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Archives for February 2024

RootsTech 2024 to begin this Thursday

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Don’t forget that The RootsTech Genealogy Conference, sponsored by FamilySearch.org, will take place for free virtually from Thursday, February 29 – Saturday, March 2, 2024.

There will over 200 new online sessions in over 26 languages. You can chat online with other attendees worldwide and get digital syllabi and class handouts.

You can view the scheduled presentations for each day and filter by in-person or online by going to: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2024-02-29

And if you haven’t already,  to sign up, go to: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/

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Several free genealogy webinars offered this week

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Several free genealogy webinars will take place this week covering: social history, genetic genealogy and Polish genealogy

The Danish American Genealogy Society will present “Are You Getting the Most Out of FamilySearch?” on Monday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. No doubt most people researching their family history have dabbled in using the FamilySearch website. But there is SO much more to the website than you may even imagine, and many documents aren’t easily accessed with a quick name search.  In fact, only 30% of the records at Family Search are indexed. This webinar will demonstrate how to improve your searching methods and strategies to take full advantage of the resources at FamilySearch.

To register, go to: https://danishgenealogy.org/events

Genealogical Society of Bergen County will present “Incorporating Social History Into Your Research” on Monday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.  Family history should be more than names and dates. What motivated our ancestors? Why did they migrate? Who did they interact with? How do social customs of another era affect our research? Social history and its bearing on genealogical research will be covered and a “must-read” bibliography for serious researchers will be discussed.

To register, go to: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4829699818644629333

Mid Continent Library will present “Genetic Genealogy: Strategies for Analysis” on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. You’ve taken a DNA test… so, what now? Join us to learn strategies for utilizing test results in your genealogy research. Learn how to use DNA evidence to work through your brick walls. This is part two of a two-part series.

To register, go to: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/93025/genetic-genealogy-strategies-analysis-hybrid

Mid Continent Library will present “Polish Genealogy” on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Did your ancestor come from Russian Poland, Galicia-Austria, or East or West Prussia? These regions may be now within the present boundaries of Poland. Learn basic techniques, resources available, how to deal with foreign records, and more.

To register, go to:  https://www.mymcpl.org/events/91048/polish-genealogy-research-hybrid

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Free access to Newspaper.com this weekend

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Free access is available to Newspaper.com Publisher Extra edition from now until Feb. 20 at 1:59 a.m. Eastern time.

Search 924 million+ pages in our newspaper archive for marriage announcements, birth announcements, society pages, and much more.

Search our collection of more than 80 million+ wedding announcements in our Marriage Index.

Registration is required. To start searching, go to: https://go.newspapers.com/freeaccess/?iid=5914

After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view Publisher Extra papers using a Newspapers.com Publisher Extra subscription.

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MyHeritage offers free access to marriage records

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To celebrate Valentine’s Day, MyHeritage is granting free access to its marriage records from today through Feb. 17, 2024.

MyHeritage has 254 collections containing 746 million historical records. Marriage records typically reveal names, birth dates, places of birth, and residences of the bride and groom, often extending to details about their parents or the witnesses, who might be close family friends or relatives.

Access to these records usually requires a subscription, but right now they’re completely free to search. Simply register for a free MyHeritage account to begin.

To start searching, go to: www.myheritage.com/marriage-records

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Free genealogy webinars to cover German, Czech research

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Several free genealogy webinars will take place this week covering: Czech research, artificial intelligence and African American research.

Mid Continent Library will present “African American Genealogy” on Monday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. The lecture will illustrate both methodologies and strategies for meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard when researching families that survived American slavery. The focus on strategies will arm attendees with the tools needed to overcome the challenges of researching during the antebellum period.  To register, go to: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/91194/african-american-genealogy-methodology-and-strategies-zoom

Allen County Public Library will present “Tracing the Path of African Americans from Enslavement to Freedom” on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 2:30 p.m. Learn tips and tricks for finding evidence and breaking research barriers in African American genealogy and pre-Emancipation historical research. Specific examples will be used to illustrate how traditional genealogical methods, combined with a creative approach can help to solve the most difficult research puzzles.  To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SPqmH06CT9eT7HVW9mIQfw#/registration

Allen County Public Library will present “How to Overcome Brick Walls in German American Research” on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. Several case studies will be presented showing lesser-utilized research tactics, repositories and resources used to find information about our German-speaking ancestors.  To register, go to: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9223038

