Digging for Your Roots 2012: Ancestry Library Edition Database
description
Transcript of Digging for Your Roots 2012: Ancestry Library Edition Database
May P. ChanPrairie History Room
Regina Public LibraryPresented October 20, 2012
©2008, updated 2012
Digging for Your Roots Genealogy Series
Outline
Brief Introduction ALE vs Ancestry.com
Main resources found in ALE ALE’s revamped home page 2 case studies – developing search strategies
1940 US federal census Schmidt (Sitz) family – Canadian census collection
Additional Resources
What is it?
Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) is an enhanced library database version of Ancestry.com, the largest and most popular genealogy website on the market.
How do the two sites differ?Ancestry.com or .ca
available to individuals and organizations for an annual subscription
Offers genealogical records as well as the ability to upload your family trees, to chat with other researchers, purchase genealogical books
Ancestry Library Edition (ALE)
available to institutions via Proquest subscription
Offers genealogical records but without of the “interactive” features
Accessibility
Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) is now available at all Regina Public Library branch terminals (both public internet and CatPlus).
The database is in-house database use only meaning you cannot log in from home to access it.
All of our computer terminals allow you to print, save and email files from the database.
Main Resources found in ALE
Canada 1851-1911 federal Census returns 1906 and 1916 Prairie Census returns Canada Parliamentary Marriage and Divorces,
1867-1919 Ontario Birth, Marriage and Death records,
1857-1934 Quebec Vital & Church Records (Drouin
Collection), 1621-1967 British Columbia Birth, Marriage and Death
records, 1872-1990
Main Resources – continued…
Canada… Nova Scotia Birth, Marriage and Death records,
1763-1960 Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 Border Crossings: From US to Canada, 1908-
1935 Canadian Soldiers of World War I, 1914-1918 Old United Empire Loyalists List, 1885
Main Resources - continued…United States
federal Census records, 1790-1940 New York State Census records, 1892, 1915 &
1925 California Births, Marriages and Death records,
1905-1997 California Divorce index, 1966-1984 Border Crossings: From Canada to US, 1895-
1956 New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 U.S. Passport Applications, 1820-1925 U.S. Naturalization Records, 1795-1972
Main Resources - continued…
United States… Civil War Service Records World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-
1946 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage
(over 150 volumes) American Genealogical Biographical Index (over
200 volumes)
Main Resources – continued…
England, Scotland & Wales English & Welsh census records, 1841-1911 Scottish census records, 1841-1901 Free BMD indexes, 1837-1915 England & Wales – Births, Marriages and Death
indexes, 1916-2002 Gretna Green, Scotland – Marriage Registers,
1794-1895 England & Wales, National Probate Calendar
(Index of Wills & Administrations), 1858-1966
Main Resources – continued…
United Kingdom & Ireland… UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 British Commonwealth War Graves Registers,
1914-1918 UK, City & County Directories, 1600s-1900s England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 Ireland, Civil Registrations – Birth, Marriage and
Death indexes, 1864-1958 Ireland, Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911
Main Resources - continued…
Europe Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 Baden, Germany Emigration Index, 1866-1911 German Phone Directories, 1915-1981 Mecklenburg-Schwerin Census, 1819, 1867, 1890
and 1900 (in German) Denmark Births, Christenings & Marriages, 1631-
190ss (in Danish)
Main Resources - continued…
Europe… Norway Births, Christenings & Marriages, 1600s-
1800s (in Norwegian) Sweden, Church Records, 1500-1941 (in
Swedish) Netherlands, Genelias – Baptismal & Death
indexes, 1811-1960 (in Dutch) Poland, Jewish Records – Birth, Marriages and
Death indexes, 1550-1993
Main Resources - continued…
Australia and New Zealand Australia Births, Marriages and Death indices,
1788-1985 Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 Australian Convict Transportation Registers,
1787-1868 New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981 New Zealand Naturalisations, 1843-1981 New Zealand, City and Area Directories, 1866-
1955
Resources Not Carried in Ancestry Library Edition
(Note: most of these resources are available through Proquest’s HeritageQuest Online database which is also available through Regina Public Library)
Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) Family & Local Histories collection (primarily U.S.)
