Family History Software for the Mac computer

Perhaps you own a Mac?  Probably you know someone who owns one?  Perhaps you have been asked what Family History (FH) software is available for the Mac?

There is good family history software for the Mac.  Unfortunately for the LDS family historian there are fewer choices than for the Windows computer user.

As we have written before (see article 5 June 2011 at http://peterfh.wordpress.com/) we encourage everyone to keep their own family history records on their own computer.  These are then my records.  What is on the Internet at sites such as new.familysearch.org are “our” records – where we collaborate with others and share with the world.

It is unnecessary for any Windows computer user to double enter data on their own computer and on new.familysearch.org (nFS).  There are several excellent software choices available that allow data to be moved to and from new familysearch without re-entering the information as well as allowing other interaction with nFS. Even PAF – old as it is – can do this with the help of either Family Insight or Ancestral Quest.  Several good alternatives to PAF can synchronize data with new familysearch such as Rootsmagic, Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker with Family Insight, and Ancestral Quest to name but four.  Family Insight works as an intermediary between just about all the most popular programs and nFS!

What is available for the Mac and what works with the FamilySearch website?

To answer this question go to Familysearch.org, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on Products (you can get to the same information from the sign in page for nFS  – look for the heading More Great Products).  Here you can see the lists of products certified by FamilySearch – we often call them affiliates.  Many of them are utilities to help with printing or contacting people and some are personal family history record keeping products.  For each of these products there is a list of access features.  There is a long list of web products (18 as of 24 Sep 2011), a long list of Windows products (14) and a very short list for the Mac (5), and an even shorter list for mobile devices (1).  There are only 5 items on the Mac list!  Family Insight is there with a good list of features certified for working with nFS, and Mac FamilyTree with a short list of features for working with nFS.

What is the Mac user to do?

The situation is not quite as bad as it looks.

1. The FamilySearch list does not include Family Tree Maker (FTM) for the Mac which does work with the current Mac version of Family Insight.  But what if you don’t like FTM, or its price? – although remember that the price of FTM often includes several months access to an Ancestry web site.
2. Family Insight are beta testing a version of their product that will work with Mac FamilyTree and deliver a good list of features that work with nFS.  This is important news for many Mac users.
3. Rootsmagic have said that they intend to have a Mac version of their product available – perhaps by the summer of 2012.

Is that all?

One of the most popular Family History products on the Mac is Reunion.  You could export your data as a gedcom and then use Family Insight – but this is cumbersome and  I think unnecessarily complicated.

Are you willing to run a Windows FH program on your Mac?

There are 3 ways to do this and you can very successfully use any Windows FH program on your Mac.

1. Turn your Mac into a Macindow (????) or a Winmac (just joking!) by buying either Parallels and Fusion and then installing a full copy of a Windows operating system – if you don’t own a full copy of Windows you will have to buy one.  I have done this and with a click can move between the Mac and Windows operating systems.  I have PAF, Ancestral Quest, Family Insight for Windows, Rootsmagic, and Legacy Family Tree all working in Windows on my Mac. Files are shared between the 2 operating systems. Besides cost what is the downside of doing this?  You need to learn 2 operating systems, and you need to update 2 operating systems.
2. Every Mac comes with a free copy of a product called Boot Camp.  This will allow you to install a version of Windows – which you would have to own.  Then you can install any Windows FH program.  The downside is that you have to re-boot your computer to move between Windows and Mac operating system, as well as having to know and update 2 operating systems.
3. Install a Windows emulator program on your Mac and then install the Windows FH program of your choice. You do not have to install a copy of Windows and therefore don’t have to own a copy of Windows.  There are several Windows emulator programs available, such as Wine and Crossover Mac.  Some are free and some cost as much as $40.

One of the nicest articles on the ways to run Windows programs on a Mac can be found at Rootsmagic.com under the link to Support then Knowledge Base.  Search for “Mac” and then select Will Rootsmagic Run on a Mac? – go to the bottom of the article where there is a link to more information which gives you access to a table of choices and other information.

Well, that’s how I see things.  I hope this helps.

