BYU FH Conf 2011 – a few gleanings

The conference was wonderful – there were over 600 people in attendance – I thought about each of you and wondered how I could share what I learned . . . .  then I realized that you are all on holiday and probably don’t want to know right now – so I had better keep this short!

There were thunderstorms the first 3 evenings I was in Provo including one quite violent storm – so I felt right at home!

1. Familysearch is trying to bring all data sets and tools into one place – this first version feels a little stitched together – 2nd version being mapped out now will allow parts to talk to each other.  Some products built on old technology e.g. fs.org almost 15 years old, record search could not be scaled up .  There are 2.25 billion records on the new site so far – and growing.
2. Images owned by various organizations – will shortly indicate if there is an image freely available or where it is available if not for free.  Current image viewer built on Flash – will be replaced in a few months with one built in HTML
3. FamilySearch.org has added Pedigree Resource File (PRF) to the Trees tab – and not the 100 million records that are on the old FamilySearch.org but after eliminating the living there are about 200 million records in the collection on the new site.  At the moment searches for the PRF are mixed in with searches for Ancestral File (AF) – but expect that to change in the future – it would be good to send Feedback suggesting the kinds of filters you would like.  I attended a session with one of the engineers working on the search engine.  They are working hard to continue to improve the product and appreciate our Feedback.
4. Search tips for Familysearch historical records – down arrow on right in list of search results to see a preview within the results list.  See articles on searching posted on this blog on 12 and 19 June 2011.
5. Historical records collections are being added to almost weekly – keep encouraging the indexing!  Now 681 collections.  Tip:  if you browse collections did you know you can sort any of the 3 columns by clicking in the column heading!  So you can sort by Records or by Last updated or by Title.
6. Catalog at familysearch.org continues to be improved – data is all there now but the design in not finalized – send Feedback – when get a results page it tells you how many items in each result and clicking on one of the results creates a drop down preview within the results list so you can easily go back.
7. maps.familysearch.org – continues to be a great product for those of us researching England (cry your heart out if you are researching other countries!).  I noticed during the conference that they now have a view that uses the UK Ordnance Survey maps – look for OS map button on upper right.
8. Rootsmagic news – I asked Bruce Buzbee if they were going to create a Macintosh version of Rootsmagic.  He said that they are awaiting the release of a mac compiler from their software tool company and then would be working on a mac version.  Reasonable estimate of public release is one year from now!  Meanwhile Rootsmagic have a great article on how to run Rootsmagic on mac (go to Rootmagic.com and the support and search for mac).  They offer several ways to do this.
9. Please consider and encourage the use of the FamilySearch Research classes in your FHC.  You can find the ever growing list at Learn and then the link to Research Classes in the lower centre.  I can see this being done very effectively by inviting a group of people to a lesson in the FHC – watching the lesson together and then discussing parts of it.  Is pop corn allowed in a FHC for the first part?  Perhaps the list of possible lessons could be circulated and people could select the ones they are interested in and then you could schedule them for the group.

Great keynote presentations!  They flew in Joshua Taylor from the New England Historic  Genealogical Society.  You don’t want to know how young he is!  He helped with some of the Who Do You Think You Are tv shows – and shared some experiences.  He showed some pictures behind the scenes during the making of the Ashley Judd episode.

Read Full Post »

How to Donate Family History Books

Occasionally we hear of people who have a family history book that they would like to donate.  We know that some of our FH Centres have donated books on the shelf.  Some times however the person would like to donate the book to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  How do you do that?

We would suggest that you do the following:

1. Go to FamilySearch.org then click on Help in the upper right hand corner
2. In the box below Ask a Question type in Donate Books and then click Search
3. The following is from a knowledge document entitled “How patrons can donate or loan records, books, or personal genealogy to Family History Library acquisitions” (number 101707)

“Many valuable records have been added to the Family History Library by patrons sending in their records to be copied and returned. The digital copy is placed in the library. We will need information about the records you want to have digitized so we can determine if they meet our criteria.

