Saturday, 24 June 2023

We hope you will join us for an informative and fun-filled day viewing presentations, asking questions, and visiting vendor and society booths!

FamilySearch personnel will present sessions about the extensive, free resources available online at FamilySearch.org and answer your questions!

In addition, a variety of genealogy and history related organizations and vendors will have booths to help attendees explore genealogy tools, resources, organizations, and educational opportunities.

The Virtual FamilySearch Expo is FREE and open to the public!

Register HERE

FamilySearch Expo Schedule

Each presenter / exhibitor will be in a virtual Breakout Room at the scheduled time.

Time (ET)	Session Information
10:00 – 10:15 a.m.	Expo Orientation
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.	FamilySearch Overview | David Rencher, AG, CG
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
10:45 – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.	FamilySearch Library and FamilySearch Centers Introduction | Lynn Turner, AG
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
11:30 – 11:45 a.m.	Break
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	FamilySearch.org – Overview of Website | Beth Taylor, CG
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
12:15 – 12:30 p.m.	Break
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.	The FamilySearch Catalog | Alyssa Gamble
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.	Lunch
1:45 – 2:15 p.m.	Tips and Tricks for Discovering Your Ancestors in FamilySearch’s Historical Records | Debbie Gurtler, AG
1:45 – 2:15 p.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
2:15 – 2:30 p.m.	Break
2:30- 3:00 p.m.	FamilySearch Digital Library – Uncovering FamilySearch’s Digital Book Collection | Becky Loveridge
2:30- 3:00 p.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
3:00 – 3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.	FamilySearch Wiki – Genealogy’s Hidden Gem | Amber Larsen, AG
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.	Break
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.	FamilySearch – Online Research Help and Resources | Becky Adamson, AG
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.	Exhibitor Information Forthcoming

Exhibitor Links coming soon!

Thank you, FamilySearch, for generously sponsoring the Family History and Genealogy Expo!

About Our Sponsor

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogical organization in the world. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the primary benefactor for FamilySearch services. The commitment of FamilySearch to help people connect with their ancestors is rooted in their beliefs—that families are meant to be central to our lives and that family relationships are intended to continue beyond this life.

From cbsnews.com:

Facebook says it is not dead. Facebook also wants you to know that it is not just for "old people," as young people have been saying for years. From a report:

Now, with the biggest thorn in its side -- TikTok -- facing heightened government scrutiny amid growing tensions between the U.S. and China, Facebook could, perhaps, position itself as a viable, domestic-bred alternative. There's just one problem: young adults ... have moved on.  

Today, 3 billion people check it each month. That's more than a third of the world's population. And 2 billion log in every day. Yet it still finds itself in a battle for relevancy, and its future, after two decades of existence. For younger generations -- those who signed up in middle school, or those who are now in middle school, it's decidedly not the place to be. Without this trend-setting demographic, Facebook, still the main source of revenue for parent company Meta, risks fading into the background -- utilitarian but boring, like email.

It has been 70 years since a new monarch was crowned in the UK. As we bear witness to a new era of the British monarchy and reflect on its role within the UK, the UK Web Archive is recording and preserving this momentous occasion by capturing websites in a special collection about King Charles III. Work started in earnest on this collection on 8th September 2022 when the late Queen, Elizabeth II, passed away and Charles became King, however, it also forms part of a larger series of collections about the British monarchy in the early 21st Century, curated by staff in the UK Legal Deposit Libraries.

Through this series of special collections, we can trace how the Royal Family has adopted the internet to communicate more efficiently with their supporters, members of the public, and other stakeholders as well as to promote their charitable causes and connect with younger generations who are more likely to engage with social media. As well as ‘official’ information, the UK Web Archive is also capturing user-generated content from a wide range of publishers including the general public, as recorded in websites, blogs, and social media posts, much of which is not available through traditional historical records.

the official website of Charles, Prince of Wales, published in his former position as heir apparent, no longer exists on the internet and is only available in the web archive.

