairs for FamilySearch, said the volunteers could spend as little as 30 minutes a week indexing records from their home computers. Volunteers should register at FamilySearchIndexing.org, which will allow them to download one batch (one census page) at a time. Volunteers simply type in the information highlighted on the digital image. Each batch should take about 30 minutes.

The completed product will be a free, fully searchable online index of the 1930 Mexico Census, and it will be linked to the original images at FamilySearch.org. Digital images of the original census can be viewed currently at FamilySearchLabs.org.

"The 1930 census project will be the first fully indexed census for Mexico," Nauta said. "When finished, the database will be a tremendous asset to family historians with Mexican roots."

Nauta said that census records are especially valuable because they include a large portion of the population and can provide details about individuals which may not be available on some church and civil records.

"The 1930 Mexico Census is priceless to genealogists because it is the most recent, publicly accessible census for Mexico. It can provide an ancestor's age, birth year, religion, birthplace and occupation, explain an individual's relationship to family members and provide other family information," Nauta added.

The 10,000 bilingual indexers will be added to a growing army of volunteers that will soon top 100,000, well ahead of year-end targets.

Over the past months, FamilySearch has been preparing digital images of the various census pages and many other records for placement on the Internet. However, without an index for the material, family-tree enthusiasts would still have to go through the pages one-by-one looking for their ancestors.

"Once indexed, the records are searchable in seconds, just like looking up a name in a phone book—except quicker, easier and online," Nauta said.

The 1930 Mexico Census marks the first Latin American project for the Web-based FamilySearch Indexing program. In addition, FamilySearch indexers just completed the Argentina census of 1895 and will soon start on that country's 1855 census.

A four-year project to digitize historical land and property documents and wills in Paraguay has just begun, and civil records in Nicaragua will become part of the indexing program within 30 days.

FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members consider it a religious obligation to identify their families. FamilySearch maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources, accessible through FamilySearch.org, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries.

New Family Search and FamilyInsight

To my delight and surprise this morning, I found a press release from Ohana Software regarding their application PAF Insight (which integrates with PAF - Personal Ancestral File) and the New Family Search.

First I would like to give you a little background for those that are not familiar with PAF. Personal Ancestral File (PAF) is a genealogical program that has been used by millions of people and has worked well for quite some time. PAF is available for a free download at FamilySearch.

A few drawbacks to the program have been that it is only Windows based and that it has not been able to search the internet from within the program itself like many other genealogical programs. As a result of these drawbacks a few programs have been developed to help fill in the gaps so to speak. PAF Pal has meet is a small add-on program to PAF that has enable the user to search the internet from within the program. The greatest addition to the world of PAF was the development of PAF Insight which allows the user the search IGI files located in the Family History Center in Salt Lake City. The search engine for PAF Insight is amazing and works better (in my humble opinion) than the search engine located on FamilySearch.

Now for the press release from Ohana. I thought about summarizing the post to me, but felt it was best said by Ohana Software themselves. I have included it in it's entirety for you to read.

Insights into Insight: FamilyInsight and the new FamilySearch

The opening line from "New York, New York" jubilantly exclaims, "Start spreading the news". That fits our mood at Ohana Software as we may finally put into writing upcoming changes to PAF Insight. First, we are changing our name from PAF Insight to FamilyInsight. The name change to emphasizes family as the foundation of the work we do. After all, Ohana is Hawaiian for family. It also emphasizes our continued ability to connect to FamilySearch. FamilyInsight takes the program into the next generation by providing you with two-way synchronization with the new FamilySearch.

Second, FamilyInsight will have the capacity to read and write to GEDCOM files without importing them into PAF first. You can see the quality of the file by opening the GEDCOM into the Edit RINs and Pedigrees mode. You can also open your file and the GEDCOM file in the Compare and Sync mode and update your records directly from the GEDCOM.

Last of all, the Edit Places mode in FamilyInsight will have increased functionality. When you open your file into this mode, the program will scan every place and check it against the place authority database in the new FamilySearch. Using the suggestions for unrecognized places, you can correct, complete and standardize the place entries in your file. You may also mark places as valid if you know they are correct.

As you can imagine, we are excited about the forthcoming improvements to FamilyInsight and its ability to synchronize with the new FamilySearch. I imagine you have some questions so let's see if I can guess what they are.

Why will I want to use FamilyInsight with the new FamilySearch?

