New Updates in New FamilySearch

New FamilySearch has been updated! 

One of the best features added actually removed a feature, which I think is great! You can no longer add new disputes. I think disputes were overused from the very beginning because they was so easy to create. Some people would dispute a person because the birth date wasn't exactly what they thought it should be or because the name wasn't spelled the way they wanted it spelled. However, the record is still for the correct person.

The existing disputes are still in the system and whoever entered that dispute can remove it. Eventually all remaining disputes and their associated notes will be moved to the discussion boards.

So what you probably ought to do now is go in and remove any dispute that you may have entered. In its place you should add notes or start a discussion. Discussions were added about three months ago and they work much like an online forum or message board.

Don't forget to utilize the Combined Records. You can find them on the bottom of either the Summary Tab or the Detail Tab. Anytime you find a problem, go in and double check those combined records and make sure that all records have been combined correctly. Somewhere along the line a record may have been added to the folder incorrectly. You can remove that incorrect record from the folder.

Some changes have been made to accommodate the Russian and Italian languages. And other changes to accommodate Asian languages.

New tutorials have been added to help you learn to use the system. You will find them under HELP > Training and Resources.

And lastly, corrections and additions to the User's Guide have been made and the marked with a blue horizontal arrow for easier review.

Keep up the good work everyone!!!

Time for Utah Valley PAF Users Group Meeting!

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP MEETING
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 14 Aug 2010, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. Information about the Users Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on the Group's website http://uvpafug.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/ .

The main presentation for this meeting will be by Kara Wahlquist on ANSWERS TO WORLDWIDE RESEARCH PROBLEMS USING FAMILYSEARCH WIKI AND FORUMS. Learn how the Wiki, Forums, and Online Courses are valuable tools in finding family history answers faster than ever before! These
tools help connect researchers and sources all over the world. Family History Consultants don't have to know all of the answers – just where to find them! During the last year, Kara Wahlqjuist worked with the FamilySearch Wiki team preparing for the National Genealogical Society Conference in Salt Lake City, April 2010. She has been instrumental in teaching and infusing excitement for the Wiki and Forums by demonstrating how to use these new tools to their greatest advantage. Before joining the Wiki Team Kara worked as a consultant on the US/Canada Reference desk at the Family History Library. She worked for Ancestry.com and has been involved in British and U.S. Research for the past 30 years. Kara is a passionate, motivated genealogist who willingly shares her energy, experience and testimony to help others with their research.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this
meeting are as follows: (1) Personalized Help with New FamilySearch and PAF, by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen; (2) Family Insight, by Andrea Schnakenburg; (3) Q&A on the FamilySearch Wiki and Forums, by Kara Wahlquist; (4) Video of last month's main presentation, Are You My Mother? - Finding Maiden Names, by Bret Petersen; (5) Using Ancestral Quest to modify New FamilySearch, by Merlin Kitchen; (6) Legacy, by Joel Graham; and (7) RootsMagic, by Diana Olsen and Renee Zamora.

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

Saturday Seminars at Riverton FamilySearch Library

I received the following email this morning from FamilySearch. There are so many opportunities to learn so take advantage! By the way, this doesn't have to be just for consultants.

Saturday Family History Seminar Series at Riverton Library

Dear Family History Consultants,

We invite you and any of your friends, neighbors, ward members, or interested genealogy enthusiasts to attend and to help publicize the Riverton FamilySearch Library’s second monthly Saturday Seminar, which will take place on Saturday, August 21, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. There will be three hours of instruction by family history experts covering a wide range of technical and research subjects.

All are invited to come and attend these free classes, which range from basic to advanced level.  Details of the classes can be found at www.familysearch.org/fhc/riverton.

Sincerely, 

FamilySearch            

VOLUNTEER at the Family History Expo Conference in Sandy, Utah!

Ok, so now you know about the Salt Lake City Family History Expo conference coming to Sandy, Utah on August 27th and 28th. Well, this year I am the volunteer coordinator for this event and         I NEED VOLUNTEERS!   This is a perfect opportunity for you to get involved and still be able to enjoy the conference.

