25 June 2014

Index to Collections at the Museum of Springfield History

The Lyman & Merrie Museum of Springfield History is what I would call "The Best Kept Genealogical Secret in Western

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum Of Springfield History Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum Of Springfield History (Photo credit: pecooper98362)[/caption]

Massachusetts."  It is a facility that is part of the Springfield Library system and is situated across the street from the Quadrangle of museums: the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, the Michelle and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts and the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum (currently under an extensive remodeling program). The Museum of Springfield History houses the History Library & Archives, the subject of the PVHN blog linked here: Index to Collections.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"]The Connecticut River and Pioneer Valley of Ma... The Connecticut River and Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. Looking south from Mt. Sugarloaf in Deerfield, toward the towns of Sunderland, Amherst and Whately. The buildings of the University of Massachusetts Amherst can be seen in the distance to the left, and farther off, the Holyoke range of mountains. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

The PVHN (Pioneer Valley Historical Network) is coordinated by one of the the archivists, Cliff McCarthy. Cliff posts e-mails of historical and genealogical activities throughout the Pioneer Valley by maintaining a large e-mail contact list. What I want everyone to be aware of is the PVHN Research Finding Aids Project.  To quote the blog :

Many of the Pioneer Valley’s museums and archives, both large and small, have printed “finding aids” for certain collections, or for their entire holdings.  These finding aids, once a standard practice for museums and archives, are used by museum staff to locate specific items from those collections.  For the researcher, they provide insight into the holdings of that museum or archives.  Frequently, these finding aids are not digitized and are nowhere to be found on the world wide web.

This project will enable researchers and the general public to utilize archival resources of the Pioneer Valley that are currently languishing because finding aids for many important collections have not been made available on the Internet.

It's another site that's well worth the look for anyone researching in Western Massachusetts.



24 June 2014

Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Now Accepting Applications for APG Young Professional Scholarship

Below is the Press Release from the Association of Professional Genealogists regarding the "APG Young Professionals Scholarship."  As genealogists, we really don't talk about this subject enough.  The question is "Where will the next generation of professionals come from?"

I was a little surprised when my wife told me that a co-worker is a Boy Scout troop leader and was interested in having the scouts attend one of my "ABC's of Genealogy" classes.  The scouts were looking to earn a "Genealogy Merit BadgeGenealogy Badge."  So to be clear, that was 2 surprises: First, that my wife would be approached to talk to me about whether I would allow scouts to attend (of course!).  The second is the fact that I had no idea that the BSA offered a genealogy merit badge!!!

 

APG has a response to the next generation!  Here's the Press Release:
Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Now Accepting Applications for APG Young Professional Scholarship

APG to Honor Student and/or Young Professional with Strong Interest in Developing a Career in Genealogy

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo., 23 June 2014—The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG®) is now accepting applications for the APG Young Professional Scholarship. Requirements have been revised to reflect current economic and educational trends and to be more inclusive of young parents, military personnel, home school candidates, students, and those currently employed between the ages of 18-29. The scholarship goes to a student and/or young professional who aspires to a professional career in genealogy. The scholarship includes a registration for the APG Professional Management Conference (PMC) and a stipend of up to $1,000 to defray costs of travel and lodging at the conference. The winner will be announced in August 2014 for attendance at the APG PMC 2015, which will take place in Salt Lake City on 8–9 January 2015.

“It is exciting to see so many young people involved in genealogy, and we are thrilled to be able to support an up-and-coming professional genealogist with this scholarship,” said Kimberly T. Powell, APG President. “Our APG Professional Management Conference offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the business of genealogy and explore advanced genealogical topics, while networking with other professionals. We look forward to receiving many applications.”

APG Youth Scholarship Eligibility and Application Details

Eligible applicants are between the ages of 18 and 29 as of 1 January of 2014. This is open to a student, young professional, young parents, military personnel, home school, and currently employed individuals. You may apply for yourself, or on behalf of a worthy candidate.
Applications should contain the following: name; address; main contact phone number; email address; school name and/or school address (if applicable); list of extracurricular activities (including student organizations and volunteer activities); a general letter of recommendation; a letter of recommendation from an individual who has witnessed the applicant’s interest in genealogy; and short answers (500 to 750 words) to two questions. The questions are:

1) Discuss a specific record collection, media, digital source or other resource that has significantly changed your perspective about family history or research strategy along with the pros and cons of that record source, and how you used it to resolve a genealogical problem.