I think there are three reasons for using FamilyInsight. First, since you are accustomed to comparing IGI records with the records in your file, you will probably find it easier to continue using this format than the format used by the new FamilySearch.

Second, you can select information found in the new FamilySearch and add it directly to your PAF file as easily as you currently update records from the IGI.

The third reason needs some background. The new FamilySearch combines all temple ordinances for deceased individuals, LDS membership records, and records from both the Ancestral File and the Pedigree Resource File into one massive database. If you or your ancestor's information exists in any of these databases, it now exists in the new FamilySearch.

Now, think of each of these entries as papers within a folder that represents your ancestor. With this analogy in mind, you should now understand the huge change or "paradigm shift" for sharing information. Uploading a GEDCOM of your complete set of records to the new FamilySearch will be redundant. Therefore, the third reason we will use FamilyInsight with the new FamilySearch is for the two-way synchronization of records. Not only will you get information from the new FamilySearch into your PAF file, as you do now, but you will also add information from your file to someone's "folder" in the new FamilySearch!

Will my information by over written by what someone else adds?

N0! Remember how I describe each person's "folder" with "papers" from the various sources? When anyone finds a family member in this system, they can connect the person to their personal family tree. Then, using FamilyInsight, you can add missing pieces of information to their already existing file. You may also "dispute" existing facts by providing alternate information along with sources. Instead of adding a completely new entry (or "piece of paper"), you simply add supplementary information without duplicating or overwriting existing records.

What should I do when I first log onto the new FamilySearch?

You should begin finding matches to your records and tying them to your family tree. As you build your tree in the new FamilySearch you can also update your records and synchronize your information with existing records.

As you progress, FamilyInsight will detect changes to your family records on new FamilySearch. You can review changes and accept or dispute them as you see fit.

When can we expect to see FamilyInsight?

FamilySearch invited the early web service affiliates to participate in a very limited beta test of their software with a copy of the new FamilySearch. This test is set to begin about October 22nd and the testers have been selected and notified. After this test period of about three weeks, we hope to have a live Beta version available for download from our website. At that point, anyone wanting to participate in the beta may do so but only those living in a temple district using the new familysearch will have the full functionality of the program. BUT ONLY THOSE LIVING IN A TEMPLE DISTRICT USING THE NEW FAMILYSEARCH WILL HAVE THE FULL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PROGRAM. Those of us living in other temple districts will be able to test using a GEDCOM and all the other great features we haven't even mentioned. We hope many of you will test these functions for us.

I am not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When can I use the new FamilySearch?

The new FamilySearch must be deployed to members in all temple districts before it will be opened for general use. Staggering the initial use of the website allows for better support and education. All of us who are waiting for the new FamilySearch should continue our file cleanup efforts. We should also strive to understand the new model of collaboration made possible by this new program.

Will I be able to reserve names for doing temple work through FamilyInsight?

FamilySearch has not implemented the procedures for 3rd party products, such as FamilyInsight, to reserve names for temple work. When FamilySearch approves the procedures, FamilyInsight will then provide this function.

Will I have to purchase this new program to get FamilyInsight?

No. Updating to FamilyInsight will be like all other updates. If you have a current license for PAF Insight, you will be able to download the update to FamilyInsight. If your license has expired, you may renew at any time and download FamilyInsight.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the future. Keep reading Ohana Insights and visiting our website for more information on the beta test and eventual release of FamilyInsight.

PAF Insight has many other useful tools including editing places, RINS, and also find those disconnected lines within your family database. If you would like to learn more click PAFInsight/FamilyInsight to be directed to Ohana Software.

New FamilySearch Wiki in Beta

I wanted to let you know that if you like being a pioneer and exploring new programs, FamilySearch.org has a new Wiki page that is out in Beta. If you are unfamiliar with a Wiki website, I will explain to you what they are. These websites are designed to be a collaborative website where people work together on creating the content and direction of the site. The direction of the FamilySearch.org's Wiki is towards providing an area that will help provide information on how and where to search for Family Records. It is a support based wiki site. FamilySeach Wiki Beta, allows for your to search for genealogical advise by country, providing you with historical information about your county as well as possible databases to research in.

The wiki site will become a great resource of information and I will be checking it frequently as well as contributing to the information. Remember that this site is still in Beta testing, which means to you that some things may not work properly. If you happen to receive an error message, try and report the problem utilizing the feedback links provided. If you would like to learn more about this beta test, click FamilySearch Wiki.