I need volunteers for pre-conference preparation, registration, prize drawing support, and ushering and room monitoring during the scheduled classes.

The great thing is if you volunteer for either Friday or Saturday's events you can attend all the classes you want on the other day for FREE! So take advantage of this great opportunity and contact me on my contact section at the bottom of the blog!

Sandy Family History Expo - August 27-28, 2010

Here's the perfect chance for all of you FH Consultants, Center Directors, Extraction Directors and every one of you who either now works on family history or wants to get started!

The annual Salt Lake City Family History Expo (which is actually held right here in Sandy, Utah) is coming August 27-28, 2010 to the Sandy Expo Center, 9575 South State Street. The Expo is presented by Family History Expos (a private company) which does a fantastic job with their conferences.

There will be over 100 classes presented by more than 50 national and local speakers as well as staff from the Family History Center in Salt Lake. Classes range from the beginner to advanced topics so don't think you know too little or too much! You will learn about the latest techniques and technologies being used in genealogical research. You can read more about it and check the class schedule at www.fhexpos.com/expos/.

Exhibitors from throughout the U.S. will teach about their latest products and services. FamilySearch affiliated software vendors will be there to help teach you how to interact with new FamilySearch using their products using a "hands-on" approach.

You can attend the keynote address and visit the exhibit hall without any cost. However, I highly recommend you attend both days if at all possible. It's very much worth the minimal cost to attend. Register quickly because the the Early Bird registration is only good for the remainder of July.

FamilySearch will be offering four extra free classes for FH Consultants, Stake Extraction/Indexing Directors and assistants, and Priesthood Leaders.

Get together with your friends, neighbors and ward members and plan to attend the conference this year!

Orem library partners with FamilySearch | Mormon Times

Free Revolutionary War Records on Footnote.com until 7 July 2010!

In recognition of America's Independence Day, Footnote.com is opening their Revolutionary War Collection free to the public. Take advantage of this opportunity for the next four days!

Time for Utah Valley PAF Users Group Meeting!

Remember that UVPAFUG is not really about PAF these days - but it's still the organization's name! This is a great group and you should plan to attend whenever possible! Here is the press release:

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 10 Jul 2010, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. For directions to get there see the map on the group's website http://uvpafug.org .  (OR click on the address above.) The main presentation for this meeting will be by Bret Petersen on ARE YOU MY MOTHER? - FINDING MAIDEN NAMES. This will be a discussion of various types of records and research techniques that can provide clues in determining more about missing mothers. It can often be difficult to discover the maiden name of female ancestors, however, such a find can create a whole new branch on your family tree opening up connections to more and more families. Join us as we explore a few of the resources where you might look for more information regarding those elusive maiden names on your family line. 

Bret Peterson loves teaching and helping others learn all they can about using technology in researching their family history. He is a frequent presenter for classes ranging from just a few users to several hundred. He developed a love of family history research at a very young age and this continued through his college years where he graduated from BYU with a degree in communications/Journalism and a minor in Education/Sociology. His interest in computers began through newspaper writing, editing and design, and this led him into a professional training and support role with a company that supplies newspaper publishing systems internationally. His passion for family history research and the advancements in computer-assisted research led him to the Utah Valley PAF Users Group where he now serves as Webmaster. He is currently working towards accreditation with ICAPGen. Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are as follows: 

1. Military Research on the Internet by Laurie Castillo
2. Individual Help with PAF & New FamilySearch by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen
3. Cemetery Symbolism in Stone by Bret Petersen
4. Video of last month's main presentation How to Light a Fire Under Your Ward by Andrea Schnakenburg 
5. Family Insight by Andrea Schnakenburg
6. Ancestral Quest 12.1 by Gaylon Findlay
7. Legacy 7.4 by Joel Graham
8. Roots Magic 4 by Bruce Buzbee

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

Updated "Standardized Place Name List" in new FamilySearch

Ron Tanner, the Product Manager of Family Tree in new FamilySearch posted a comment that should clarify an issue with the Standardized Place Names in nFS. There are some place names that are most definitely incorrect. You should be able to have them corrected now. Here are his comments posted to FHCNET on July 1:

" Everyone,

There have been some issues in the past that have restricted us from taking updates of the standards catalog into nFS. The last time that a standardize place catalog was updated was several years ago. And although your feedback on standardized places have been taken and the catalog updated, you never saw the fix because of this problem.