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will present “AI and Genealogy: Trouble Ahead?” on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. While AI (artificial intelligence) might be the current “hot” buzz word, the fact is that many genealogy vendors and even genealogists have already been using this technology for years. The AI industry is at a cross-roads and within the next five years, it will permeate almost every aspect of business and society. Learn how AI is currently being used to improve the genealogy experience, and whether or not you should seek out other uses of artificial intelligence for your own genealogy research. To register, go to: https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/ai-and-genealogy-trouble-ahead/

Allen County Public Library will present “Native American Genealogical Research” on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. This presentation provides an overview for the person just getting started doing Native American genealogical research. Emphasis is placed on the researcher paying close attention to historical details, the major differences between Euro-American and Native American societies, and conducting research within the proper historical and geographic contexts.  Major records groups are defined as well as consequential first steps in engaging in any type of Native American research are enumerated and discussed.  To register, go to: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9938399

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will present “Introduction to County Research in England” on Friday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. Discover the building blocks for researching in the English counties. This talk provides an overview of the key facts you need to know to start researching your English ancestors. By understanding which records are stored at national or county level and some of the laws that influenced their collation, you will then be able to effectively concentrate on looking at the specific counties your ancestors came from. To register, go to: https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/introduction-to-county-research-in-england/

Mid Continent Library will present “Czech and Slovak Genealogy” on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Did your ancestors come from Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, Austria, or Hungary? Learn the basic methods for completing your Czech and Slovak genealogy research. A brief history of the two nations will be presented, as well as the research resources available. To register, go to: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/91036/czech-and-slovak-genealogy-research-hybrid

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Several free genealogy programs to cover military research, vital records

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Several free genealogy programs will be offered this week covering military research, African American research and vital records.

St. Louis County Library will present “Exploring FamilySearch.org” on Monday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. FamilySearch.org is a free website offering access to millions of records for genealogy and family history research. Learn how to search for ancestors, navigate the catalog, and take advantage of other features.  To register, go to: https://slcl.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=361943&df=list&backTo=List&startDate=2024/02/04&endDate=2024/03/05

Villages Genealogical Society will present “10 Places to Search for an Ancestor’s Death Date” on Monday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Not every ancestor left a death certificate, even after death registrations were required by the states. But don’t give up hope! You may be able to find an ancestor’s death date using these 10 great resources.

To register, go to: https://vgsfl.org/eventListings.php?nm=117

Mid Continent Library will present “Researching Your Civil War Ancestors” on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time. Did your ancestor serve in the U.S. Civil War? Discover the resources you need to find your ancestors and learn where those records are located.  To register, go to: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/91021/researching-your-civil-war-veteran-hybrid

Legacy Family Tree Webinars will present “African Americans in the Army: 1868-1948” on Friday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. Following the Civil War, when nearly 200,000 African American men served, the U.S. Army established 4 African American infantry (later modified to 2) and 2 cavalry regiments in 1868. They initially served in the West but fought in the Spanish American War and the two World Wars in segregated units. It was not until 1948 that Executive Order 9981 integrated the military. What was life like for these soldiers? Where do you find service and pension records?

To register, go to: https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/african-americans-in-the-army-1868-1948/

The Boston Public Library will present “Introduction to African American Genealogy” on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. This virtual 3-hour class will be an introduction to African American genealogy, focusing on resources and online tools that can be helpful in tracing family histories. Resources on AmericanAncestors.org (including the 10 Million Names project), as well as sites like FamilySearch, Ancestry, and other online databases will be discussed. There will also be a discussion on using autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA.  To register, go to: https://www.bpl.org/genealogy/

San Diego Genealogical Society will present two programs “Immigration and Naturalization Records” and “Military and Pension Files” on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. Eastern time. To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XKtpUBKTR0-CEP7A5PnRQA#/registration

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Digitization workshop to take place Feb. 12

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New York Genealogical & Biographical Society Logo

The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society will host a digitization evening workshop on Monday, Feb. 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in their offices at 36 W. 44th Street in Manhattan.

Get an inside look at the NYG&B’s process for preserving records and making them accessible to researchers online.

Workshop participants will get a hands-on lesson in operating the book scanner and learn about the image processing software used by the NYG&B.

Participants will learn how they can get involved in digital preservation work with the society.

To register, go to: https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/digitization-evening-workshop

 

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