2) What do you envision a genealogical career will encompass in the next five years and how do you see yourself involved then?

See the blog posting at www.apgen.org for the application. Applications should be submitted to the APG office by 22 July 2014. Send applications to APG Executive Director Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG, at admin@apgen.org.

About the Association of Professional Genealogists

 

The Association of Professional Genealogists, established in 1979, represents more than 2,700 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers, and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy and history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada, and thirty other countries. APG is active on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

Media Contacts:

Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG

Executive Director
Association of Professional Genealogists
P.O. Box 535, Wheat Ridge, CO 80034-0535

Phone: +1-303-465-6980

email: admin@apgen.org

 

Corey Oiesen

Communications Officer

Association of Professional Genealogists

email: corey@genealogyheroes.com

###

 

APG is a registered trademark of the Association of Professional Genealogists. All other trade and service marks are property of their respective owners.

 

23 June 2014

A Conversation with the CEO of Mocavo

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"]English: Genealogy of Ælfgifu, testatrix and w... English: Genealogy of Ælfgifu, testatrix and wife of King Eadwig (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

With all the bluster about Ancestry.com,their various properties and the issues they are currently facing, there are some bright spots!!  One of those "spots of brightness" is the news that Mocavo.com has been acquired by FindMyPast.  The link below will take you to an article in Deck Eastman's EOGN.  If you subscribe to EOGN, great.  If you don't, you should!

Dick Eastman is someone whose background you should read about.  He is eminently qualified to talk about all areas of genealogy and genealogical research.  In a presentation a week or so ago, he described Mocavo as the "Google of genealogy".  In other words, the searches are as thorough as Google, but only with the realm of genealogical results.

Enough of me gabbing away, here's the article!

A Conversation with the CEO of Mocavo.

22 June 2014

Announcing “How-To DNA” – A Multimedia How-To Guide for Genetic Genealogy

I'll be spending a lot of time at http://howtodna.com!! And if you like Dick Eastman's blog, I would advise you to subscribe to his newsletter. Start with the free version, but I can almost guarantee that you'll be very happy to spend the very small subscription fee for the "Plus Edition"!

NERGC Conference, 15-19 April 2015, Providence, RI

 

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"]The First Flag (and Ensign) of New England, us... The First Flag (and Ensign) of New England, used by Colonial merchant ships sailing out of New England ports, 1686-c.1737. 'Historical Flags of Our Ancestors'. "Flags of the Early North American Colonies and Explorers" . . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

The New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Inc or "NERGC" is comprised of approximately 23 genealogical societies and organizations in New England.  Personally, I belong to 6 of those organizations: New England Historic Genealogical Society, New England Association of Professional Genealogists (as Vice President and NERGC Delegate), Massachusetts Genealogical Council, Massachusetts Society of Genealogists Worcester Chapter, Connecticut Society of Genealogists and The Irish Ancestral Research Association.   I'm also a member and Vice President of the Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society. Now you might understand why I have to struggle to find the time to blog!!

But this blog is about NERGC and the biennial conferences held in the odd numbered years.  This next conference will take place in Providence, RI from 15 April to 19 April 2015.  The theme is "Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future."  I've attended the last 2 conferences, one in 2011 in Springfield, Massachusetts and the other, last year in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Manchester conference attracted just under 900 genealogists ranging from the casual family researcher to the "hard core" professionals, many with national and international reputations.

Although I took part in as many events as I could at each (lectures, classes, vendor exhibits, "poster sessions", etc.) I never stopped to think of the gargantuan project that is a NERGC conference!  All that has changed since becoming more involved with the New England Association of Professional Genealogist or NEAPG which is a chapter of the international Association of Professional Genealogists.  I was asked to represent NEAPG as the  Delegate to next year's NERGC Conference.  I've attended 2 meetings so far and I'm amazed at the amount of coordination, cooperation and dedication of everyone involved.