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FamilySearch Facts as of 16 Sept 2011

The people at FamilySearch are very busy helping us with our Family History.  We like to share up to date facts about the FamilySearch web sites and were very pleased when FamilySearch shared the following information with us this week.  Aren’t these amazing numbers! – and new collections are being added so often!

1.     # of searchable names from original source records in FamilySearch.org’s Historical Records Collections: Over 2.3 billion

2.     There are 707 historic record collections at FamilySearch.org

3.     # of browsable digital images at FamilySearch.org: 312 million

4.     # of hits on FamilySearch.org: Over 10 million hits per day.

5.     FamilySearch Indexing is the largest community-based transcription initiative in the world.

·         Over 125, 000 active (index at least oneproject/year) volunteer indexers.

·         Indexing 400,000 arbitrated names per day.

·         Over 500 million names indexed since the application was launched in 2005.

·         Publishing over 200 million indexed names per year now (double entered, arbitrated).

·         Over 100 current projects. New projects added weekly. See the current lists of projects at Indexing.FamilySearch.org.

·         Search completed indexes and un-indexed images at FamilySearch.org.

·         Indexing program is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish with more language interfaces and international projects coming.

·         Greatest need is for native language indexers for international projects.

·         Many partners—historical societies, state, national, and religious archives—use it to improve access to or accuracy of their indexes.

6.     2.4 million rolls of microfilm

7.     FamilySearch is producing over 160 million new digital images a year from original source documents.

a.     100 million digital images a year created through microfilm conversion

b.     60 million new digital images produced a year from new field captures.

8.     15 high speed scanners are dedicated to converting existing films. Time to complete the digitization of the film collection is projected at 6 years.

9.     185 camera teams currently filming records in 45 countries (new field captures). Most are digital cameras.

10.  Search digital images and indexes at FamilySearch.org. Millions added weekly.

11.  4,600 Family History Centers in 126 countries

12.  Scanning digital books in cooperation with select public libraries.

a.     Over 65,000 scanned titles to-date.

b.    These collections will be added to FamilySearch.org in the future. Some are available now at FamilySearch.org under the link Books.  See Labs.familysearch.org to try a new interface.

Thank you to FamilySearch for sharing this information with us!

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Teaching Family History Classes

Now it is fall (?!?!? already?) some of you may have an opportunity to teach a Family History class in your  ward.  The following article from the Area Adviser newsletter for the SLC area contains some helpful information.

Particularly note the following:

1. Lessons should be adapted to meet the needs of class members.
2. If I were asked to teach the classes I would add some computer related content – which would increase the total number of lessons – such as how to index, how to use FamilySearch.org
3. The short address (url) for consultant training is https://www.familysearch.org/consultant/
4. The FH Companion from BYU (#6 below) looks like an interesting resource

With the Internet in most ward and stake buildings, a family history class can be more effectivelly taught. This can be during Sunday School time or at another time convenient to class members. The class is under the direction of the Bishop, (not the Sunday School president.) Consultants should work with their High Priest Group Leader who, with the bishop, will make arrangements for the class.  A teacher can be a consultant or another qualified person. A teacher does not need to be an experienced genealogist. An effective teacher is one who can relate to those who are just beginning their family history experience.  The lessons should be adapted to meet the needs of class members.
There are plenty of helps available for lesson material, eight of which are listed here. They are found under https://www.familysearch.org/consultant/training/  (except for #6 – the BYU website) Sign in and choose from the lists:

(1) Member’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work – the “student manual.” It consists of 7 chapters (or lessons) for a beginner-level course.  It is available free at Distribution Services, and can be viewed, printed, or downloaded on line by clicking on the above consultant/training web site.

(2) Instructor’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work –  It also has 7 lessons that corresponds with the chapters in the Member’s Guide. In addition there is an Appendix containing three workshops. There is also an accompanying DVD that contains 13 short video segments about temple and family history work. It is also available for at Distribution Services for $5.00, or the manual and videos can be accessed by clicking on the above consultant/training web site.

(3) Family History Consultant’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work – This publication is available only online by clicking on the above consultant/training web site. It describes in detail your role as a family history consultant, and more. . . .

