The following book review was written by Bobbi King:

Evidence Explained, Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace
Fourth Edition
by Elizabeth Shown Mills. Genealogical Publishing Co., 2024. 739 pages.   

Some years ago, I was attending a national conference, and I happened to strike up a conversation with Elizabeth Shown Mills. She’s always been most gracious to this beginner genealogist, and as we chatted, I noticed she was wearing two watches on her wrist. (This was back in the day before smartphones when we relied upon our watches or analog timers to time a presentation.) I couldn’t resist, so I asked her why she was wearing two watches. She said, “Machines hate me.” She explained that machines mysteriously quit working whenever she is close by. “Interesting,” I thought. 

We parted ways, and I walked over the room where her presentation was scheduled to be. You always had to get into her lecture rooms early, because they were invariably standing-room only. I attended one of her lectures once, at a four-day conference, when her talk was scheduled as the last lecture of the last day, a death-knell of a time slot, when frazzled conference-goers are usually bugging out the doors to get to the nearest bar in order to escape the last four days of frantic scheduling and the intensities of paying rapt attention.

Anyway, I went into her lecture room and soon, at the appointed time, she was introduced by the introducer and beginning remarks were made. Then she assumed the lecture podium to begin her talk. She opened her talk, overhead slides on high, she speaking and clarifying her points, when suddenly—bonk—her laser pointer died. Dead as a doornail. “Interesting,” I thought.

I see Ms. Mills is continuing her work on clarifying the complexities of smart citation. She explains the intricacies of citations with clarity and precision. Each chapter is structured in an easy-to-understand format, with clear explanations, illustrative examples, and practical tips for implementation.

In “Fundamentals of Research & Analysis,” Ms. Mills sets the stage for a thoughtful and critical approach to genealogical study. In “Fundamentals of Citation & Style,” she offers insights into the underlying principles and rationale for citation practices, emphasizing the ethical importance of honesty, attribution, and integrity in recognizing sources and acknowledging and documenting their contributions to our own work and conclusions. 

Chapters are separated into record groups, such as “Cemetery Records,” “National Government Records,” “Census Records” and more. Each chapter has straightforward citation examples and templates, and offers full explanations of the formatting—all the tools you need to navigate the citation process with understanding, confidence and efficiency.

This new and updated Evidence will continue to help you refine your citational skills.

Evidence Explained, Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace is available from the publisher, Genealogical Publishing Co., at: https://genealogical.com/the-new-4th-edition-of-evidence-explained/ and from Amazon.com. 

The following announcement was written by the folks at MyHeritage:

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re happy to announce that we’re making all 14 million Irish historical records available for free from March 14 to 18, 2024! 

Search all Irish records for free

Whether you’re decked out in green, savoring a traditional Irish dish, or just immersed in the vibrant culture and storied past of Ireland, this is a perfect opportunity to explore your Irish roots. Millions worldwide claim Irish roots, showing how far and wide the Irish diaspora stretches. Perhaps you will discover stories of endurance, migration, or interesting new details about the daily lives of your Irish ancestors.

Among our treasure trove of records, some of the most valuable Irish historical collections include:

• 1901 Ireland Census: A snapshot of life at the turn of the century, providing invaluable information on household members, occupations, and living conditions. The 1901 census is the earliest complete Irish census still in existence; most of the previous censuses were destroyed.
• 1911 Ireland Census: Offering a detailed view of Irish society ten years later, allowing comparisons and insights into changes over time.
• Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898: A compilation of Irish marriage records, essential for tracing lineage and family connections.

These collections, as well as many others, can help to paint a picture of your ancestors’ lives, their communities, and the historical context of their lives. Whether you’re an experienced genealogist or just starting to scratch the surface of your family history, this free access period is an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into your Irish roots.

Search through our Irish records today and discover the stories of your ancestors this St. Patrick’s Day.

New and Updated

Some good news for researchers and history buffs in Kamloops – the archives at the Kamloops Museum and Archives are set to reopen next month.

Shut down since September due to a lack of a resident archivist, Museum Supervisor Julia Cyr says the archives are likely to reopen sometime in mid-to-late April. Cyr says they’re able to reopen now that a new archivist from Montreal has arrived.

The Kamloops Museum and Archives includes a wide range of materials that describe, depict, and interpret life in Kamloops through the years, including photographs, books, papers, maps, architectural drawings, and newspapers.

Some of the materials included in the archives date back to the 19th century and the formation of Kamloops as a settlement.

“Maternal Threads Unwoven: Identifying Margareta’s Mother in 18^th Century Sweden” 

by Jill Morelli, CG, CGL

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m. (EDT)

In spite of birth entries for Margareta's five siblings in Hishult, there was no record of her birth in the parish. Tax records quickly identified the father and revealed multiple moves within a narrow span of time; however, identification of the mother remained elusive. No witnesses to the births of the children provided clues; no household examinations existed. Coupling the understanding of broad context (naming patterns, inheritance laws, the calendar shift, etc.) with mtDNA and documentary evidence, the mother was identified and the lack of records was explained.

Jill Morelli, CG, CGL is a “Roots” genealogist, becoming interested in family history in the 1970s with the Alex Haley show. At that time, she just collected “stuff.” After a hiatus during which she had a family and volunteered in her community, Jill came back to genealogy with a vengeance in February 2002 and a total commitment to “doing it right.” She is the founder of the Certification Discussion Group which shares tips and strategies for BCG portfolio building, and a co-founder of Applied Genealogy Institute, whose motto is “Learn by Doing”. She has been published in a variety of publications including NGSQ, Swedish American Genealogist, and others. Jill is past president of Seattle GS and is co-chair of the SGS Centennial 2023.