The release that was put out in June has been updated with the latest catalog that diligent engineers have been working to improve for years. We also have changed the way that standardized places are chosen and have more strongly separated the place you enter from the standardized place.

Now you can enter a place and it will pop-up with suggestions from the database, but if there are none you believe are close enough to select so you don't have to keep typing, then just don't select any from the drop-down. Then the system will attempt to match what you entered and fill in the standardized version of the place. If you don't believe the standardized place is close enough, then click on the arrow next to the standardized place and pick the closest one. By doing this we keep your original place data but also have the closest standardized place.

If entries were made by the system or others that have a poor choice for a standardized place, then just enter another opinion and correct it with the technique above and then make sure your entry is selected in the summary.

We have now corrected the issues with taking the standards catalog and expect to have more regular updates as we take your feedback and correct the errors.

Thanks,
Ron"

FamilySearch Record Search Update

The following announcement was made today that will be of help to ALL Genealogists.  I have added some comments and listed the new records in a more concise manner.

26 Million New Names Added for Costa Rica, France, Hungary, Mexico, Spain, and the U.S.

 Today at 11:09am

Twenty-nine new collections were updated or added this week at FamilySearch.org—with 26 million names and 1.5 million digital images!

The international collections continue to expand with exciting new additions for Costa Rica, France, Hungary, Mexico, and Spain. In addition, nine more indexes were added to the U.S. 1910 Federal Census collection—that means it is 37 percent complete! This project is moving along quickly.

There are now 428 collections from original source records available online at FamilySearch. Search all of these great collections for free online at FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot (from FamilySearch.org, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot). [or just click here for Record Search]

See the chart below for the complete concise list of all the newly added or improved collections.

None of this would be possible without the great contributions of many online FamilySearch volunteers. These individuals donate the time and effort needed to make these collections freely available to FamilySearch patrons. If you would like to help by donating a few minutes online with projects of personal interest, become a FamilySearch community volunteer at FamilySearchIndexing.org. Many hands produce great work. Thank you for your support!

Note: Waypointed images are those that you can browse through. They are not searchable by individual name, however, they are in groups based on location or some other grouping. They are high quality images of microfilm that have been tagged to identify sub-groups. They eventually will be completely indexed.

New waypointed images:

  Costa Rica—Church Records
  Hungary, Abauj-Torna—Civil Registration
  Hungary, Szabolcs—Civil Registration
  Spain, Barcelona—Civil Registration

  Spain, Barcelona, Vich—Civil Registration

  Spain, Cordoba—Civil Registration

  Spain, Gerona—Catholic Diocese Church Records, Part 2

  Spain, Málaga—Civil Registration

  Spain, Ripoll (Girona)—Municipal Records

Added or Updated records/indexes

  France—Protestant Church Records, Part B and C
  México, México—Censo de México de 1930
  México, Durango—Censo de México de 1930
  México, Guanajuato—Censo de México de 1930
  México, Hidalgo—Censo de México de 1930
  México, Jalisco—Censo de México de 1930
  México, Queretaro—Censo de México de 1930

  U.S., District of Columbia—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Indiana—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Kansas—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Kentucky—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Maryland—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Massachusetts—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Minnesota—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., New Jersey—1910 Federal Census
  U.S., Texas—1910 Federal Census

  U.S., New Hampshire—Statewide Deaths, 1901–1937
  U.S., New Hampshire—Statewide Deaths, 1938–1947
  U.S., New Hampshire—Statewide Deaths, Early to 1900

Yes, I have updated the blog layout!

Couldn't sleep the other night and decided to update the blog template!  :)  There are still plenty of things that I need to fix and tweak so please be patient with me. Actually, the data is all the same. The column that was in the middle is now on the left with posts in the middle. I'm also adding a few pages so watch the tabs across the top.