You can read more in an article by Nicola Bingham published in the British Library web site at: https://blogs.bl.uk/webarchive/2023/05/regal-reflections-exploring-a-new-uk-web-archive-collection-on-king-charles-iii.html.. 

Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com: 

(+) How to Preserve Newspaper Clippings

How to Get Mexican Citizenship by Descent

New Project Explores Lives of Afro Mexicans in the U.S.

Dutch Archives on Accused Nazi Collaborators to Open to the Public in 2025

Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Reveals Identities of Hundreds of People in Early 19th-Century Portrait Album

Using Genealogy to Teach Inclusive History Pilot Program

Police Confirm ID of Woman Reunited With Her Family 51 Years After Her Abduction

Release of Regulations for Digitizing Permanent Records

PHMC Archival Grant Now Accepting Applications

Most Common Surnames in Ireland in 1901

IAJGS Solicits Nominations for the 2023 Achievement Awards and the Stern/Stedman Grants

Library to Assist in Creating Portal for UK Collections of Holocaust Testimonies

Augusta, Georgia Genealogical Society Virtual Genealogical Program: “Searching For Ancestors When You Were Adopted”

Webinar on Open Scholarship in GLAMs through Research Repositories

Blackrock's Purchase of Ancestry.com Doesn't Mean They Can Be Sued for Obtaining Illinoisans' Genetic Info

Vivid-Pix Recognizes May’s National Photo Month & Mental Health Awareness Month

TheGenealogist Adds New War Memorial Records and Property Records for Hitchen

Findmypast Announces New Records Online: Search all things Sussex

Recently Added and Updated Collections on Ancestry.com

Interactive 3D Model Recreates the Old Man of the Mountain

ChromeOS: The AP Guide to Google's Desktop Operating System

How to install Chrome OS Flex on Windows, macOS, Chromebook, and some Linux Systems

‘May the 4th be with you’ Explained

Fake Books Are a Real Home Decor Trend

If you work in the galleries, libraries, archives, or museums (GLAM) sector and want to learn more about research repositories, then you might want to join the British Library on 18th May, Thursday for an online repository training session for cultural heritage professionals.

This event is part of the Library’s Repository Training Programme for Cultural Heritage Professionals. It is designed based on the input received from previous repository training events (this, this and this) to explore some areas of the open scholarship further. They include but are not limited to, research activities in GLAM, benefits of research repositories, scholarly publishing, research data management and digital preservation in scholarly communications.

Who is it for? 

It is intended for those who are working in cultural heritage or a collection-holding organisation in roles where they are involved in managing digital collections, supporting the research lifecycle from funding to dissemination, providing research infrastructure and developing policies. However, anyone interested in the given topics is welcome to attend!

You can find a lot more information at https://tinyurl.com/5ejrb2fa.

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

In fact, there are several things you will want to do to preserve the information:

1. Avoid exposure to sunlight, moisture, and extreme temperatures, which causes these newspapers to deteriorate quickly. Unheated garages and humid basements are poor places to store clippings. The best place is in a closet or bookcase in the interior of your home. Never store valuable items on or near an outside wall as temperature variations will cause the paper to deteriorate faster. Ideally, all paper documents should be stored at 60-70 degrees F and 40-50% relative humidity. Those numbers also should be steady, not varying widely.

2. Turn out the lights! Light causes a reaction with the acid in the paper that darkens it. Keep the paper in an envelope or, even better, in an acid-free box with a cover.

3. Do not fold the clipping. Folding causes undue wear and also allows two surfaces of newsprint to come in contact, which shortens the newsprint's life. When examining newspaper clippings that have been stored for years, you will notice the first place that crumbles is the fold.   

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: 

https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13193049.