So far, I'd say that the planning stage of the Providence conference is about 75-80% complete and whatever is left has been well planned by those who have had a great deal more experience than I have!  The facility, the Rhode Island Convention & Entertainment Complex is huge.  Just planning the amount of space, the meeting rooms, exhibition halls, vendor booths, specialty rooms (Genealogy Road Show for example), hospitality areas, registration booths..... Amazing amount of logistics!  And then there's the conference content: Volunteers, speakers, lunches, banquets, guides and many more dedicated individuals who are passionate about the field and willing to give for the benefit of others.

This is not as big as RootsTech in Salt Lake City where over 10,000 people gathered for a much larger get together. But in perspective, NERGC is a BIG DEAL to us here in New England!  Stay tuned and bookmark this link.  Near or far away, this is

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]English: James MacNeil Whistler, a famous pain... English: James MacNeil Whistler, a famous painter, grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He was, however, born during his family's brief tenure in Lowell, Massachusetts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

a northeast conference well worth your time and the expense.

NERGC has already made plans to return to Springfield, Massachusetts for the 2017 conference.

 

14 June 2014

Get the Most from the NEHGS Online Catalog

For all of us who have challenges researching in New England, the New England Historic Genealogical Society is a first class, go-to resource.  The oldest genealogical society in the US, NEHGS was founded in 1854 in Boston, Massachusetts.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"]New England Historic Genealogical Society head... New England Historic Genealogical Society headquarters at 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

On Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 3:00 PM eastern, NEHGS is offering a free webinar titled "Getting the Most from the NEHGS Online Catalog."  From their course description: "

Join Technical Services Manager Anne Meringolo and Technical Services Librarian Emily Baldoni as they show you how to get the most out of the NEHGS online catalog. Learn how to search for resources, organize your research, borrow e-books, and access digital editions and manuscripts—all through our online catalog. Whether you are preparing for a visit to NEHGS or want to maximize your research from home, you won’t want to miss this presentation! 

Here's the link to the event where you can read more and sign up! Get the Most from the NEHGS Online Library Catalog.

05 June 2014

Ancestry.com closes several services

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"]Ancestry.com Ancestry.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Ancestry.com is shutting down a number of their services.  Of course, they put a positive spin on it by saying "Ancestry.com focuses on core offerings."  So it's half-full versus half-empty.  Either way, if you're fond of any of these services, it's time to plan!

 

Here's a link to the full story right from the horse's mouth: Ancestry.com Focuses on Core Products

 

Long ago I was a subscriber to MyFamily and I was fairly active.  If I remember, at the time it wasn't an Ancestry product.  I "almost" used MyCanvas but never completed the one project I started.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="89"]English: Paintbrush drawn Icon for Portal Mol ... English: Paintbrush drawn Icon for Portal Mol Anthro (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Interestingly, what is not in the headline is that the only DNA testing they will continue is autosomal.  They've discontinued Y-DNA and mtDNA testing.  I wonder what the back-story is on that!!

 

Read their article to get the low-down.  In my opinion, other than the Y- and mt- DNA tests, I don't think the other products will be sorely missed.  We'll have to wait to see to what extent the wailing and gnashing of teeth goes!

 

 

 
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03 June 2014

How Do You Pronounce "Ye"?

Well!  It almost sounds like Dick Eastman was at my genealogy workshop the other day! We talked about "ye" along with a couple of hundred other genealogical

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]English: "Ye Olde Wine Shoppe" - Ald... English: "Ye Olde Wine Shoppe" - Aldeburgh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

subjects.  Of course, I'll admit that Dick has a better explanation....slightly!  But the end is the same.  I start out the "Ye Olde Spirit Shoppe" on the board and ask for someone to read it.  That's my lead in to the historical background and pronunciation of the "thorn".  Read more here:

How Do You Pronounce "Ye"?.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"]Ahnentafel von Herzog Ludwig (1568-1593) Holzs... Ahnentafel von Herzog Ludwig (1568-1593) Holzschnitt Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

 


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