(*HeritageQuest Online) Freedman’s Bank Records (*HeritageQuest Online) Historical Newspaper Collection Passenger & Immigration List Index (PILI) (note:
PHR has the print copies) Periodical Source Index (PERSI) (*HeritageQuest
Online)
How Do I Log In to the Database?
1. Log in to any public internet terminal at any computer terminal with your Regina Public Library card and PIN number (4 digits).
2. Click on either the Internet Explorer or Firefox icon on the desktop or within the “Internet folder” under “All Programs”
3. Type in the url for the “Databases by Subject” page www.reginalibrary.ca/reference/central/ (note: this page is the home page for on the computers in the Prairie History Room) and click on the Genealogy category.
Home Page of Ancestry Library Edition
Main Navigation Bar – Search Categories
Recent Genealogy Databases
Explore by Location Feature
Case Studies
Objective: to learn more about the data sets in Ancestry and to develop more effective search strategies
2 case studies 1940 US federal census
Eleanor Roosevelt (wife to President Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Canadian Census collection Daniel Schmidt and family, who settled
in Saskatchewan, ca. 1902.
Case Study #11940 US Federal Census
1940 US Federal Census cont’d…
Search Tips - Surnames
When searching for a surname and you are unsure of its spelling, try using these options: Exact – no variations; exactly how you have spelled
the name Phonetic – spelling what you hear; a letter/symbol to
represent a particular sound Soundex - coding system used to group together
surnames that sound alike, but have variant spellings Similar Variations - There are alternates and spelling
variations that are commonly used E.g. HASHE = HASH
Search Tips - Surnames
Using wildcard/truncation symbols – basically it’s using symbols to search by using only a portion of the word
2 most common symbols Asterick * (replaces multiple letters) – eg.
JOHNSON/JOHNSTON/JOHANSON could be searched as JOH*SON
Question mark ? (replaces 1 letter) – eg. SMITH/SMYTH would be searched as SM?TH
These symbols only work in EXACT MATCH!!! If you select Phonetic/Soundex, both wildcard & truncation symbols are ignored
1940 US Federal Census cont’d…
1940 US Federal Census cont’d…
1940 US Federal Census cont’d…
Printing a Record from ALE
Case Study # 2Canadian Census Collection
Daniel SCHMIDT immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine ca. 1901. He was born in Russia ca. 1883 and married Caroline Hepting in 1901.
The couple settled in Saskatchewan, somewhere around the Melville area and had a total of 11 children, including Elizabeth, Martha, Henry and Olga.
Canadian Census Collection
Canadian Census Collection
1911 Canadian Census RecordIs this really Daniel SCHMIDT?
1916 “Brick Wall”
Tried searching various combinations of Daniel/Dan and SCHMIDT/SMITH to locate the family in the 1916 Prairie Census without any luck. What would you do?
HINT: Tried looking for either the wife or the children in the census. In this case, I chose Olga because the name is not as common and does not offer as many variations as Karolina (e.g. Carol, Caroline, etc.) or Elizabeth (e.g. Elisabeth, Liza, Ellie, etc.)
Breaking Through the 1916 “Brick Wall”
Additional Resources - # 1ALE’s Find Answers
http://tinyurl.com/alefaqs
Additional Resources - # 2
Morgan, George C.
The Official Guide to
Ancestry.com.
Provo, Utah : Ancestry
Pub., c2007.
ISBN: 9781593313043 or
1593313047
025.069291 MORGA
Additional Resources - # 3
Ancestry Insider Blog (http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com) – unauthorized reviews of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org websites
Additional Resources - # 4 RootsWeb & Ancestry Weekly newsletters -
http://newsletters.rootsweb.ancestry.com/