The following announcement was written by the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Alumni Association is sponsoring the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship. The Gen-Fed Alumni Association’s purpose is to promote, conduct, and foster education, research, study, and analysis related to genealogy and to disseminate information and support other similar undertakings.

Richard S. Lackey (1921-1983) of Mississippi was a leader in the drive to improve the professionalization of the genealogical community. In addition to lecturing and teaching, he was an author/compiler of standards for genealogical writing, and of Mississippi source material. His work exemplified the highest standards of competent research and scholarly citation of sources. His books Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records (1980) and Write it Right (1983), co-authored with Donald R. Barnes, promote proper documentation of sources within family histories and genealogical papers. At the time of his death, Richard was President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an experienced researcher active in a paid or volunteer position which directly benefits the genealogical community. This year the scholarship will award $1000, which covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), and partly defrays hotel and/or meal costs. Provided the public health situation allows it, the Gen-Fed Alumni Association will also provide dinner at the Gen-Fed Alumni Banquet on Friday night, Aug 12, 2022, where a check for the amount less tuition will be presented to the recipient.

Nancy Calhoun, our 2017 scholarship recipient says, “Receiving the Lackey Scholarship has not only benefited me but also the genealogy and local history staff at Muskogee Public Library and the patrons we assist. We never know what people are going to request. The training received will assist us in being better equipped to search out that information in the vast collections of National Archives.”

For more information about the Institute, visit www.gen-fed.org. The application can be downloaded from the Scholarships page.

All applications and additional attachments must be submitted in PDF format, combined in one file. The completed application form and attachments should be emailed to Jonathan W. Deiss at jdeiss@soldiersource.com with “Lackey Scholarship 2022” in the subject line. The PDF file name should include your last name and first initial, such as “DoeJ Lackey Scholarship 2022 Application."

A complete application must be received by midnight, (EST) 31 December 2021. The winner will be notified by 15 February 2022. Other applicants will be notified shortly after that date. The scholarship winner will automatically be accepted for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Aug 8-13, 2022.

The following is a message posted to the IAJGS Records Access Alert mailing list and is republished here with permission:

On July 12,2021 the IAJGS Records Access Alert posted about an agreement between the New Zealand National Library and Internet Archive which was to donate 600,000 books that it was going to cull from its overseas collection. Internet archive has agreed to make digital copies of the works freely available online.

It has now been reported that the National Library has halted its plans to export the 600,000 books to the Internet Archive, an U.S.-based online archive, after sustained criticism from authors, publishers, copyright holders and the National Party. The Library said it was reconsidering plans to ship the books from its Overseas Published Collections “in light of concerns raised by interested parties, including issues associated with copyright”.

National Librarian Te Pouhuaki​ Rachel Esson said the library listened to people’s views and was working hard to support New Zealanders’ ongoing access to books from the collections, which it previously argued it had no space for and were scarcely issued by the public.

“We are aiming to balance our duty to all New Zealanders with the concerns of our valued book sector colleagues and will continue to build relationships with them,” she said. “We are taking some time to look at all available options that align with our collection plans, while preserving author and publisher interests.” Esson said the library would continue to work to avoid secure destruction of the books, which was looking like an earlier outcome before the deal with the Internet Archive was struck.

The pause comes after the Authors’ Society, Publishers’ Association and Copyright Licensing wrote to the Attorney-General and Ministry for Culture and Heritage, asking them to investigate the deal. Many of those parties felt unheard and upset during the process of what to do with the books, which ended in the library striking a deal with the archive.

As reported previously by the IAJGS Records Access Alert, the Internet Archive is embroiled in a copyright infringement lawsuit with publishing giants Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House and Wiley in the United States.

To read more see: https://newonnews.com/national-library-hits-pause-on-internet-archive-deal-days-before-deadline/ and https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/books/127129379/national-library-hits-pause-on-internet-archive-deal-days-before-deadline

To read the previous postings about New Zealand National Library and major publishers go to the archives of the IAJGS Records Access Alert at: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/private/records-access-alerts/. You must be registered to access the archives. To register go to: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/listinfo/records-access-alerts and follow the instructions to enter your email address, full name and which genealogical organization with whom you are affiliated You will receive an email response that you have to reply to or the subscription will not be finalized.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

The following is a press release written by FamilySearch:

FamilySearch opened registration today for RootsTech 2022, the largest family history event in the world held online March 3–5, 2022. It offers a forum where people of all ages across the globe are inspired to discover and share their memories and make meaningful connections. Register for free at www.rootstech.org today. RootsTech 2022 will be a virtual-only experience, with some enhancements and improvements.

