Online Genealogical Resources
May P. ChanPrairie History RoomRegina Public Library
© March 21, 2009
Outline• Introduction to Online Genealogical
Resources• Developing a Search Strategy• Recommended Websites:
– Prairie History Room (PHR)– Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)– FamilySearch.Org– Cyndi’s List
• 5 Websites You Should Use• Additional Resources
Introduction
• Nowadays, more genealogical information (e.g. records, research tips, etc.) can be found online
• Includes websites, databases, blogs, message boards/forums, etc.
• Online creators include libraries, archives, genealogical societies, historians, genealogists, booksellers, etc.
• Sites are either free or fee-based
Online Genealogical Resources
Advantages• More convenient -
24/7 access from any internet accessible computer
• Ease of use - type in a name and get instant results
• Saves $ on traveling to distant locations to look at the records
Disadvantages• Less than 5% of the
world’s records (or less than 1% of Canadian records) are actually available online because mass digitization is very expensive
• Technology is changing too rapidly
Developing a Search Strategy
1. Focus your query2. Know where to look for the
information 3. Follow instructions4. Investigate the source5. Documentation & backup
1. Focus Your Query
• Instead of asking “I would like any information about the [Smith] family who settled in Saskatchewan”, ask “I am trying to find out when Charles Smith homesteaded in Saskatchewan”
• Concentrate on one family branch at a time
• Do background research • Don’t assume everything is
online or in a single resource!
2. Know Where to Look
www.familychronicle.com/records.html
3. Follow Instructions
• Not all online resources are created in the same manner or for the purpose of providing genealogy information
• Read the online help manual/instructions before beginning a search on a unfamiliar website, database, or index
• Know the difference between:– Index: leads you to other sources– Database: a collection of
resources that may include indexes, books, photos, etc.
4. Investigating the Source
Ask yourself: • Who provided the information?• Who is the “real” source?• What tells me that it came from that
source?• Do they have a bias or an agenda?• When was this website last
updated?• Does it ask for payment? Is payment secure?
Investigating the Source…
• Look for an “About” page• Look for a date; be vigilant even if
it is today’s date!• “Google” the full name (in quotes)
of the person or organization whose name appears as the author of the site
• Contact the source
Avoiding Genealogy Scams
• Cyndi’s List Myth, Hoaxes, and Scams (March 2009)http://cyndislist.com/myths.htm
• Dick Eastman’s article on Genealogy Rip-Offs (May 2008) http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/05/the-dark-side-g.html
• Genealogy Hoaxes, Scams and Fraud http://genealogy.about.com/cs/genealogyscams/
5. Documentation & Backup
• Always record document your sources and your findings!– Write down whether the source was online,
in a book, newspaper, etc.– Write down search terms that were used
(e.g. spelling of surnames, dates, etc.)– Write down url of the website or the
database that was used (e.g. HeritageQuest Online)
– Write down when you accessed the resource
• Back-up your data on a regular basis
Prairie History Room (RPL)
www.reginalibrary.ca/prairiehistory
Prairie History Room (PHR)• Officially opened in 1973• Collection covers the 3 Prairie Provinces
from pre-settlement times to present day• Serves as both a local history &
genealogy collection• Revamped website launched in April
2007, featuring RSS feeds (enables users to instant notifications of updates via an RSS readers or email address), PHR blog, online photo site, various research guides and links to popular web resources
Prairie History Room (PHR)
1. Available Resources• Over 2000 community and church history
books• Regina Henderson City directories and
telephone books• Canadian census records (microfilm)• Canadian passenger lists and border
entry records from the U.S. (microfilm)• City directories for major cities in the
Prairies (microfilm)• Leader Post newspaper
(microfilm)• Regina school yearbooks
Free Genealogy Databases (RPL)• Ancestry Library Edition (ALE): An
enhanced library version of Ancestry.com, a popular genealogy research tool that provides digital access to U.S., U.K and Canadian census returns, vital statistics, military records, ships' passenger lists, directories, parish records, family trees, maps and forms.
• HeritageQuest Online: A searchable database providing access to U. S. Federal Census records from 1790 onwards, PERSI (a PERiodical Source Index to genealogy and local history periodicals for both the US and Canada), and digitized copies of genealogy and local history books.
Prairie History Room (PHR)
2. Web Resources• Prairie History Blog
(www.reginalibrary.ca/prairiehistoryblog)– Online newsletter featuring new books,
magazines and websites; upcoming genealogy workshops and conferences; and heritage-related events or news in the community
• Web Links– Recommended web resources; utilize social
bookmark site that enables you to also share your favorites with us
• Research Guides– 15 guides ranging in topics from how to
digitize one’s photos; researching Aboriginal and Métis genealogy; planning a successful genealogy trip; where to locate birth, marriage and death records; etc.
Prairie History Room (PHR)
3. Leader Post Index• Searchable by keyword or subject, this
full indexing of the newspaper cover the years 1992 to 2007.
• Especially useful for tracking down birth, marriage and death notices from 1992 to 2007 (e.g. SaskObits coverage of obits only begins Sept. 2000)
• The record provides a date & page number which you can use to locate the article on the microfilm reel
Prairie History Room (PHR)
4. Google Map• PHR is close by several institutions and
organizations holding historical and genealogical records. Map includes SGS, SAB, U of R Archives, CORA, Regina Plains Museum, etc.
5. Hours of Operation• Open 7 days a week with evening and
weekend hours6. Contact Us• Various ways of contacting us –
in person, phone, fax and email.