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! From an article published in the nomadcapitalist.com web site:

Mexican citizenship by descent presents a distinctive opportunity for individuals seeking to reconnect with their heritage. This unique path allows people to embrace their ancestral roots while enjoying the many benefits that come with being a Mexican citizen.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the steps of acquiring Mexican citizenship through your ancestral roots. 

We’ll discuss topics such as eligibility requirements, application procedures, and essential documentation. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a solid understanding of what it takes to embark on this exciting path.

As you explore the possibility of obtaining Mexican citizenship, it’s also important to consider the safety and charm of the region.

Latin America can be a safe and welcoming region if you exercise caution and stay informed, despite the common perception of it being dangerous. Mexico, specifically, boasts a diverse mix of cultural treasures, historical landmarks, and breathtaking landscapes. These qualities make Mexico an attractive destination for living and traveling alike.

Securing Mexican citizenship comes with a variety of benefits, one of the most notable being improved travel opportunities. A Mexican passport grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 150 countries, allowing for seamless exploration across the globe. 

In fact, the Mexican passport ranks high on the Nomad Capitalist passport index, demonstrating its strength and prestige. So, without further delay, let’s embark on the journey towards Mexican citizenship by descent. 

You can read more at: https://nomadcapitalist.com/global-citizen/mexican-citizenship-by-descent/.

DNA testing done by the Fort Worth Police Department confirms a woman matched online by genealogy sites is a North Texas family's missing sister.

The Fort Worth Police Department says they have completed official DNA testing confirming the identity of a woman who was reunited with her family last year after being abducted as a toddler more than five decades ago.

Melissa Highsmith went missing in 1971 when, at just 22 months old, she was allegedly taken from her parents' Fort Worth home by a babysitter. More than 50 years later, the Highsmith family found Melissa through DNA testing shared on genealogy sites.

Since Melissa was reunited with her family late last year, the Fort Worth Police Department has been working to complete their DNA testing. On Thursday, they confirmed that testing verified Highsmith's identity.

"It is our hope that this test result will offer additional closure for the Highsmith family," police said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

The family said a genealogist recommended they share DNA with Ancestry and 23andMe and see if it returned any matches. The family said their mother was hesitant since she had done DNA tests with six different women throughout the years, and they all came back negative.

"Every time my mother got her hopes up. After 51 years, she didn't want to submit another DNA test. She was tired and she was hurt and guilty from carrying this all these years," said Victoria Highsmith, Melissa's sister. "I'm thankful that we got her to agree to submit her DNA … It is because of that, and my dad submitting, that we were able to find Melissa."

Victoria said they didn't find Melissa through her own DNA sample but through her children's DNA and that the match came back quickly after both of her parents submitted their samples.

"Within three weeks we found my sister. It was like, 'Boom, boom, boom,' we found her," said Victoria Highsmith.

You can read the rest of the story at: https://tinyurl.com/243ppy3m.

In case you are thinking about upgrading: https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-install-chrome-os-flex-3112924/.

The deadline for submitting nomination forms and supporting documentation for the annual International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Achievement Awards and the Stern/Stedman Grants is May 15, 2023, at 7 pm EDT (USA). Awards will be announced during the 43rd Annual IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, to be held in London from July 30th to August 3rd. 

Stern/Stedman Grants

The purpose of these grants is to encourage institutions or organizations to pursue projects, activities, and acquisitions that provide new or enhanced resources to benefit those researching Jewish genealogy. 

For details about the grants, please visit the IAJGS website and consult the general Award Rules and Criteria and the special Stern/Stedman Award Criteria. For information regarding the current committee members, and to submit a nomination, go to the Grant Nomination Form. 

The grants may only be awarded to a not-for-profit institution or organization or charity (and may not be awarded to individuals). Nominations may be submitted by any individual or organization, and self-nomination by organizations is permitted. 

For further information, please contact Carole Montello, Chair of the IAJGS Stern/Stedman Grant Committee, at carole.montello@iajgs.org.