FamilyLink.com

As promised, this review is about the new features of FamilyLink.com. Prior to uploading my GEDCOM, I emailed FamilyLink through the feedback option on the site, and have not received a response regarding the privacy of living information. I am not sure that the feedback option link is fully functional at this moment so I have inquired at WorldVitalRecords.com regarding this issue and will post a follow-up to this blog when I receive the answer.


I have tried out the new feature of adding a GEDCOM which occurred seamlessly. I was able to view all of the information in the standard pedigree and family views. I removed my file without difficulty as well. FamilyLink stresses the fact that your Family Tree is YOUR data. You can remove it at any time, choose who gets to see your data, provides you with the choice of allowing other to view (user can view your tree), add (user can add information to your tree), edit (user edit your data), delete (user can delete people in your tree), download a GEDCOM (user can download your GEDCOM), living (this is one option that I am inquiring about), and view LDS data. Each of these choices can be selected or deselected individually as desired, for each person that is in your Friends/Family circle. Another nice feature of this site is that the people that are going to view your information can do so without being charged.

When uploading your GEDCOM, you might want to consider privatizing your file (for the living) and to edit or note include your notes if there is sensitive information contained in them. Once your GEDCOM is imported into the Family Tree portion of FamilyLink.com, clicking on the location link will take you to a your places tab and allow you to see who is searching in the same local, see who lives close to the place your are researching and are willing to do local look-ups and it also includes a map. Overall, the new features added to FamilyLink.com are really nice and I have enjoyed using them. As I previously mentioned, once I get a response to my queries regarding privacy of living people, I will post their response.

If you are interested in checking out this site, click Family Link to be directed to the sign up page of this site. Also from this site can search for those who might be researching the same surname or location. If you find someone that has information that you might be interested in, you can send them a message but to do so requires that you join the group. Have Fun!

New Features Coming to FamilyLink.com

World Vital Records website is planning to launch their next installment of new features for the Social Networking site of FamilyLink. The features that will be included in this site include the following capabilities:

1) Quickly view pedigree files
2) Calculate the relationship between two individuals within their pedigree chart
3) Easily view vital information on an individual, such as birth, marriage, or death
dates
4) Switch to ancestor or descendant view
5) Add or view photos, documents, videos, albums, recordings, etc.
6) See information that has been added in the past 30 days
7) View a statistics page
8) Search through a large repository of information
9) Find surnames, places, dates, and local area information quickly and
easily.

They are also including capabilities to view places where your ancestors lived, connect with other people that are researching your family line, and connections with other genealogists that live in your ancestors locations who are willing to do look ups for your family. The authors of the FamilyLink state that there is going to be more features, but this will not be launched until this coming Friday, August 31st, 2007.

I have joined this site and have found a friend in Denmark who I have been able to help with her family that immigrated to the United States. She has also told me that she would be happy to help me with translations of documents that I find from Danish to English. As you can see, this site can be extremely valuable in assisting you in your research. If you are interested in checking this out, here to be directed to the create an account page for Family Link. If you would like to read more about this news, click here and you will be directed to the WorldVitalRecords.com site newsletter post regarding the upcoming release of FamilyLink features. Have Fun!

***More Great News***

I was searching on FamilySearch tonight and was reading the news stories on this site when I came a cross this new press release below regarding three genealogical libraries pooling their collections together in a massive digitization project. The three libraries include, The Allen County Public Library, The Harold B. Lee Library, and the FamilySearch Family History Library. The great thing about this venture is that when the project is completed, we will be able to access the records for free through the www.familyhistoryarchive.byu.edu.

Family History is becoming easier to find records because of the diligence and foresight of many people. Thank you for your hard work. We appreciate it.


News Release
"North America Local and County Histories to Go Online
15 August 2007

Three genealogical libraries pool their collections in massive digitization effort

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Thousands of published family histories, city and county histories, historic city directories, and related records are coming to the Internet. The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library, and FamilySearch's Family History Library in Salt Lake City announced the joint project today. When complete, it will be the most comprehensive collection of city and county histories on the Web—and access will be free at www.familyhistoryarchive.byu.edu.

The digital history project will target over 100,000 published family histories and thousands of local histories that are rich in names as well as biographical and genealogical data associated with those names. "Publishing those collections from the three libraries involved will make a significant and attractive family history digital library online for genealogists and historians," said David Rencher, director of Records and Information for FamilySearch.