Canadian Genealogy Centre
http://www.genealogy.gc.ca/
Canadian Genealogy Centre• Launched in 2003, the Centre includes all physical
and online genealogical services of Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
• Some of the major genealogical resources include:– Census records (1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1906 &
1911 returns) – Divorce records (1841-1968)– Marriage bonds (Upper & Lower Canada, 1779-
1865)– Passenger lists (1865-1922 and 1925-1935)– Immigration records (Home Children database,
1869-1930)– Land grants (Western Land Grants,
1870-1930)– Military records (Soldiers of the WWI)– City directories (Who Was Where,
1861-1901)
Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)
1. How to Begin• Provides a good overview of
genealogical research 2. Most Requested Records• Quick access to various records,
finding aids and research tips 3. Research Topics• guides are divided into 2 sections—
search by topic or search by geographic location
Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)
4. Ancestors Search• Basic search (located in the centre of the
screen or click on the tab on the left hand side of the screen)
…word of caution re: CGC website
• Although most of the databases listed on this website will enable users to view scanned images of the original, please keep in mind that some of them are NOT set up for you to search by surname—e.g. the 1901 Canadian Census or the Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1922.
• Why? The original records are arranged according to the way they were created, used and then stored.
Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)
5. Contact Information• Telephone & fax numbers, mailing
address and electronic forms asking them for research assistance or photocopies of records (e.g. military files)
6. That’s My Family• Federated search tool that
enables you to search multiple databases in various provinces
That’s My Family Tool
• Includes databases from LAC as well as from British Columbia (BMDs), Nova Scotia (BMDs), Ontario (Toronto Emmigrant Office), Prince Edward Island (Baptismal index), Quebec (BMDs & land records), and Saskatchewan (Homestead index)
FamilySearch
www.familysearch.org
FamilySearch.Org
• Website began in March 1999• Created and maintained by the Church of
the Latter Day Saints (LDS), better known as the Mormons
• Main Resources:– Ancestral File – over 35 million individuals– International Genealogical Index (IGI) – over
760 million names– Census Indexes – 1880 US, 1881 British &
1881 Canadian– Vital Records – Mexico & Scandinavia– US Social Security Death Index– Pedigree Resource File – over 130
million names– Family History Web Sites
FamilySearch.Org
1. Search Records for Your Ancestors• Basic search
FamilySearch.Org
2. Research Helps• Divided into 2 main categories –
Articles & Guidance3. Family Library• List of upcoming genealogy classes• If you click on the “Library” tab on the
top navigation bar, you can access information about the Family History Library (Salt Lake City), various Family History Centers and access to the Library Catalog
FamilySearch.Org
4. What’s New• Latest updates regarding the website,
including a link to their pilot research site
Cyndi’s List
www.cyndislist.com
Cyndi’s List
• Website originally launched in 1996• Internet portal offering over 260,
000 family history links (both paid and free websites) organized by:– Geographical locations– Ethnic groups & people– Types of Records – Occupations– Research Tools & Materials– Computers & the Internet
Cyndi’s List
1. Main Category• Alphabetical listing of links organized
by topic2. Browse• Index to the links3. New Links• Quick reference to see what new links
have been added to the portal• Also includes option to submit
a link to this resource
5 Websites You Should Use
1. Saskatchewan Council of Archives and Archivists (SCAA)
2. Our Roots 3. Peel’s Prairie Provinces 4. Canadian County Atlas Digital
Project 5. Library of Congress (LOC)
1. Saskatchewan Council of Archives and Archivists (SCAA)
• http://scaa.usask.ca/• SCAA represents the archival community in
Saskatchewan• 2 key resources:
– List of institutional members– Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Nunavut
Archival Information Network: database of archival descriptions found in the holdings of member institutions
2. Our Roots
• www.ourroots.ca• Created & maintained by the University
of Calgary and Université Laval • Digital collection of Canada’s Local
Histories
3. Peel’s Prairie Provinces
• http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/collections.html
• Created and maintained by the University of Alberta
• Website not only contains the online Peel bibliography but also a fully searchable digital collection of books, newspapers and Henderson directories
4. Canadian County Atlas Digital Project
• http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/• Created by McGill University• Site offers a searchable database of Ontario
property owners' names that appear on the township maps in the county atlases
5. Library of Congress (LOC)
• United States’ oldest federal cultural institution
• Digital collections & services page http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html
• 2 key digital collections:– American History & Culture– Historic Newspapers
Additional Resources
BooksMorgan, George C.The Official Guide toAncestry.com. Provo, UT: Ancestry Pub.,c2007.
ISBN: 9781593313043 or 1593313047
025.069291 MORGA
Gormley, Myra Vanderpool and Tana Pedersen Lord. The Official Guide to Rootsweb.com. Provo, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c2007.
ISBN: 9781593313098 or 1593313098
929.10285 GORML
Books…
Helm, Matthew L. and April Leigh Helm. Genealogy Online for Dummies. Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley Pub., c2008.
ISBN: 0470240571 or 9780470240571
929.10285 HELM 2008
Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online. New York ; Toronto : McGraw-Hill, c2008.
ISBN: 9780071499316 or 0071499318
929.10285 CROWE 2008
Genealogy Magazines• Ancestry, Family Chronicle, and Internet
Genealogy magazines (located beside the PHR Reference Desk)– Back issues can be borrowed for 3 weeks
with no renewals
Ancestry Insider Blog
• http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com• Unauthorized reviews of both Ancestry.com and
FamilySearch.org websites
101 Best Websites (2008)
• http://www.familytreemagazine.com/101bestwebsites08/
• Annual list of the best online genealogical resources (both paid & free)
• 2008 list is organized by topics:– Best for British Isles Researchers– Best for “Continental” Researchers– Best for Genetic Researchers– Best for Immigration
Researchers– Best for U.S. Researchers– Best for Military Researchers
Genealogy Blog Finder
• http://blogfinder.genealogue.com/• Organized by topics such as personal
research, genetic genealogy, libraries, etc.
The End
Email: [email protected]
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