(4) Temple and Family History Course Materials -  Shown in chart form, you are able to use the above two Guides, including videos and lesson materials for each of the 7 lessons. It is also available by clicking on the above consultant/training web site.

(5) Principles for Successful Family History Classes – This excellent video presentation demonstrates how one ward in Bountiful adapted the lessons to meet the needs of the class members. They found that “Learn by doing” brought them success! This can also be viewed from the same above consultant/training web site, or just click here to access the video presentation.

(6) Family History Companion – from BYU.  If you need supplemental materials to accompany the above 7 lessons, click on http://familyhistory.byu.edu/companion/. Each lesson has additional resources, additional insight, suggested additional assignments and handouts.

(7) 5-minute Genealogy – Several episodes available now, with a total of 24 by end of this year. It is found in many different locations, but can be accessed through the above consultant/training web site. 

(8) New FamilySearch Practice System - This system contains fictitious names, dates and localities. Here you can learn how to add, edit, combine and submit names for temple ordinances without the fear of making mistakes with real data. (Some of you may know this as “Sandbox.”) This is also located at the above consultant/training web site.

(9) See other available helps by clicking on the above consultant/training web site.

Thank you to the Area Advisers in SLC for this article

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Accessing Images at FamilySearch.org

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could access all historical images for free at FamilySearch.org?  Unfortunately as long as the ownership to access some of the images resides with other organizations this can’t happen.

I recently noticed some changes in how access to images is handled on FamilySearch.org.  Perhaps the associated notes help us better understand the guidelines for accessing images.

Let’s take a test run! Let’s do a case study!

1. Go to FamilySearch.org, make sure you are not signed in, browse by location to the USA, Canada and select United States Census 1910  (not 1900!).
2. I don’t have any US ancestry (that I  know of!) but let’s just search for last name Darby.  Wow – over 11000 potential relatives!
3. I like the name Sarah – so I click on Sarah G. Darby – but you can select any name you like – and I get the details and an image with a padlock on it and the message “Licensed images require sign in for access options.”

1. Don’t panic!
2. Look below the Padlocked image and click on the link “About Image Restrictions” – now you see the guidelines:

“Founded in 1894, FamilySearch.org is the largest nonprofit genealogy organization in the world. Working with FamilySearch, more than 200,000 volunteers are expanding the world’s largest collection of free family history records available online.

FamilySearch wants to make the worldwide records preserved in its archives available to as many people as possible—and to do so on a free and unrestricted basis; however, free and open access to digital images is not always possible.

Restricted Records Images
Although FamilySearch holds copies of billions of records from around the world (including more than 2.4 million rolls of microfilm), the organization does not own most of the records it has archived. FamilySearch provides free access to searchable indexes when indexes are available, but viewing digital images online is sometimes restricted at the request of records custodians. As part of the service provided through FamilySearch.org, the site will link to where those restricted images are available on other websites. As a nonprofit organization, FamilySearch does not participate in referral fees or in the revenues generated through its relationships with other websites.

Accessing Restricted Images
The following is a list of ways you may be able to access images that are restricted on FamilySearch.org:

1. Visit the site of the records custodian. FamilySearch.org often links to images when they are available on third-party sites. These sites may or may not require payment to view their online images.
2. Access the online image from a FamilySearch Center. FamilySearch has more than 4,600 Family History Centers located around the world. Find a FamilySearch Center near you. FamilySearch Centers also provide a microfilm ordering service for records that are not yet available online.
3. Make a significant contribution by indexing 900 points worth of records during a calendar quarter. Learn more about FamilySearch indexing.
4. Belong to a sponsoring organization. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest sponsoring organization of FamilySearch.

If you believe you meet one of the qualifications above, please use the link to “Sign in” above. If you don’t have a FamilySearch account, you will see how to register for a free account after clicking the “Sign in” link.””

1. Sign in and the padlock is unlocked, you can access the image, and are given other options.

When we are helping members of the public we should draw their attention to the information on using FH Centres – where many premium sites are accessible free of charge in the portal.

(Please note:  I am trying something new – I am including 2 images in this article – I hope they come through OK)

 

Plus:

A new website for you to try – familysearch for youth!

https://www.familysearch.org/ldsyouth

 

 

 

 

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