"I believe the most immediate, substantial contribution of this collaboration will be the addition of local history materials," said Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center Manager, Curt Witcher. The collaborative project will digitally scan thousands of historic city directories, as well as city and county histories from North America. The ACPL and the Family History Library have the largest collections of city and county histories from North America. "I believe the strength of our two well known, well used, and well loved institutions working together is a terrific benefit to the genealogical community," added Witcher.

Once digitized, the collections will have "every word" search capability, which allows users to search by name, location, date, or other field across the collection. The search results are then linked to high quality digital images of the original publication. Digitization efforts have begun. New additions will be noted and hyperlinked in the Family History Library Catalog at FamilySearch.org as they are digitized. The collection can be accessed currently at www.familyhistoryarchive.byu.edu.

FamilySearch is providing the computers, scanners, and camera operators required to complete the project. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources accessed through FamilySearch.org, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries."

***News Flash***

World Vital Records.com announced today that their databases are now available in 100 Family History Centers today and will be expanding to include over 4,500 Family History Centers. Thank you FamilySearch and World Vital Records for making this possible for all those searching their family lines.

If you would like to view the World Vital Records site, click here to be directed to the site. Please find below the press release on World Vital Records.com site:

"For the past few months, a common question the support team at World Vital Records, Inc. has received is, “When will WorldVitalRecords.com be available to access at my family history center?”

And the answer to some is, “Right now.”

A representative from FamilySearch™ announced yesterday at the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana that WorldVitalRecords.com can now be searched in 100 family history centers throughout the world.

Next week, WorldVitalRecords.com will be available to patrons in 500 additional family history centers. Within the next two weeks, WorldVitalRecords.com anticipates that patrons will be able to access WorldVitalRecords.com in more than 4,500 family history centers.

We hope you enjoy searching WorldVitalRecords.com the next time you visit your local family history center.

In case you missed the announcement about WorldVitalRecords.com being accessible in more than 4,500 family history centers worldwide, click here to read the press release."

*New* Knowles Collection and Other Jewish Resources on FamilySearch.org

While searching on FamilySearch.org tonight, I noticed that they have a new resource available for Jewish Genealogy records, helps and hints. The Knowles Collection containing information regarding thousands of Jews from the British Isles is now available for viewing as a PAF (Personal Ancestral File) file or can be downloaded as a GEDCOM for those that do not use PAF. The Knowles collection contains 12,696 names and 25 pedigrees. The Library also commented that they will be adding names to this database on a continuous basis. The Family History Library has also developed a new in depth guide for Jewish Research and revised the Jewish Genealogy Research Outline.

If you are interested in the Knowles Collection click here and you will directed to FamilySearch.org Jewish Genealogy Resources page.

If you would like to view the New Indepth Jewish Research Guide, click here.

If you would like to view the Jewish Genealogy Research Outline, please click here.

*Please note you will need Adobe Reader to view both the Research Guide and Research Outline.*

Have fun searching!

Free Data Bases at Ancestry.com?

I am sure you are wondering if it is possible. Can it really be true that there are some free data bases on Ancestry.com? Wonder now longer. It is true and you just have to know how to find them. I am going to share with you how you can find these hidden gems for those who can't afford to pay the subscription prices for Ancestry.com website. Please note images are generally not available for the indexes but the records do contain vital information such as name, birth, death, marriage dates and places.

The link for the site can be found here, but I would suggest that you go to Ancestry.com and search for the free records utilizing their search engine. The reason for this suggestion is that Ancestry.com is constantly adding new databases to their collection so the link may outdate and become broken. Once you have navigated to Ancestry.com, click the search tab. You will notice on the right side of the page, a link for the card catalog under the link search products. Click on Card Catalog and it will take you to the search page. Once you have reached this page, you will type in "free" (without the quotation marks) in the keywords box and then click search. The search will bring you up hundreds of databases to search so I would suggest narrowing your search by utilizing the feature on the site that allows you to tell which type of record you want to search. Please note that the available free databases state the word FREE highlighted in green. Have fun!

FamilySearch Labs Has Moved!

FamilySearch Labs has moved from it's previous address of www.familysearchlabs.org to www.labs.familysearch.org. If I understand correctly from the blog, this has been done to consolidate everything at familysearch. Check out the new programs that they are working on. One of my all time favorite things is the Life Time Browser. What a cool concept to be working on. To tell you the truth, I feel that I am being given the chance to watch the beginning of many major changes in the way people will connect to and keep track of their ancestors.