With all the press over actress Patsy Kensit's meltdown on the BBC series "Who Do You Do You Think You Are," its return to the air this season is old news. But it was all good news for the BBC. As reported in an article on Digital Spy, the show's return was "ratings gold" for the BBC with a 29.9% ratings, up from 29.5% the previous year. The show is now in its fifth season and has reportedly been renewed for yet another year.

Maps are excellent tools, fun and interesting, but can be intimidating, especially for those new to genealogy. Today's technology has made maps more accessible and the task of working with maps considerably easier; and yes, even fun. In his article, "Mapping the World and Its Data," Larry Naukam gives us a primer on super-imposing old maps onto Google Earth for a then-and-now comparison ─ all for free.. If you haven't yet discovered Google Earth, it is satellite imagery that lets you zoom in to view virtually any place on the planet. Superimposing an old map onto Google Earth allows you to walk the land, so to speak and gain new insights into your family history.

Labels: geography, maps, online resources

A recent article on cbs4.com announced a new program started by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to streamline the process of finding information — but the convenience comes at a price. The USCIS Genealogy Program is a fee-for-service program; a single index search is $20 and record requests are charged additional fees.

The USCIS has records dating back to the late 1800's documenting the arrival and naturalization of millions of immigrants, and also has records of people naturalized citizens between 1906 and 1956. According to the article, the new program replaces a Freedom of Information Act process that was required to get the information. USCIS reported receiving over 40,000 requests for historical records in the last four years. For more information, visit the USCIS web site.

Labels: immigration, online resources, United States

As noted in her article, "Mustering Up the Courage to Delve into Military Rosters," Judy Rosella Edwards suggests an otherwise dry list of facts and/or names can become interesting when you begin to observe patterns and the inklings of story beneath the surface. Perhaps examining these lists in reference to your own ancestors and others who served with them may tell you more than you might have imagined, about the unit, the politics, or even the person.

Labels: military history, military records, research strategies

The State Library of Pennsylvania will celebrate its second annual Genealogy Day on Saturday, Sept. 20, with exhibits and information sessions. The State Library is located in the Forum Building, Commonwealth Avenue and Walnut Street, in Harrisburg. For more information, contact Marc Bender at the State Library, (717) 705-6272 or marbender@state.pa.us. To learn more about Pennsylvania libraries, please visit the Department of Education Web site at www.pde.state.pa.us.

Labels: genealogy conferences and seminars, Pennsylvania

It's hard for us to imagine today what life was like in Colonial or pioneer times, when people set out with their families into the wilderness to establish homes and make a life. It's hard to imagine the forces prompting people to endure such hardships and harder still to believe that any survived. In her article, "Early Colonial Life," Melissa Slate once again provides some insight into that early life. What might surprise you is the role that taverns played in the community.

Labels: Colonial America, historical context

One of the most important aspects of genealogy is sharing your work with others, which is also one of the best ways of connecting with others and adding new information. In her article, "Is It Time To Publish My Family Tree," Teresa Hilburn offers some suggestions and encouragement for those considering taking that next step.

Labels: collaboration, published genealogies

In the second of her series on New Orleans, "New Orleans Occupations, Part II," Judy Rosella Edwards adds to her previous discussion on early occupations. The article explains the pattern emerging from a study of those occupations and what that can mean to your genealogical research.

http://gentod.com/genweekly.mv?cd=1545

Labels: immigration, Louisiana, New Orleans, passenger lists

Don Andersen, Family History Division Director at the Family History Library, gave the keynote address Monday at the 40th annual Conference on Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University, and explored the changes that are coming in the Library's ongoing effort to digitize its archive holdings, a reported on MormonTimes.com, "Online data making it easier to do family history in pajamas."

Anderson estimates it will take about 10 years to convert the LDS Church's entire genealogical records vault into digital images and about 100 years to index all those records. . . . The Family History Library has around 300,000 family history books. Now they are being indexed electronically online at BYU's Archive. More than 15,000 of those books are now searchable online. Unlike using a book, however, readers do not need to look at them one at a time. They can search across all 15,000 books at once.

FamilySearch is currently indexing more than 1.5 million names per day and flowing them into record search in logical sets. "It wouldn't surprise me if we were closer to two million names per day by the end of the year," Anderson said, encouraging people to try indexing themselves.

Labels: Family History Library, online resources

On About.com, this week Kimberly Powell discussed the prevailing angst regarding FamilySearch partnering with various commercial affiliates and what that might mean to the traditionally free access to FamilySearch records the public has come to rely on. On the surface it appears the data will remain free even if the associated images may require a fee, but there appear to be a few other caveats, as well.

Labels: FamilySearch, genealogy issues, online resources

For those who are adopted, finding their family tree has always been a challenge. Records may be sealed, hidden, on non-existent. Until now, very few resources were available to help adoptees find their genealogical roots. In her article, "Using DNA to Find Your Surname," Melissa Slate discusses the latest DNA technology and how the Y-Chromosome DNA test can help adoptees identify their paternal surname, which puts them one step closer to identifying their biological roots.

Labels: adoption, DNA studies

Here's a new twist on cemetery research -- it may be that others have done some research on your family on assignment with local colleges. In his article, "Students in the Graveyard," Larry Naukam reports on what you might find, and most interesting of all . . . what the student may have found in their pursuit.

Labels: cemetery records, genealogy education, non-traditional sources

In his third and final article on the quest for a grandmother's maiden name, "Irish Case Study: Putting the Pieces Together," Kevin Cassidy illustrates the challenge of pulling together pieces of information from disparate sources.

Labels: brick wall, Irish genealogy, maiden name

In her article, "Benefits of Lineage Societies," Melissa Slate observes, "Some people have the mistaken notion that these are little more than clubs for people who wish to claim bragging rights to famous ancestors; however, lineage societies provide many beneficial services." Lineage or heritage societies as they are sometimes called, represents one of those underutilized but potentially valuable resources. And if you don't know where to look for a lineage society or aren't sure what's available, the article directs to a useful listing of societies. You might be surprised at what you find.

Labels: genealogical societies, heritage socieites, historical societies

Summer is an excellent for visiting cemeteries and doing so is rewarding in so many ways, and while it's not the same as being there, thanks to the Internet, researchers can conduct cemetery research during any season right from home. In her article, "United States Veteran Burial Places," Gena Philibert-Ortega offers some tips for conducting cemetery research for U. S. soldiers and veterans, and it's not just in veteran cemeteries. The article covers burials from earlier wars in U. S. history, as well those of a more recent times.

Labels: cemeteries, military veteran

What do a lawn mower shop and a funeral parlor have in common? Mom's kitchen, and it's not her cooking. On first hearing Larry Naukam's, "The Long and Winding Road," one might think the story a bit far-fetched, but in genealogy anything is possible, which is precisely his point — never give up. Experiences such as this really help us take heart and realize the information is out there . . . . somewhere . . . over the rainbow.

Labels: brick wall, death records