A new set of educational classes will be featured during 2022, along with new technologies to explore in the virtual expo hall, and inspiring stories shared by a fascinating line-up of keynote speakers.

“RootsTech 2022 is sure to be an incredible experience once again” said Jen Allen, event director for RootsTech. “Earlier this year, we organized our first-ever virtual event amid a pandemic—something we never thought would happen. But as we watched the participants come together to provide joyful learning experiences in many different languages, we knew something special was taking shape.”

Classes for the event will have a mix of on-demand, livestream, and interactive sessions that will allow attendees to learn, grow and connect to people all over the globe. Participants will also be able to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, experts, and enthusiasts. In 2022, the planners of RootsTech are looking to take that experience to the next level.

RootsTech is a place of connection. “We witnessed incredible connections [in 2021] between participants all over the world,” said Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch. “As they connected to their homelands and ultimately to their families, they then connected to each other. At FamilySearch, we choose connection, and we witness every day the ways family history transcends all walls of separation and unites us as the true story of humanity unfolds.”

While there will always be some differences between the in-person and online experiences, RootsTech will continue to expand its online experience while working towards a time when the hybrid model of both can once again be offered.

“We are busy creating innovative ways to capture and share messages of culture, unity and connection that push the boundaries of what a virtual conference can be. We can’t wait to share what we’ve got in store,” added Allen.

The event will take place March 3–5, 2022, and you can register for RootsTech right now by visiting www.rootstech.org. The conference is free and open to anyone. For updates, be sure to follow RootsTech on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, started as a global, in-person conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. Today the annual event has become the largest of its kind, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants globally, and RootsTech.org continues to be a great source of learning throughout the year.

RootsTech 2022 will be free and entirely online.

The following is a message posted to the IAJGS Records Access Alert mailing list and is republished here with permission:

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed regulations and invites the public to comment on the proposed extension of a currently approved collection of information. The purpose of the notice is to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (time, effort, and resources) used by the respondents the cost to the respondent and actual information collection instruments.

See: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-11-30/pdf/2021-26031.pdf

Comments will be accepted until January 31, 2022. All submissions must include OMB Control Number 1615-0096 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS-2006-0013. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://www.regulations.gov under eDocket ID number USCIS–2006–0013.

Further information contact is: USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone number (240) 721–3000

You may access the information collection instrument with instructions or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: https://www.regulations.gov and entering USCIS–2006–0013 in the search box. All submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov , and will include any personal information you provide.

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Among items in this information collection are:

* Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection: G–1041 and G–1041A; USCIS.

* Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. The Genealogy Program is necessary to provide a timelier response to requests for genealogical and historical records. Form G–1041 is provided as a convenient means for persons to provide data necessary to perform a search of historical agency indices. Form G–1041A provides a convenient means for persons to identify a particular record desired under the Genealogy Program. The forms provide rapid identification of such requests and ensures expeditious handling. Persons such as researchers, historians, and social scientists seeking ancestry information for genealogical, family history and heir location purposes will use Forms G–1041 and G– 1041A.

* An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection G–1041 is 3,847 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.5 hour. The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection G–1041A is 2,920 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.5 hour.

* An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection of information $439,855.

To access the USCIS Genealogy Program go to: https://www.uscis.gov/records/genealogy

To read past IAJGS Public Records Access Alerts on USCIS andG-1041 and G-1041A go to the archives of the IAJGS Records Access Alert at: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/private/records-access-alerts/. You must be registered to access the archives. To register go to: http://lists.iajgs.org/mailman/listinfo/records-access-alerts and follow the instructions to enter your email address, full name and which genealogical organization with whom you are affiliated You will receive an email response that you have to reply to or the subscription will not be finalized.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee

The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) spent much of 2021 spearheading a campaign to assemble a ton of data and information on anything and everything that has shaped the Show Me State into what it has become over the last two centuries. 

As part of the Missouri Bicentennial Project, the SHSMO partnered with organizations across the state to create and expand digital resources for the teachers, students, researchers, and citizen-historians looking to learn more about Missouri’s storied past.