The left column has the BLOG ARCHIVE. That's where you find all the past articles and posts. Below that is the INDEX where you can look for articles based on the subject. So if you are interested in information about census records, click on Census!

Further down the left column are the links to various TOOLS to help you with your family history endeavors; links to help you learn about the various SOFTWARE PROGRAMS available for your use in Family History Centers, as well as the SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES that are provided for your FREE USE at the centers.

Do you need a quick review of how computers work or how to do your family history research? Then you will also find links that will take you to the various resources available for training on the internet, many of which are in video format. How easy can it get? Just sit back in your chair and watch a few videos and learn!

I will also continue to add new tools and widgets as I find them (like those little "fill in the blank" search tools you will find in the left column, towards the bottom). If you know of others please let me know. Then you can use them all in one place. You can currently search the Google historic newspapers, search the genealogy message boards Google books online, and all while listening to great music!

Don't forget about the right-hand column. There are plenty of other bloggers out there in cyberspace who have terrific information to share! The Blog News Feed does just that -- it feeds their most current blog description to the list. You can click on any of those links and you'll be taken to their blog and that specific article! The blog feed is automatic and updates as any one of them updates their blog. So you can check out my blog many times during the day and see new updates from other blogs! How easy is that?

And finally, for those of you who use the Granite South Family History Center, there is a calendar at the very bottom that has the schedule of when we are open and who is working. Remember, even if the center is closed you can get hold of one of your Family History Consultants and they can take you to the center and help you whenever you need it -- whether the center is open or not! Keep finding those missing ancestors. THEY ARE WAITING FOR YOU!

Visit to Riverton FamilySearch Library Open House

I took the opportunity today to visit the open house at the new Riverton FamilySearch Library and was truly impressed with the new state-of-the-art facility! In an effort to cut some costs and enhance the genealogy research and training processes the Church is moving towards more "regional type" of centers.

Here's your own private tour just in case you don't have the chance to check it out. Here is the front door to the center.

Front desk:

They first took us to a conference room to view one of the videos that was presented at the NGS conference in April. See here for the videos. Click on the tab "videos". The chart below is a layout of the first floor of the building where the FS library is located. The green area in the lower right is the library. The blue area in the upper left is the cafeteria that serves the entire building. It is open daily from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. If you bring your own food or access the vending machines there are microwaves available.

Here are the facilities in the cafeteria. There are also numerous restaurants and fast food outlets in walking distance of the library.

 

 

The following charts were displayed around the building for explanation of the purpose and responsibility of FamilySearch.

The library has tools, crafts, and activities for you to teach children about family history.

Here are some pictures from inside the library. Videos and announcements are projected on the walls of the library.

Rows of microfilm files will house many of the most requested and most used films for the U.S., and all of the British films. Other films can be ordered for a small fee (less than the regular FHCs) and be available for your use, usually within 24 hours.

Plenty of microfilm readers (above) and microfilm scanners (below).

127 computers for research.

Rooms available for staff training and support for patrons.

Saturday classes and seminars and Thursday evening research workshops are made available for patrons in state-of-art training rooms.

Resources will include 50,000 microfilms on site. Check the catalog for details which is available at familysearch.org/fhc/riverton .

Computer databases and software available free for patron use include:

British Isles: Times Digital Archives (U.K.); Oxford English Dictionary; British Library 19th Century Newspapers; FindMyPast; The Genealogist; and BritishOrigins.


International:  Ancestry.com full version; World Vital Records; and Heritage Quest.

Sweden:  Genline.com (Swedish microfilm records) and SVAR (National Archives of Sweden)

United States: Godfrey Memorial Library (contains NewspaperArchives.com); NewEnglandAncestors.org; U.S. 19th Century Newspapers; U.S. Civil War Research Database; U.S. Civil War Letters and Diaries; Images of the American Civil War; and Footnote.com.

LDS Software:  Pedigree Resource Files CDs; FamilySearch DOS

Family History Software:  Personal Ancestral File (PAF); Family Insight; RootsMagic; Ancestral Quest; Legacy; and Family Tree Maker.