Donations may be sent to the following address:

FamilySearch

Library Rights–Gifts

50 East North Temple Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0005

USA

Donations may also be delivered to the Family History Library donation desk, located in the main floor lobby.

For a complete list of items and guidelines for donating to FamilySearch, please see “Gifts, Donations, and Loans to FamilySearch,” attached and posted on FamilySearch.org. To locate these guidelines, go to http://www.familysearch.org, select FamilySearch Centers, then Family History Library, then Gifts and Donations, and then Donations to the Family History Library.

A summary of the items FamilySearch will accept is listed below.

FamilySearch will accept only materials that:

• Are readable, organized, and accessible to help researchers identify individuals and relationships by name, date, and place.
• Add new information to FamilySearch’s collection (duplicate materials are not accepted).
• Fit in available shelf space.
• Do not violate current privacy and copyright laws.

FamilySearch accepts the following materials:

• Autobiographies and biographies containing genealogical material.
• Family histories with genealogical information.
• Indexes to records.
• Local histories (limited).
• Well organized collections of genealogical and research materials (if preapproved by Library Rights).

FamilySearch accepts the following materials only if submitted with a Permission to Duplicate form signed by the copyright owner or legal custodian of the original documents:

• Census records.
• Directories (limited).
• Genealogical periodicals.
• Newspaper extracts (such as obituaries).
• Commercially available computer software.
• Original records, such as cemetery records, church records and histories, court records, land records, military records, naturalization records, passenger lists, probate records, and vital records.”

There is then 2 attachments:

1. Donations guidelines
2. Permission request

Read Full Post »

Synch your PAF data across multiple computers

by Bill Buchanan

I used to have a problem keeping my PAF data synchronized across multiple computers. Now I can do work on any of my computers and the changes are automatically made to all of them.

Dropbox.com offers 2 GB of free online storage, as does various other sites. The difference is that you can install Dropbox on multiple computers and Dropbox automatically synchronizes your data on each computer when that computer connects to the internet.

I have PAF installed on each of my computers, with my PAF data file (and linked photos) uploaded to Dropbox, which also stores a copy in my local DropBox folder. The rest is automatic. When I start PAF on any of my computers, it opens the file stored on the local computer and this folder is automatically synched across all of my dropbox folders.

So I can edit a PAF file on my laptop while doing research at a remote location and any changes will automatically be made to my desktop computer, my wife’s computer, and to all of the other Dropbox folders keyed to my email address and password (whether on a Windows PC, Mac, Linux, Android phone, or iPhone).

So I just use PAF as usual. There is nothing new to learn or do, but before shutting down the computer I check my Dropbox icon in the system tray to make sure that my PAF data file has a checkmark on it (showing it has been synched to my Dropbox “cloud” account). People with a faster internet connection probably don’t need to bother with that step.

I should never lose my data again or end up with multiple different versions of the same file. Dropbox also has other useful features.

Disclosure: I have no connection to Dropbox.com, except as a happy user of their free account.

(note from Peter:  Thank you, Bill.  I too am a happy user of Dropbox – works with Mac, Windows and Ipad – synchs all kinds of files – really good for personal history too! – and the program is free!  - for up to 2 GB of storage!)

Read Full Post »

Finding Answers using the Ask a Question Feature of the Help Center

Remember our 3 step teaching approach:  Ask, Find, Teach!

Ask – clarify the question we are being asked

Find – seek answers with the person asking the questions

Teach – what we found!

One of the places to find answers is the Help area of FamilySearch.org and new.familysearch.org.

The following is from knowledge document 100542 – available in the Help Centre at FamilySearch.org.

“The FamilySearch.org Self-Help page serves as the starting page of the Help Center. This page contains an Ask a Question search feature to help you find answers to your questions.

You can Search for Answers on the Self Help Page. This can be done in the following manner:

Open https://www.familysearch.org/

Click Help (located in the upper right corner of the homepage).

Note that if you sign in with an LDS Account username and password (Sign In link is located at the upper right corner of the page), member-access documents specific to church callings will be displayed in the search results.

Type your question in the search field.