BCG’s next free monthly webinar in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars is “Maternal Threads Unwoven: Identifying Margareta’s Mother in 18^th Century Sweden” by Jill Morelli, CG, CGL. This webinar airs Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. 

When you register before March 19 with our partner Legacy Family Tree Webinars(http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=9010) you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Anyone with schedule conflicts may access the webinar at no charge for one week after the broadcast on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

“Education is one of the most significant ways of achieving BCG’s mission for promoting public confidence in genealogy through uniform standards of competence,” said President Faye Jenkins Stallings, CG. “We appreciate this opportunity to provide these webinars that focus on the standards that help family historians of all levels practice good genealogy.”

Following the free period for this webinar, BCG receives a small commission if you view this or any BCG webinar by clicking our affiliate link: http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=2619.

To see the full list of BCG-sponsored webinars for 2024, visit the BCG blog SpringBoard athttps://bcgcertification.org/bcg-2024-free-webinars. For additional resources for genealogical education, please visit the BCG Learning Center (https://bcgcertification.org/learning).

The Augusta Genealogical Society has issued a press release that is visible here.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a widely debated and controversial topic, with fears and concerns surrounding its potential impact on various aspects of society. While some see it as a groundbreaking technology that can revolutionize our world, others view it as a threat to humanity itself.

One area where AI is already making a significant impact is in genealogy. Genealogists can now benefit from the use of AI in various ways, from DNA matches to document scanning and transcription. It is changing the way we explore our family history and providing innovative tools to assist in the research process.

So, what exactly is AI? It refers to the creation of programs that mimic human intelligence by teaching software to learn on its own. This allows AI to gather and analyze vast amounts of data, enabling it to imitate human thinking and decision-making processes. AI is being used extensively in genealogical research, providing faster and more accurate results than ever before.

DNA testing has become increasingly popular in genealogy, and AI plays a vital role in this field. AI algorithms can identify matches between individuals who share common DNA, helping genealogists discover previously unknown relatives. The speed and accuracy of these matches would be nearly impossible to achieve manually, as AI can process enormous amounts of data in a short period.

Popular genealogy websites like Ancestry.com and My Heritage also employ AI technology to assist users in their search for ancestors. AI tries to match the information provided by users with the database records, providing potential connections and clues to lineage. Although there are still some improvements needed in these AI-powered search engines, the technology continues to evolve and learn to provide better results over time.

You can read more in an article by Lidia Perska published in the elblog.pl web site at: https://tinyurl.com/2ukr2v89.

VERO BEACH, Fla. — The Indian River County Sheriff's Office said it has used genetic genealogy to identify a woman whose body was found in a canal beside a state road more than 40 years ago.

"For 42 years the Indian River County Sheriff's Office has referred to her as 'Jane Doe.' We don't know who she is, but every year we memorialize her," Sheriff Eric Flowers said Tuesday during a news conference. "Folks, we gave her her name back. We did it. Her name isn't Jane Doe anymore."

Flowers said deputies have identified Evelyn Lois Horne Townsend, of Perry, as the woman who was found shot to death on Sept. 1, 1982, along west State Road 60.

Flowers said his office used genetic testing to identify a half-sibling who confirmed that Townsend, born on May 9, 1939, was indeed the missing relative.

You can read more in an article by Aja Dorsainvil published in the wptv.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/yeyvhkbs.

Here is an article that should interest most everyone, including genealogists:

There are some tests that can measure heart risk factors that aren't a part of standard care. Knowing whether you could benefit from them, starts with assessing your family history of heart health. 

You can do that by using free online tools. For example, Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center has a family health risk calculatorthat measures hereditary risk. You just enter your information, and it will suggest things like speaking with your doctor or a genetic counselor. There are a few tests professionals like that could suggest, depending on your results. 

One is a blood test to check for high levels of lipoprotein(a), which is a form of bad cholesterol that increases the risk for heart attack and stroke. It's mostly inherited, but can also impact people with a personal history of heart disease.

"So it's kind of a special form of bad cholesterol, and it really is determined much more by genetics than lifestyle and is not even really modified by statin therapy, which is the most widely used medications that we know lower bad cholesterol," said Dr. Wesley Milks, a cardiologist with Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center.

There's only one FDA approved treatment for lowering Lp(a). It's similar to dialysis in that a machine removes the cholesterol from the blood. There are clinical trials underway testing less complicated methods.

Another test that doctors could recommend for people with genetic heart disease risk factors is a coronary calcium scan, which is a CT scan for your heart. This can detect calcium levels and help spot coronary artery disease at its earliest stages. This test is mostly for people over 40 years old. Coronary artery calcification is uncommon before then.

You can read more in an article by Kaylyn Izzo published in the wcpo.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/8ww96rkk.

There’s a common misconception that public libraries in America are dying, with the majority of naysayers basing a library’s successful operation on physical visits and loans of materials — books, journals and maps. It’s an easy mistake to make: In 2019, the average number of physical library visits dropped to fewer than four per year and material loans declined by 25%.

However, a 2023 report by the American Library Association found that Gen Z and millennials are changing the way public libraries serve their communities, especially as libraries expand their digital collections and services. It found Gen Z and millennials make up the largest cohort of library users across the United States.

The study found that 54% of people aged 13-40 visited physical libraries within the past year and 37% said they had used their library’s digital collection.

“We know that millennials, for example, are the most avid in terms of digital borrowing,” Rachel Noorda, the director of the book publishing program at Portland State University and one of authors of the ALA report, told StateScoop. “So they’re engaging with print books, which is actually their favorite format, but also digitally as well.”

You can read more in an article by Sophia Fox-Sowell published in the statescoop.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/bdhps4ma.