Monday, September 30, 2013

RootsTech 2014 Fun

I am just tickled to see one of my favorite groups will be performing at an evening event for RootsTech 2014. The group is called Vocal Point . I first learned about them on the NBC show "The Sing-Off".  I really enjoy watching them over and over again on YouTube.  This is really going to be a treat.

RootsTech is Feb 6-8, 2014 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, UT.  Registration is open now. To learn more visit: https://rootstech.org/

Special Evening Events

Thursday Evening Opening Social


Top off your first day at RootsTech with delicious desserts and lively entertainment featuring the a cappella group Vocal Point, as seen on NBC’s hit television show, The Sing-Off.
A dessert buffet will be served from 6:30-7:30 p.m., with entertainment starting at 7:30 p.m. The opening social is a paid event. Tickets are required and cost $15.
evening-events
About Vocal Point
They have percussion without drums. They have a rhythm section without a bass. The only instruments on stage belong to the nine voices of the nationally renowned a cappella group Vocal Point. This nine-man group takes the songs you hear on the radio, retools them, and delivers a new rendition, complete with all the complex instrumentation done entirely with their mouths. Their family-friendly show is a toe-tapper, and their performance is a showstopper.
“They’re so pro. They’re so entertaining. They have so much personality. But there is this intangible thing – where the singer is completely being himself and is translating something that you can’t even put your finger on, but you know it’s big.”
Ben Folds, judge of NBC’s The Sing-Off

FamilySearch Indexing Update September 2013

The following is from FamilySearch.

Indexers Celebrate Record-Setting Italian Ancestors Project Weekend
Italian Ancestors Project LogoDid you participate in the Italian Ancestors Project record-setting weekend? On September 13-15, volunteers from around the world joined together to index and arbitrate 134,986 Italian records (approximately 400,000 names). Participants were invited to index and arbitrate over 35,000 Italian records in just 48 hours-slightly more than the previous high. Due to the enthusiasm and dedication of many volunteers, the event goal was significantly exceeded.

This contribution will add significantly to the searchable records available to individuals looking for their Italian ancestors. Thousands of family researchers will be forever grateful for the efforts to make these names available.

Thank you to all who participated in the Italian Ancestors Project record-setting weekend and who continue to contribute to the Italian Ancestors Project. To learn more about this project, including the millions of Italian records remaining to be indexed, visit FamilySearch.org/Italian-ancestors.

If you cannot attend the conference but would still like to share your story, send us a link to your video atfsindexing@familysearch.org.

Current and Completed Projects

To view a list of currently available indexing projects, along with their record language and completion percentage, visit the FamilySearch indexing updates page. To learn more about individual projects, view the FamilySearch projects page.