Searches should contain at least two words to have success. It is best if the functionality of the product and what you are trying to do with it is included in the search. For example, you can form your query in a sentence like, “Where can I download PAF.”This will return the exact KD you are looking for or “Download PAF” will produce the same result.

Or, if you already know the knowledge document number, you can enter it.

Click Search.

From the list of Results, click the document title that answers your question.

If you do not find what your answer, click the upper left back arrow to return to your search results. If there were several documents you may want to open some of them, or try different search words.

You can also search for answers to questions using the Advanced Search option:

Repeat steps 1 and 2 above (if needed).

Click on Advanced Search to add filters to your searches.

Click on any item listed in the Filters that best describe your question. Use the slider bar in each filter box to navigate to choices that are not displayed.

Click Search.

From the Results list, click on a document title to open it.

If you do not find what you want click the arrow at the upper left of the screen to return to your search results. Open another document, or do a new search.

Click on Basic Search to close the Advanced Search options.”

Note the comment that if you sign in you will get more answers based on your calling!

Read Full Post »

Oh What Do You Do in the Summer Time?

from the newsletter published by Brother and Sister Miller who are Area FH Advisers in Northern Part of New England.  We appreciate them sharing!

… when all the world is green?  An old Primary song asks a question that has fun family history answers.  After such a long, difficult winter, try some of these activities with your family.  Take pictures and store up memories to review during the long winter that we know will follow.

• Visit ancestral home(s) where your family lived.  If you don’t know where, check an old historical atlas (like Beers) that have maps with homes shown (often labeled).  Ancestral homes include the homes where your parents or grandparents lived, so research may not be required.  If possible, take them inside and show them some of the fun places you played.

• Visit family gravesites with your children and decorate them with flowers or plants.  Write down information from the gravestones and see if some of your family members need ordinances in New FamilySearch.

• Hold a family reunion with either immediate or extended family.  These are a great opportunity for cousins to chat, for children to get acquainted with neat (young) relatives, and for older family members to share memories.

• Visit the temple with young children.  Touch the temple door and help them look forward to the day when they will go inside that door.  Take a picture of each child at the temple and attach it to “My Gospel Standards” (on the back of the Faith in God booklet).  Title the page “I Love To See the Temple – I’ll Go Inside One Day” and have them post it in their room, so they can see the temple and the gospel standards that will help them be worthy to go there.

• Take teenage children to the temple to perform baptisms – preferably for names you helped them research.  Make a keepsake by taking a picture of them outside the temple (holding the card!).  Put the card and picture in a page protector and give it to them to keep (it could be a start for their own Book of Remembrance).

• Visit a living history program, event or location.  Bring your children or grandchildren.  Learn something that relates to your ancestors – what did a blacksmith do, what was it like in the ___ war, etc.?  (occupation information is given in the US census – find out what it means) Take pictures, collect brochures, and put them in page protectors for the children’s Book of Remembrance.  This winter, you could write more information about an ancestor that relates to the site, photocopy it and give it to children to add to their Book of Remembrance.  It will be more meaningful since their living history experience.

• Visit family members who live further away.  Plan a visit (perhaps a camping trip) in the area where family members live.  Visit with them and try out some of the activities offered in that area.  You don’t need to stay with them (makes it easier for them) or wait for an invitation.  This is an especially great time to get oral histories from older relatives.  Arrange with them in advance so they have a chance to gather their thoughts together.  You may want them to talk about something specific – memories of their parents or grandparents, or a specific object or place.  The more information you give them in advance, the better they can prepare.  Be sure to bring a camera, notebook, and recorder.  Most people are grateful when younger people show interest in them, their lives and times.  If they are shy, ask them about their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and siblings.

• Do something with your children that your parents or grandparents did with you.  Did your father or grandfather take you fishing?  Take your children or grandchildren to try it.  Explain that this is part of your heritage that you are passing on to them.

• Visit church historical sites.  (The ones in the east are quite a distance., but there are some in the Western USA and in Southern Alberta).  In addition to the “standard” tours, the tour guides can point out lesser known feature s that you and your family might enjoy.

Read Full Post »