At the base of it all is the SHSMO Digital Collection, which has been expanded and made easier to access than ever before, granting citizens access to thousands of maps, manuscripts, correspondences, media, and archives from throughout the state’s 200-year history. 

Details may be found at: https://www.thepitchkc.com/missouri-bicentennial-projects-allow-one-to-peruse-missouris-history-like-never-before/.

The following was written by the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS):

Genealogy of a Neighborhood: Urban and Rural Mary K. Risseeuw Free Webinar from SCGS Saturday, December 4, 2021, 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1918239183609661455 ABOUT THE PRESENTATION Examining those who lived near your ancestor can provide a clearer context for their life.  You will learn the methodology to examine the usual and unusual source materials that will help you broaden their story.  Whether urban or rural, the neighborhood can provide new insight into why your ancestor chose their location. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Mary K. Risseeuw is a genealogist, historian, writer and lecturer with an emphasis on 19th and 20th Century Dutch emigration and Wisconsin history.  She has been a researcher for over 30 years. She serves on the Board of the Association for the Advancement of Dutch American Studies. She organized the 2008 Dutch in Wisconsin Conference which was the first conference about Dutch immigration to Wisconsin. HANDOUT A handout will be available shortly before the presentation. A link will be included in a reminder that will be sent the day before the session. 2020 Webinar Times 1st Saturdays                                   3rd Wednesdays 10:00 AM Pacific                             6:00 PM Pacific 11:00 AM Mountain                        7:00 PM Mountain 12:00 PM Central                            8:00 PM Central 1:00 PM Eastern                              9:00 PM Eastern

Sidney Museum and Archives set to launch new database for archives from 1912 to 2002.

A new database launching Dec. 1 will give the public a chance to search decades worth of Peninsula News Review archives.

The Peninsula News Review Digitization project saw the Sidney Museum and Archives digitize 46 rolls of 35 mm microfilm containing nearly 3,800 past issues of the newspaper, spanning 1912 through 2002.

Funding for the project came from the BC History Digitization Program based at the University of British Columbia’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. The program promotes increased access to British Columbia’s historical resources by supplying matching funds to digitization projects resulting in free online access to unique historical material from around the province.

The database, making the archives of the Review accessible, will make its debut on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., when the museum staff will host a live demonstration of the Arca database.

You can read further details in an article by Wolf Depner and published in the Victoria News web site at: https://bit.ly/3li43sa.

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

"What goes around, comes around." That seems true in the case of pottery as well as stone, clay, and ceramic tablets. Japanese pottery from the Jomon period dates back more than 13,000 years and contains some of what is believed to be the oldest human writing that still exists in the world. Cuneiform tablets that contain writing created by the Sumerians have survived for 5,000 years. Acid-free paper is expected to survive only a few hundred years while today's paper – with its acids – has a much shorter life expectancy. Microfilm and microfiche are expected to last only 300 years and even then, only if it is stored under ideal temperature and humidity conditions. Magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and other modern media are expected to last only a decade or two unless someone copies those items every decade or two. (Luckily, that is easy to do.)

Perhaps the greatest threat to the storage of electronic information is a rare solar storm called the "Carrington Event." The last major Carrington Event to hit the earth took place in 1859, a time when there was almost no electronic information in existence. Studies have shown that a solar storm of this magnitude occurring today would likely cause more widespread problems for a modern and technology-dependent society.

The Carrington Event is a magnetic storm, not physical.

In the 1859 Carrington Event, papers in telegraph offices caught fire. Even with batteries disconnected, operators found that the telegraph wires could carry their messages over vast distances. This was the largest solar storm ever recorded. In 2005, a very small magnetic storm from the sun disrupted satellite-to-ground communication and the GPS system for about 10 minutes — threatening satellite-guided travel by air, sea, and land. It contained only a fraction of the power of a Carrington Event.

If a full-sized Carrington Event happened today, it would jeopardize global telecommunications, knock out orbiting satellites, and threaten to kill astronauts. It also would probably wipe out every hard disk drive, floppy disk, CD-ROM disk, flash drive, and every other form of magnetic or electronic storage, even on devices that are powered off and disconnected.

If a Carrington Event happened today, the world would likely have to deal with the simultaneous loss of GPS, cellphone reception, all computers, and much of the power grid.

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/12149168.

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. 

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

With over 1.6 million Welsh electoral records and census substitutes from the Caribbean, where with this week’s Findmypast Friday update take you?

