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Genealogy
Lessons, by Don B. Dale |
The Early Years
-- Growing up in Kansas, by Don B. Dale
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH&MENTAL HYGIENE
DIVISION OF VITAL RECORDS
STATE OFFICE BUILDING
P.O. BOX 13146
BALTIMORE,MARYLAND 21203
"Ask yourself what it is you want from a genealogy program?":
In
England:
Manual Editing or Merging GEDCOM Files
The Society of
Genealogists Ged-Commander
version 2.1
14 Charterhouse
Buildings Program is
available through
Goswell
Road
CompuServe's Genealogy Techniques
London EC1M 7BA
England
Forum - free membership available
0171-251-8799
email:in-process
The National Archives is a big place but can help you if you stay
focused and use the facility as it's laid out:
1)First is the website itself: 2) Go to the genealogy holdings for family
research, and pick the research tab - note different records are stored at
differnet regional locations. 3)The Index page will help you find
materials in the record database you want to search 4)To order forms for
requesting files - (see Military above) 5)NAIL National Archive
Information Locator is intended provide an index of all files
After you're into LOCIS online searching area - you can query - ask
for family history Then you will have to use the marvel / locis type of
commands read up on these through the www address first) e.g. bowse
genealogy or browse Dale (name); use other commands - if the list
shows B06 and you want to look - the command is browse B06; other
commands could be like these:
- display sets or browse sets display # (# is line number you want)
(display #, browse #, and # all give different results) - -display item
646(646 is the family name line) If you do not have telnet or TN3270
through your ISP (internet service
provider) try the public library - most of the
larger ones and many of the smaller ones are hooked into the
Locis/Marvel system - and they use the same commands.
Here is a little sample of the kind of things to capture
when doing a search through the family histories
- for an idea of what you will be getting:
-browse family history
B01 Family
fun//(XREF=1)
B01 Family group therapy//(XREF=1) B02 Family
heads//(XREF=1)
B03 Family
health//(XREF=1)
B04 Family Health
Maintenance
B05 Family histories//(SUBJ=1)
B06+Family
history//(XREF=1)
B07 Family home evenings (Mormon Church)//(SUBJ=1)
B08 Family in
art//(SUBJ=1)
B09 Family in
dreams//(SUBJ=1)
B10 Family in iterature//(SUBJ=1)
B11 Family in mass media//(SUBJ=1) B12
Family in motion pictures//(SUBJ=1)
- To Order an image ($1.25 cost may increase) from the BLM - send a copy
of that to the National Archives and ask for the file. May get up to a
dozen pages for $6.00 eg a state (Michigan) Land Record. Land grant
records thru the Bureau of Land Management(BLM) call/write The Dept of
Interior, BLM, Eastern States,7450 Boston Blvd, Springfield, VA 22153
(203-440-1600). Online rates are expensive (apprx $2/min)IMHO but
the state CDs are very reasonable(approx $15/state).
What's in the LDS FHCs changes weekly. The following will help. Helen Ullman worked as a Family History Center librarian for several years and used the FHC for many more. LDS librarians (as opposed to non-member librarians who are almost always experienced genealogists) are apt to be people the local church leaders have asked to work in the library in order to learn how to do genealogy. They do want to be helpful and they have keys to let you in. They are eager to learn, but are at different stages in that process. On the other hand many have a great deal of experience. Nevertheless, each of us has our own area of expertise. The librarian might tell you a lot about Norway but we get patrons who want to know about Irish and French-Canadian, in which areas I am a dummy. (I, Helen Ullman, am LDS myself)
First, ask lots of questions. The librarians need to know what they need to know to help patrons. (Yes, that says what I mean to say:)Ask the same question of different people. Next, browse around. I like to tell people the FHCs have three kinds of things:
- 1. Reference materials: hard copies and microform.
The book collections vary, but each FHC should have certain basic materials. On paper there are Resource Outlines for each state and province of Canada and several countries and special subjects. These cost a small amount. Browse through the shelves. Every FHC has a collection of 200 basic reference works on microfiche. Ask the librarian where the directory to this is. Browse through the microfiche collection. Every time someone orders fiche it stays in the Center forever.
- 2. The Family History Library Catalog (FHLC).
The FHLC is the catalog of what is in the Salt Lake Library. You can order microfilm and fiche (but not books) and use them in the FHC. Browse the FHLC. See if you can find the resource outline about how to use it. The headings in the state Resource Outlines are the same headings that are used in the FHLC. You can search it by author/title, the quickest way to find a specific book. Or you can search it by locality. At the beginning of each country or state there is a list of places for which they have material. It's an easy way to find out what political jurisdiction a town or city falls under. - Or you can search the surname section for material about a specific family. This is a great index to "hidden genealogies," things on one surname buried in a genealogy of a different family. - Or you can search by subject. Play with it. The catalog is also on the FamilySearch computer, but it works a little differently. You cannot search by author or title, but you can enter a film number and identify it.
- 3. Databases on the FamilySearch computer and also on microfiche
The databases on the computer are the IGI, Ancestral File, the Social Security death index and Korean and Vietnam War deaths, as well as the catalog. Read the instruction manual and/or get copies of instructions to take home. - For a real dose, read my article in the New England Historic Genealogical Society NEXUS of December 1993. - The databases on fiche are census indexes 1790-1850, Scottish Old - Parochial Records and some others. Explore. - See if the FHC has a copy of a huge book called THE LIBRARY. Provided by Helen S. Ullmann (For Indepth instructions and tips on using FHC - review Genealogy Lesson 7)
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To read faded ink - use a "black light"
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