New Projects Added
  • Australia, New South Wales-1828 Census
  • België, Oost Vlaanderen, Herzele-Burgerlijke Stand, 1821-1900
  • Brasil, São Paulo-Cartões de Imigração, 1902-1980 [Parte D]
  • Côte d'Ivoire-Préindexation du Recensement de 1975 [2G Partie]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Bergamo-Nati, 1875-1900 [Parte 3B]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Bergamo-Nati, 1875-1900 [Parte 3C]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Caltanissetta-Nati, 1875-1902 [Parte 5]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Cremona-Nati, 1875-1902 [Parte 3A]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Pescara-Nati, 1875-1903 [Parte 5A]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Salerno-Nati, 1809-1861 [Parte 1]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Taranto-Nati, 1875-1900 [Parte 5]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Udine-Nati, 1875-1900 [Parte 3B]
  • Magyarország, Zemplén-Polgári anyakönyvi adatok, 1895-1908 [1A. Rész]
  • Mexico, San Luis Potosi-Civil Registration Deaths, 1979-1995
  • New Zealand, Auckland-Albertland Index, 1862-1962
  • Perú, Puno-Registros Civiles, Nacimientos, 1926-2005 [Parte C]
  • Polska, Diecezja Lublin-Księgi Metrykalne, 1901-1950 [Część 5]
  • Slovenija, Ljubljana-Pogrebni dokumenti, 1937-1970 [Del A]
  • South Africa, Orange Free State-Estate Files, 1951-1980 [Part 2B]
  • U.K., Cornwall-Parish Registers, 1813-1900 [Part A]
  • U.K., Cornwall-Parish Registers, 1813-1900 [Part B]
  • U.K.-WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 [Part 7]
  • U.K.-WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 [Part 8]
  • U.S. (Community Project), Indiana-Naturalization Index, 1848-1992
  • U.S. (Community Project), Maryland, Baltimore-Index to Passenger Lists, 1820-1897
  • U.S. (Community Project), New York-Passenger Lists, 1847-1874 [Part B]
  • U.S. (Community Project), Pennsylvania-Index to Passenger Lists, 1800-1906
  • U.S. (Community Project), Vermont, St. Albans-Arrivals at Canadian Ports, 1895-1954 [Part C]
  • U.S. (Community Project), Vermont, St. Albans-Arrivals at the Canadian Border Ports, 1895-1954 [Part B]
  • U.S., California, San Francisco-Coroners Records, 1927-1954 [Part C]
  • U.S., California, San Francisco-Coroners Records, 1927-1954 [Part D]
  • U.S., Indiana, Miami-County Marriages, 1811-1959 [Part 3]
  • U.S., Indiana, Wayne-County Marriages, 1811-1959 [Part 3]
  • U.S., Iowa-1925 State Census [Part A]
  • U.S., New Hampshire-Births, 1901-1909
  • U.S., New Hampshire-Death Certificates, 1938-1959
  • U.S., Oklahoma-County Marriages, 1891-1959 [Part A]
  • U.S., Oklahoma-Land Allotment Records of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1899-1907 [Part H]
  • U.S., Pennsylvania-Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records (Civil War), 1866-1956
  • U.S., Wisconsin-County Marriages, 1838-1907
View the FamilySearch projects page to see the full list of available projects and to learn more about how to participate in various projects.
Recently Completed Projects
Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at FamilySearch.org in the near future.
  • Brasil, Rio de Janeiro-Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965 [Parte 3FF]
  • Brasil, Rio de Janeiro-Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965 [Parte 3HH]
  • Brasil, Rio de Janeiro-Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965 [Parte 3JJ]
  • Brasil, Rio de Janeiro-Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965 [Parte 3KK]
  • Colombia, Antioquia-Diócesis de Sonsón y Rionegro, 1814-2008 [Parte 3]
  • España, Andalucía-Registros Civiles, 1837-1870
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Bergamo-Nati, 1875-1894 [Parte 2D]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Bergamo-Nati, 1875-1900 [Parte 3A]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Pesaro e Urbino-Nati, 1875-1902 [Parte 3]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Pescara-Nati, 1875-1902 [Parte 4B]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Pescara-Nati, 1875-1902 [Parte 4C]
  • Italia (Antenati Italiani), Udine-Nati, 1875-1900 [Parte 3A]
  • México, Puebla, Teziutlán, Chignautla, Atempan-Registros Parroquiales, 1862-1966
  • New Zealand-Passenger Lists, 1871-1915 [Part 2D]
  • Perú, Lambayeque-Registros Civiles, 1907-1950 [Parte A]
  • Peru, Puno-Civil Registration, Births, 1926-2005 [Parte A]
  • South Africa, Orange Free State-Estate Files, 1951-1980 [Part 2A]
  • Sverige, Gävleborg-Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]
  • U.K.-WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 [Part 3]
  • U.S. (Community Project), Massachusetts, Boston-Crew Lists, 1891-1957
  • U.S. (Community Project), New York-Passenger Lists, 1847-1874 [Part A]
  • U.S. (Community Project), Texas-Naturalization Records, Federal Courts, 1906-1985
  • U.S. (Community Project), Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Naturalization Index, 1848-1990
  • U.S., California, San Francisco-Coroners Records, 1927-1954 [Part B]
  • U.S., Georgia-Deaths, 1931-1940 [Part C]
  • U.S., Illinois-Soldier's Burial Places, 1774-1974
  • U.S., Indiana, Allen-County Marriages, 1811-1959 [Part 3]
  • U.S., Indiana, Warrick-County Marriages, 1811-1959
  • U.S., Indiana, Wayne-County Marriages, 1811-1959
  • U.S., Iowa-1905 State Census [Part C]
  • U.S., Maine-Vital Records prior to 1892 for 80 Towns
  • U.S., Massachusetts-State Vital Records, 1841-1920 [Part B]
  • U.S., Oklahoma-Land Allotment Records of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1899-1907 [Part G]
  • U.S., Texas-County Marriages, 1837-1977 [Part B]
  • U.S., Texas-WWI Records, 1917-1920
  • U.S., Utah-(Civil War) Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1879-1934
  • U.S.-District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950 [Part D]
  • Venezuela, Maracaibo-Registros Parroquiales, 1723-1976
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 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ancestry.com Acquires Find A Grave

The following is from Ancestry.com.