The first of the Saturday training seminars will be held July 17th from 9 am to noon. The Thursday evening research classes begin next Thursday evening. A list of upcoming events and classes are located here.


The OPEN HOUSE will continue for the next two days. Friday 1-8 pm and Saturday 10-5 pm.

The library is located at 3740 West Market Center Drive
Riverton, Utah 84065
801-240-9601
It is just in the NE corner area of 13400 South and Bangerter Hwy.

New Riverton FamilySearch Library - Open House

A regional type of Family History Center is opening in the Salt Lake Valley this month and has been named the Riverton FamilySearch Library. Most of the small Family History Centers located in stake centers on the west side of the valley have been closed and will be consolidated into this beautiful new facility. Roughly, 88 stakes with centers from Magna, south to point of the mountain, and east to Draper were closed last month. The new library is located in the Riverton Office Building, located at 3740 West Market Center Drive in Riverton.  (Just off Bangerter Highway and 13400 South).

An Open House will be held June 17th through the 19th, 2010 (1:00 - 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday). Round up a friend or two and go visit the new state-of-the-art facility, learn about the resources available and attend mini-training sessions on a wide variety of family history topics. Activities will also be available for children.

The new center will officially open on June 21, 2010 with hours of operation every day, Monday through Saturday (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9-9 and Monday, Friday and Saturday: 9-5). There will be plenty of computers, microfilm and fiche readers, copy machines, and scanners, besides conference and training rooms. All of the other online subscription websites that are currently available in FHCs will also be available at the new library. A full version of Ancestry.com is available in the new library.

Footnote Offers Civil War Records FREE for June 2010

Here's another great deal from Footnote.com! Take advantage of this opportunity!

The Civil War forever changed the United States and left a wide range of valuable records for historians, genealogists and other researchers. To help you find what you are looking for, or discover something unexpected, we have a new Civil War area of the site that makes it easier to view, search and browse our Civil War collection.
Come see what you can find and discover the Civil War through the eyes of those who lived it. Click here to view the Civil War website.

What's New?

We have also been updating our collections and adding new Civil War titles to the site:
• New - Civil War Maps - 1,600 maps from the Library of Congress
• New - Civil War Subversion Investigations - Case files relating to the arrest, parole, and release of suspects
• Updated - Union Soldier Service Records: TN, DE, NC, MD, WV, LA, Colored Troops
• Updated - Civil War Pension Files

UVPAF Users Group - Come Join Me!

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF Users Group will be on Saturday, 12 Jun 2010, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. For directions to get there see the map on the group's website http://uvpafug.org .

The main presentation for this meeting will be by Andrea Schnakenburg on HOW TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER YOUR WARD. This presentation is geared toward family history consultants and family history center directors. Join us as we share some fun and fabulous tips for getting everyone excited about doing genealogy. We'll talk about how to get ward leaders involved, beginners excited, and research moving forward. Come learn how to motivate and inspire everyone, including the people who "just don't have the time".

Andrea Schnakenburg is the Training Coordinator at Ohana Software where she organizes and teaches various free web seminars. After graduating from BYU with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2007, she started work with Ohana Software as a graphic designer. That's when she really caught the genealogy bug and she has been learning and teaching ever since. She recently returned to Utah after living in Hawaii where she started her work with Ohana Software. Following the main presentation there will be several classes taught concerning technology and family history with topics for all levels of expertise and interest.

The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are as follows.

1. Using the NFS Help Center and Sandbox to Solve Problems by Duane Dudley
2. FamilyInsight: Separating Incorrectly Combined Individuals and More by Andrea Schnakenburg
3. The Basics of Photoshop Essentials by Barry Ewell
4. Mac or PC - The Best of Both Worlds by Larry Hudgins
5. Individualized Help with PAF and NFS by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen
6. Video of last month's main presentation, Freeware and Shareware for Family History by Don and Diane Snow
7. Ancestral Quest by Gaylon Findlay
8. Legacy by Dean Bennett
9. RootsMagic by Sue Maxwell

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.