RootsMagic has just released version 9. The following information is derived from their blog.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
We've just published our new, monthly video at Genealogy Guys Learn. It is "Being a Self-Sufficient Genealogy Library Patron" and covers library and archive organization and classification systems, using electronic catalogs and databases, incorporating Internet searches, working with library staff, using Interlibrary Loan services, and more. Subscribe at https://genealogyguyslearn.com/. New content is added monthly. For a complete list of our current video and written courses, please visit https://ahaseminars.com/cpage.php?pt=29.
Happy Learning!
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Drew Smith's New Book Has Been Published
Drew Smith's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy has been published by Genealogical Publishing Company.
Synopsis:
The question all beginners in genealogy research ask themselves is, “Where do I begin?” “Should I join a commercial subscription service like Ancestry.com?” What if I don’t find what I’m looking for on the Internet?” “How do I organize the information I’m gathering along the way?” Fortunately, this guide answers all those questions and engages neophytes with a book that takes an entirely fresh approach to the subject.
Author Drew Smith has organized the chapters according to the actual process used in genealogical research: Start with yourself, then move on to living family and relatives, and then move backward in time, generation by generation. The question all beginners in genealogy research ask themselves is, “Where do I begin?” “Should I join a commercial subscription service like Ancestry.com?” What if I don’t find what I’m looking for on the Internet?” “How do I organize the information I’m gathering along the way?” Fortunately, this guide answers all those questions and engages neophytes with a book that takes an entirely fresh approach to the subject.
Author Drew Smith has organized the chapters according to the actual process used in genealogical research: Start with yourself, then move on to living family and relatives, and then move backward in time, generation by generation. Each chapter describes a time period and the kinds of records available for that era, allowing beginners to learn about new types of records just as they need them.
The guide is divided into two parts. Part I (“For All Generations–Preparing to Research”) discusses such things as relationships between family members, naming practices, genealogy software, how to review existing research and the basics of DNA testing. Part II (“Generation by Generation—Doing the Research”) begins with a discussion of the major genealogy websites, and then explains the most important record categories for all generations from the present day back to the colonial era. There are also chapters devoted to searching for the origins of American families in the records of Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and non-English-speaking nations.
This book is written in a clear and charming style. It makes ample use of consecutive Internet screenshots to take the mystery out of online searching. And it is written by an expert genealogist and teacher who is equally conversant with traditional search methods and the digital world. There is no other book like it.
About the author: Drew Smith is the genealogy librarian at the University of South Florida Libraries in Tampa. He is co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast and host of the Genealogy Connection podcast. Mr. Smith is a founder and administrator of The Genealogy Squad Facebook Group with over 53,000 members. He writes a regular productivity column for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. describes a time period and the kinds of records available for that era, allowing beginners to learn about new types of documents just as they need them.
Monday, February 6, 2023
Audrey Collins Dies
This morning, we just received the sad news that our very dear friend, Audrey Collins, died over this past weekend. Audrey was a key individual at The National Archives (TNA) in the UK. I first met her when I served as Program Chair for the 2003 Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Orlando, Florida. She subsequently assisted Drew and me with coordinating our visit to the TNA by a tour group in 2005.
Audrey was an authority on research in England, especially at TNA. She was charming, humorous, generous, and loving. We will forever miss her.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Family History Library and Centers Change Names
For Immediate Release |
Family History Library and Centers Change Names
FamilySearch is known worldwide for its popular free FamilySearch.org website and state-of-the-art family research and discovery facility in Salt Lake City. Lesser known are its more than 5,000 local centers where visitors can receive individualized help and utilize web-enabled computers to access other premium family resources—all for free.
Watch “Your FamilySearch Center”.
“FamilySearch is a global brand with free local FamilySearch centers in most countries to help individuals make fun, personal discoveries about themselves and their ancestors. Center patrons can receive in-person help, and access millions of additional historical records online. The more you learn about yourself and the history of your family, the more your sense of who you are is deepened, and the more relationships and communities are strengthened,” said Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International.
In addition to FamilySearch centers, there are nearly 1,800 affiliate libraries (public libraries, museums, universities, and archives) that have privileges to limited-access FamilySearch databases. There will be no name change for the FamilySearch affiliate libraries.
People around the world are more and more interested in family, their familial origins, and making family connections. FamilySearch is uniquely positioned to serve this demand through its growing network of local FamilySearch centers, discovery experiences, help services, and vast, ever-expanding online collections of genealogical records.
Find and share this news release in the FamilySearch Newsroom.
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About FamilySearch
FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Genealogy Guys Learn LogIn Problem Resolved
We are pleased to report that the login problem we experienced at Genealogy Guys Learn (https://genealogyguyslearn.com/) last week has been resolved. Our IT man determined that our hosting service had created a problem that prevented successful interfaces with our membership database site. We migrated to a new hosting service late last week and tested it, and the problem has been resolved.
Please let us know if you experience any problems. And join our subscription education site at https://genealogyguyslearn.com/ to access nearly 100 video and written courses, with new content added each month.
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