Index to Death Duty Registers, 1796-1903

Search over 5,000 brand new additions to fill any gaps in your family tree. Exclusive to Findmypast and now containing over 3.3 million transcripts and images, these records will enable you to discover English and Welsh ancestors who left estates that incurred an inheritance tax.

Created by the Estate Duty Office (later to become the Inland Revenue), each result will provide you with the name and address of the testator, their date of death as well as the name and address of the administrator. The information captured by this index may also help you obtain copies of original entries from the Death Duty Register and track down your ancestors will or administration. 

West Glamorgan Electoral Registers, 1839-1925

Containing over 1.6 million records, this expansive collection details over 80 years of electoral registers and Burgess Rolls for the Borough of Swansea in West Glamorgan.

Each result will provide you with the name, address and “qualification” of the individual who had registered to vote making them a valuable census substitute. Electoral registers are also and excellent resource for exploring the history of your home or local area.

Leeward Islands Census Substitutes, 1678-1753

Search these early name lists for early settlers of the islands of Anguilla, Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis and St Kitts (St Christopher Island). Containing roughly 6,000 transcripts, this collection will provide you with the names, race, gender and location of the islands’ inhabitants as well as the date they were recorded and, in some instances, their title, age, occupation, nationality, and parish 

Newspapers

This week sees 116,740 new pages, eight brand-new Welsh titles and updates to 28 existing publications join Findmypast’s ever expanding newspaper archive.

New titles:

• • Caerphilly Journal, 1914-1943
  • Herald Cymraeg, 1858-1900, 1902, 1904-1911, 1913-1916
  • Porthcawl Guardian, 1933-1961
  • Porthcawl News, 1910, 1912-1925
  • Newport Gazette, 1857-1869, 1891
  • Cardiff Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 1875-1881, 1883-1886, 1888-1889
  • Y Gwyliedydd, 1877-1883, 1885-1887, 1889
  • Rhondda Socialist Newspaper, 1911-1914

Existing titles:

• • Atherstone News and Herald, 1911-1912, 1950
  • Saffron Walden Weekly News, 1985, 1993
  • Hull Daily News, 1879, 1896-1899
  • Coleshill Chronicle, 1874
  • Fleetwood Chronicle, 1845
  • Press (London), 1860
  • Sun & Central Press, 1871
  • Grantham Journal, 1971, 1998-1999
  • Herts and Essex Observer, 1981
  • New Milton Advertiser, 1993
  • London and China Express, 1916-1917, 1921
  • Fenland Citizen, 1993
  • Newark Advertiser, 1992
  • Stamford Mercury, 1954, 1985
  • Spalding Guardian, 1893-1894, 1903, 1921, 1976
  • Diss Express, 1993
  • South Wales Daily Telegram, 1888
  • Y Tyst, 1893
  • Newcastle Guardian and Silverdale, Chesterton and Audley Chronicle, 1897
  • Glamorgan Advertiser, 1950
  • South Wales Weekly Argus and Monmouthshire Advertiser, 1897
  • Llanelly and County Guardian and South Wales Advertiser, 1911
  • Kilmarnock Standard, 1875-1891
  • Flintshire Observer, 1899, 1912
  • South Eastern Gazette, 1875
  • Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette, 1872

Going digital can save time and money and keep family traditions alive.

An article by Ashley Memory in the Wired web site will interest anyone interested in preserving and/or sharing family recipes. She writes:

"When I inherited my late grandmother’s recipes, I wanted to keep them safe and eventually hand them down to my own family. I already had my own jumbled collection, including instructions dictated by Wilma herself, images saved on my phone, Word files on my computer, and more. So I set out to find a way to organize, preserve, and share this part of our family history with everyone.

"What I learned during my research tickled me as much as memories of Wilma’s pecan pie. Organizing these records would be much easier than I had anticipated, and the journey brings home cooks like me even greater rewards than I ever imagined. Going digital saves time and money, reduces waste, and best of all, allows you to eat more healthfully by planning ahead and choosing recipes that meet personalized dietary needs. Better yet, sharing recipes and connecting with epicures across the world helps us grow and improve, just in time for the holidays."

She then goes on to write creating family cookbooks (with an option to publish them online), apps to help you get started, and ways of clipping new recipes from the web.

This will be interesting reading for the cook in the family at: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-preserve-share-old-recipes/.