June 2013

Ruth’s Recommendations

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Here are my favourite blog posts from the last couple of weeks.

The Ancestry Insider has a post called “FamilySearch Image Restrictions” which looks at restrictions on the database images at FamilySearch. This is something we all need to be aware of when we do our research. These are only a few of the restrictions so be sure to read the information about the database before you start your research.

Irish Genealogy News has three items of interest. The first is “NAI issues tender for provision of Genealogy Service.” A tender has been put out by National Archives of Ireland for five researchers to work in the NAI Genealogy Service.

The next is “Remembering the 1913 Lock Out: lecture on video” here she provides a link to a lecture given by Michael D. Higgins, Uachtarán na hÉireann (President of Ireland) called “Remembering the 1913 Lock Out: It’s sources, impact and some lessons.”

The last is “County Clare archives to be placed online, free” which is very good news for all those with Clare ancestors.

The abroad in the yard blog had a post called “Snail DNA reveals ancient human journey from Pyrenees to Ireland 8,000 years ago.” DNA is something everyone has been talking about lately. This is a slightly different take on it as the DNA is from a snail and may have provided the necessary evidence about a migration to Ireland from Iberia “by Mesolithic coast-hugging sea travellers.”

British GENES blog has two posts of interest. The first is “Update on GRO Northern Ireland online records project” and the other is “PRONI User Forum – news highlights from meeting.” Both of these posts provide some interesting information on Northern Ireland research.

Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter has a posted called “Please Put the 1921 Canadian Census Online” which is about a letter written to the Toronto Star “Letters to the Editor” section.

The Anglo-Celtic Connections blog has a different view point in a post entitled “Why I’m not signing the e-petitions.”

Geniaus has a post called “Future Family History” where she looks at personal blogs as a way of preserving our family history stories.

Organize Your Family History has a post entitled “Genealogy Roadshow coming to PBS this fall.” More details about the show have been released. This show is in its second season on RTÉ in Ireland. The first season was very successful so let’s hope the same can be said of its American counterpart.

What were your favourite blog posts? Let me know in the comments below.

Other bloggers that write their own lists are:

Jana’s Genealogy and Family History Blog

Genealogy Insider – Genealogy News Corral

©2013 – Blair Archival Research All Rights Reserved

The Spring Speaking Tour is Complete

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It has been a very busy spring for speaking engagements. It started in April with a full day workshop at Heritage Mississauga where I presented “Irish Research from a Far” and “Taking Your Irish Ancestors Back over the Pond.” Before I finished the day they had booked me again for October when the subject will be Scottish research.

The next week I was at the Ontario Genealogical Society Region III Annual Meeting in Cambridge. My topic there was “Why Can’t I find it Online? Other resources to help you with your research.”

A couple of days later I presented “A Brick Wall Chisel: The Cluster Research Project” at the monthly meeting for the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

Then it was a little time for me, well sort of, because I attended the National Genealogical Society Conference in Las Vegas. I was an official blogger and we had a great time. Since we were so close to Salt Lake City we took the opportunity to go and do some research in the Family History Library for a few days. A few days wasn’t long enough.

The week after I got home I presented “I Want to Research my Family History – Where do I Start?” at the Milton Senior Activity Centre.

Jane Watt representing Halton Peel Branch Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2013

The following week I was off to the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference where I presented “Scottish Research from a Far,” “Maiden Aunts of the Twentieth Century: A forgotten generation of women” and “A Brick Wall Chisel: The Cluster Research Project.”

Brooke Skelton representing Waterloo Region Branch Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2013

Last week was my last lecture of the spring speaking tour. I presented “Why Can’t I find it Online? Other resources to help you with your research” at the Quinte Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society in Trenton Ontario.

Quinte Branch OGS Trenton Ontario at the Quinte West Public Library

Now that summer is here I am already booking for the fall speaking tour. I will be presenting a full day Scottish workshop at Heritage Mississauga in October and in November I will be at the Hamilton Branch OGS General Meeting and the topic will be “The Genealogy GPS: How the Genealogical Proof Standard can help your research.”

©2013 – Blair Archival Research All Rights Reserved

Conference Scheduling – Be Flexible

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As an FGS Ambassador we are provided with blogging prompts each month. Here are the responses to the questions we have been asked for June/July.

Deciding on the conference schedule depends very much on my selection of lectures which changes several times over the months prior to the conference. When the program first comes out I go through it and mark all the lectures that appeal to me. A few months later I will go through it again in a little more detail and narrow some streams down. Then a week or so before I leave I go through it for a final time and try to narrow it down to one lecture per stream.

Once I have narrowed the lectures down to hopefully one per stream, if not I hope that at least one of them is being recorded, then I decide on what exhibitors I want to visit during the conference. This can depend on what is of interest to me at the moment, new programs that have come out that I want to learn more about, new databases being released by the larger companies and sometimes it has to do with where the conference is being held and if I have any family connections to the area.

How I keep track of when and where I need to be usually starts with the small brochure that is included in our registration bag. I circle things and review the next day’s happenings the night before. In 2012 the FGS had an app that was very useful. I had it on my IPod Touch and could check at an instant where I needed to be. It made things very easy. I haven’t heard anything about this year’s app yet.

My schedule can change during the day at the conference because sometimes you are presented with an opportunity you can’t say no to or you meet up with some new friends and decide to try something different. Don’t schedule the whole conference before you go, be open to anything that may come up during conference. You never know what you might learn or who you may meet.

©2013 – Blair Archival Research All Rights Reserved