Legacy's May Webinars

Legacy has several DNA-related sessions this month. To see whether any could be of interest to you, visit www.familytreewebinars.com.

Tuesday, May 4 - "Comparing Australian Content on the Giant Genealogy Websites" by Sunny Morton.  Beginner

Wednesday, May 5 - "Solving a Brick Wall with DNA – A Case Study" by Larry W. Thomas. Intermediate

Friday, May 7 - "Researching the Descendants and Ancestors of the Weeping Time People" by Brian Sheffey.  Intermediate, Advanced

Wednesday, May 12 - "DNA Downer: Strategies for Dealing with DNA Fatigue" by Brian Bettinger.  Intermediate

Tuesday, May 11 - "The Paternal Ten: Searching for Missing Heirs" by Claire Ammon.    Intermediate

Wednesday, May 19 - "Notion for Genealogists" by Liza Alzo.  Intermediate

Friday, May 21 - "Researching Canadian Nurses, Pilots and Sailors in the First World War" by Kathryn Lake Hogan.  Intermediate

Wednesday, May 26 - "How Testing Multiple Relatives Can Turbocharge Your DNA Research" by Michelle Leonard.  Intermediate

Free Family History Webinars for May 2021

The FamilySearch Library is presenting another set of free webinars for May. If you have ancestors from Norway, Sweden or Finland, take a look at the offerings for May 1. The rest of the sessions are listed below. Click the link for more information.

https://media.familysearch.org/free-family-history-classes-and-webinars-for-may-2021/

Mon, May 3, 10:00 AM Using the FamilySearch Catalog (Beginner)

Tue, May 4, 10:00 AM Using the FamilySearch Wiki (Beginner)

Thu, May 6, 10:00 AM Skimming the Surface: A Look into Ontario Land Records (Intermediate)

Tue, May 11, 10:00 AM What's New at FamilySearch (Beginner)

Tue, May 18, 10:00 AM Overview of FamilySearch (Beginner)

Thu, May 20, 10:00 AM The United States Colored Troops and Buffalo Soldiers: History, Records and Strategies (Beginner)

Tue, May 25, 10:00 AM Navigate, Add, Edit, Standardize, and Print on FamilySearch Family Tree (Beginner)

Thu, May 27, 10:00 AM Ask Your United States and Canada Research Questions (Beginner)

The National Archives is providing a series of virtual broadcasts to replace its annual Virtual Genealogy Fair. Visit:  https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair

National Archives Genealogy Series

May & June 2021

In lieu of the autumn 2020 Virtual Genealogy Fair that could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to offer a new Genealogy Series! Instead of a single-day event, the program sessions will be broadcast individually during May and June. You are invited to watch and participate in real time with the presenters and family historians from around the world on YouTube. 

Over the two months, the sessions will offer family history research tools on federal records for all skill levels. The May sessions are broad and will appeal to the beginner and beyond. The June sessions are focused on specific topics and may be better suited for the experienced researcher. All are welcome! Session descriptions, videos, handouts, and participation instructions are below.

• Open with no reservations required 
• Watch the broadcasts via YouTube 
• Participate and ask questions via chat during the scheduled broadcasts 
• After the scheduled broadcasts, video recordings and presentation materials will be available online

Genealogical Mysteries

 Genealogical Crime Mystery Book Club

Mary Anne and I had discovered we both liked a podcast called Genealogy Happy Hour, and the hosts recommended a series of books by Nathan Dylan Goodwin. We have read and enjoyed the first two in his series, which take place in England and involve genealogical research. 

Recently they interviewed Goodwin for their podcast. He and several other authors who write the same type of mystery have formed a Facebook group for anyone interested in reading a mystery with a genealogical theme.

I must admit that none of the other authors were familiar to me (and I read a LOT of mysteries). But if you like that genre, you might check out their Facebook group under the title above. 

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives' Genealogy Research Guide

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter had an interesting post last week about the Smithsonian Libraries new research guide. Here is some information directly from the newsletter.

"The Smithsonian Libraries is home to millions of items so the folks there spend a lot of time sorting and cataloging all sorts of things. One new online resource created by the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is a new Genealogy Research Guide."

Here are some of the websites that are included:

Adoption Resources for Discovering Your Birth Family

Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Genealogy Timelines: Find the Gaps in Your Research!, Trace Indian Ancestry, 

Bibliography of Books Related to Genealogical Research and Technology Available in ALIC (Archives Library and Information Center of the National Archives):  Compiled by staff at the National Archives. Identifies resources related to genealogy and technology. The list provides an overview of publications that are likely available at local and other libraries.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index (an international database of more than 20 million biographical citations on more than 6 million persons, living and deceased, spanning 2,000 years of recorded history).

and many more...

Visit https://library.si.edu/research/genealogy

Adoption Records

Are you interested to learn which states have open adoption records? Visit the link below for a chart that explains the regulations for each state.

The American Adoption Congress has a chart of access with or without restrictions for adult adoptees access of their original birth certificates at: https://americanadoptioncongress.org/state.php

Photographers' Identities Catalog

Are you following any podcasts? Any to recommend? There was an interesting suggestion on one of Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems podcasts that I listened to this past week.

Here's the description from the New York Public Library's website. https://pic.nypl.org/

"Photographers’ Identities Catalog (PIC) is an experimental interface to a collection of biographical data describing photographers, studios, manufacturers, and others involved in the production of photographic images. Consisting of names, nationalities, dates, locations and more, PIC is a vast and growing resource for the historian, student, genealogist, or any lover of photography's history. The information has been culled from trusted biographical dictionaries, catalogs and databases, and from extensive original research by NYPL Photography Collection staff."

You can learn about topics relevant to photography, locate photos by a particular photographer, or find information about where and when a particular photographer was in business.