ANCESTRY.COM LLC ACQUIRES FIND A GRAVE, INC.

PROVO, Utah, September 30, 2013 – Ancestry.com LLC announced today it has acquired Find A Grave, Inc., the leading online cemetery database. 

With over 100 million memorials and 75 million photos, Find A Grave has amassed an unparalleled collection of burial information. Over the past 18 years, it has grown to become an invaluable resource for genealogists, history buffs and cemetery preservationists. Find A Grave will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ancestry.com, and will continue to be managed by its founder, Jim Tipton.

“Find A Grave is an amazing phenomenon supported by a passionate and engaged community of volunteers around the world,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com.  “We at Ancestry.com are so excited…honored really…to take on the responsibility of supporting this community.  We will maintain Find A Grave as a free website, will retain its existing policies and mode of operation, and look forward to working with Jim Tipton and the entire Find A Grave team to accelerate the development of tools designed to make it even easier for the Find A Grave community to fulfill its original mission to capture every tombstone on Earth.” 

Ancestry.com plans to bolster the resources dedicated to Find A Grave to launch a new mobile app, improve customer support, introduce an enhanced edit system for submitting updates to memorials, foreign-language support, and other site improvements.

“Ancestry.com has been a long-time supporter of Find A Grave. They have been linking and driving traffic to the site for several years,” said Jim Tipton, founder of Find A Grave. “Burial information is a wonderful source for people researching their family history and I look forward to working with Ancestry.com to help continue our growth and accelerate the pace of improvements.”

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

About Ancestry.comAncestry.com is the world's largest online family history resource with approximately 2.7 million paying subscribers across all its websites.  More than 12 billion records have been added to the Ancestry.com sites and users have created more than 50 million family trees containing more than 5 billion profiles.  In addition to its flagship site www.ancestry.com, the Company operates several Ancestry international websites along with a suite of online family history brands, including Archives.com, Fold3.com and Newspapers.com, all designed to empower people to discover, preserve and share their family history.

About Find A Grave
Find A Grave is a free resource for finding the final resting places of famous folks, friends and family members. With millions of names, it's an invaluable tool for genealogist and history buffs. Find A Grave memorials are rich with content, including dates, photos and biographies. Visitors can leave 'virtual flowers' on memorials to complete the online cemetery experience. Find A Grave also contains listings for thousands of celebrity graves, making it the premier, online destination for tombstone visitors.

Annual Stake Indexing Director Forum

Annual Stake Indexing Director Forum

To: Stake indexing directors, family history area advisers, and priesthood leaders over indexing
What: Annual Stake Indexing Director Forum
Date: Friday, October 4, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Location: Joseph Smith Memorial Building Chapel, Mezzanine Level, Salt Lake City, Utah

Will you be in Salt Lake City, Utah, for general conference weekend? Join us for the annual Stake Indexing Director Forum on Friday, October 4. Come to receive direction, enlightenment, and support for your calling. You will be able to attend four classes, each of which will be followed by a question and-answer session. Review the class schedule below to see what is in store.

    10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. New Indexing Tool and Website: Get the inside scoop on the new and improved indexing tool and website (now in development). Ask your questions!

    11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. A Message from the CEO: Hear from Elder Dennis C. Brimhall, managing director of the Family History Department and CEO of FamilySearch.

    11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Lunch Break: Passes to purchase lunch in the Church Office Building cafeteria will be available.

    12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. International Indexing Success: Learn from other stake indexing directors and priesthood leaders around the world how to gauge your success. Be
inspired by stories of indexing success in many lands.

    1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Working with Priesthood Leaders: A panel of priesthood leaders and stake indexing directors will discuss how to effectively work together toward indexing success. Bring your questions!

We hope you can attend this great event to receive inspiration for your calling as a stake indexing director. If you are not able to attend in person, live streaming will be available on October 4 through this link: https://www.lds.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/stake-indexing-director?lang=eng.

Sessions will be recorded for future distribution.

If you have any questions about this event, you may contact FamilySearch Support at: 866-406-1830.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

SLCC Genealogy Course: Post #6 - 100 Point Assignment and I'm not Done!

