THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY ADDED
ONE-HALF MILLION MORE
RECORDS
Brenda Kellow
May 19, 2013
For the last 100 years, FamilySearch, www.FamilySearch.org, has been gathering, preserving and sharing records from all over the world for family history researchers to use free of charge. In times past, we accessed their records from the local Family History Centers or from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Thanks to the internet and the thousands of volunteers from around the world who transcribe and index these records, we can access the digitized records from home on our PCs.
FamilySearch is constantly uploading records. Eventually, their goal is to make all the records stored in Monument Mountain available over the internet. Recently they have added more than 500,000 records for the United States, Australia, England, Italy, Philippines and Spain. The new additions include the naturalization index for the Southern District of Ohio from 1852-1991 and Civil Registration records from Australia to list only a few.
MINNEAPOLIS DIGITIZED CITY DIRECTORIES: The Hennepin County Library Special Collections department digitized the Minneapolis City Directories from 1859-1917. Search online at
http://box2.nmtvault.com/Hennepin2/jsp/RcWebBrowse.jsp.
MISSOURI TO MAKE MARRIAGE RECORDS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE: The Missouri Archives and FamilySearch work together to put three million Missouri marriage records online from the territorial period through 1969 at no charge. These records are currently available through the county courthouses and microfilm at the State Archives in Jefferson City.
OREGON RESTRICTS VITAL RECORDS ACCESS: If House Bill 2093 passes, it will certainly affect Oregon researchers. The records will become available as follows: birth records after 100 years; death records after 50 years; marriage records after 75 years. The change in access will not affect the subject of the record or the spouse, child, parent, sibling or legal guardian of the person’s record. It also will not affect the authorized representative, legal guardian or next of kin of the subject of the record.
FREE GUIDE TO USING A MAC: If you are thinking of switching to a Mac as I did last December, you might want to download this free guide to help you with the switch. It is, Switched: The Converts’ Guide to the Mac and OS X by Tim Brookes. I was a long-time Windows user before trying the switch. As you have read about my struggle, you know I gave the Mac to my youngest daughter, the Mac Whisperer, and returned to the Windows PC. Tim’s guide explains how to use a Mac and explains that it is
his perspective as a long-time Window’s user. Download the free PDF at
www.makeuseof.com/pages/converts-guide-to-the-mac-fulltext.
NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY LAUNCHED: The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) was launched on April 18 making the holdings of America’s research libraries, archives and museums available online free of charge. The DPLA’s mission is to be “an open, distributed network of comprehensive online resources that would draw on the nation’s living heritage from libraries, universities, archives, and museums in order to educate, inform, and empower everyone in the current and future generations.” You can access it at http://dp.la/.
NGS OFFERS NEW BOOK TO HELP IN GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH: Each year, the National Genealogical Society (NGS), www.ngsgenealogy.org, releases a new item for genealogists as part of their Special Topic Series. This year, their newest item is Dr. Thomas W. Jones’ book, Mastering Genealogical Proof. He uses his vast experience as a genealogist to explain the development of the necessary steps for proof that is appropriate to genealogy.
DEFINITION OF A CITATION: A citation is much like a roadmap: you follow a citation back to the original document, book, paper or author that provides verification in a scholarly work. Without a citation, the
words are only hearsay or lore.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
FamilySearch is constantly uploading records. Eventually, their goal is to make all the records stored in Monument Mountain available over the internet. Recently they have added more than 500,000 records for the United States, Australia, England, Italy, Philippines and Spain. The new additions include the naturalization index for the Southern District of Ohio from 1852-1991 and Civil Registration records from Australia to list only a few.
MINNEAPOLIS DIGITIZED CITY DIRECTORIES: The Hennepin County Library Special Collections department digitized the Minneapolis City Directories from 1859-1917. Search online at
http://box2.nmtvault.com/Hennepin2/jsp/RcWebBrowse.jsp.
MISSOURI TO MAKE MARRIAGE RECORDS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE: The Missouri Archives and FamilySearch work together to put three million Missouri marriage records online from the territorial period through 1969 at no charge. These records are currently available through the county courthouses and microfilm at the State Archives in Jefferson City.
OREGON RESTRICTS VITAL RECORDS ACCESS: If House Bill 2093 passes, it will certainly affect Oregon researchers. The records will become available as follows: birth records after 100 years; death records after 50 years; marriage records after 75 years. The change in access will not affect the subject of the record or the spouse, child, parent, sibling or legal guardian of the person’s record. It also will not affect the authorized representative, legal guardian or next of kin of the subject of the record.
FREE GUIDE TO USING A MAC: If you are thinking of switching to a Mac as I did last December, you might want to download this free guide to help you with the switch. It is, Switched: The Converts’ Guide to the Mac and OS X by Tim Brookes. I was a long-time Windows user before trying the switch. As you have read about my struggle, you know I gave the Mac to my youngest daughter, the Mac Whisperer, and returned to the Windows PC. Tim’s guide explains how to use a Mac and explains that it is
his perspective as a long-time Window’s user. Download the free PDF at
www.makeuseof.com/pages/converts-guide-to-the-mac-fulltext.
NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY LAUNCHED: The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) was launched on April 18 making the holdings of America’s research libraries, archives and museums available online free of charge. The DPLA’s mission is to be “an open, distributed network of comprehensive online resources that would draw on the nation’s living heritage from libraries, universities, archives, and museums in order to educate, inform, and empower everyone in the current and future generations.” You can access it at http://dp.la/.
NGS OFFERS NEW BOOK TO HELP IN GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH: Each year, the National Genealogical Society (NGS), www.ngsgenealogy.org, releases a new item for genealogists as part of their Special Topic Series. This year, their newest item is Dr. Thomas W. Jones’ book, Mastering Genealogical Proof. He uses his vast experience as a genealogist to explain the development of the necessary steps for proof that is appropriate to genealogy.
DEFINITION OF A CITATION: A citation is much like a roadmap: you follow a citation back to the original document, book, paper or author that provides verification in a scholarly work. Without a citation, the
words are only hearsay or lore.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