The last week of the month is always hard for me because I have multiple projects due at that time. Then I had to help my 30 yr old son with his cataract surgery.  Which the eye doctor by the way says, is a very impressive cataract. It wasn't until late Saturday afternoon before I could start on my next assignment on sources, which is due this coming Wednesday. The reading and videos we needed to watch took up the remainder of Saturday for me. We needed to search for all censuses that applied to our family in the 1900's. So that is all the 1900-1940 censuses that the family members could have been listed in. This class assignment is worth 100 points.

Saturday evening I was proudly giving myself a pat on the back that I had already gone over my families and created a research log with all the United States Federal Censuses they would have been in. I thought of how wise I was to have that for-site. Then I realized I totally missed adding all the State Censuses that my families could have been in. Suddenly I didn't feel wise and my list became longer.

Sunday morning my goal was to actually find the census records, save them, and create the source citation. We just needed to hand in one family's research log and family group sheet.  How hard can that be? Apparently really hard this morning.

Even though I have a lot of the census records already I decided I was going to start all over again, like I never had them. Then I could also make sure I cited the sources correctly and added everything just right. FamilySearch seemed to be working but it wouldn't return any historical records search results. That part of the website must be down. I decided to see if another avenue would work for me. I went to Family Tree and click on the link "Search Records". Yay! my plan of going through the back door to the Historical Records worked. I couldn't exactly say what my search criteria was, but I figured I would just do the search again later when the Historical Records search was working and fill it out on my Research Log. I thought I was in business.

Now the family I am working on are my paternal grandparents. In the 1940 census they are living with his parents so I had to figure out how to label the census when my grandfather isn't the head of household. I just can't tell you how much time I wasted over deciding how to label that census.

Next, I simply needed to transcribe that census record and create a source citation. I realized I wasn't familiar with the column headings on the 1940 census. I had found my family earlier in the 1940 census when it first came out, but I didn't transcribe them. Now I needed to know what the headers were. That lead me to searching the internet for a 1940 census spreadsheet. The assignment never said you needed to create a spreadsheet with your census result, but I got it into my fat head that, that was something I wanted to do since I was starting over. I found one on FamilySearch Wiki that was a fill-able PDF. I was happily filling it out and then I discovered that some fields were already filled out with info from earlier fields. I didn't think I had done that but I went ahead and fixed it.  Then when I looked back I saw the earlier fields were now replaced with the text in the other columns. After all my hard work getting the family into the spreadsheet I realized the spreadsheet was just formatted incorrectly and I couldn't use it. So I scrapped it and began again.

I used to have the spreadsheets for the census created by CensusTools. I couldn't find them on my computer, anywhere!  I went to the website and you could only buy them on CD. I swore they used to be a free download with a donation. I put a request on Facebook asking if anyone knew were I could get the census spreadsheets. I did get help with finding a copy of the Census Tracker but that's not the full census spreadsheet.  I went ahead and bought CensusTools again but have no idea when it will get here. The website did have the download of the 1940 US Census for free so I used that.

I get really obsessive about making sure I'm following instructions exactly. I was stressing myself out over getting the transcript right. But the example given me for the 1940 census didn't have all the info in it that I wanted from the record.  I wasted a long time trying to get things exact. Then I decided to create a source WebTag that would link back to the record online.  Well you can't create a WebTag until after you saved the source citation. When I realized that I hit cancel and ooops I also canceled out of the source citation I was creating and it was all gone.  All my hard work vanished. So I started over again.

My mind still wasn't settled on the transcript so I finally determined I wouldn't get "docked" if I just added the additional things I wanted off the census. So I went about filling it out as I wanted it to be. It was almost perfect and then the power blipped off and on in the house for a second and I had to restart my computer. Yes, everything was gone, AGAIN!! RootsMagic automatically saves to the database as you add data, but if you are adding a source citation and haven't saved it yet that just disappears when the power goes off. Obviously it doesn't save sources like it does when you working in other parts of the program.  I was really getting frustrated.

Church started at 1:00 pm so I did quickly filled out the census citation and transcription again. I kept saving it while I was filling out the source citation so history did not repeat itself. Now I only have one census record and there are many more to do. When church was over I planned on working on my genealogy some more, but I think this 100 point assignment is going tor require more time then I can dedicate to it today. I have to stop and help my husband and son prepare to leave for a trip to visit family in Massachusetts now. I hate leaving things this close to the deadline. So the pressure is on.

See ya tomorrow, for tomorrow is always another genealogy day!



Saturday, September 28, 2013

My Family History Calling

The following is from FamilySearch.

FamilySearch

My Family History Calling NewsletterSeptember 2013
The Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has launched a new family history product that allows patrons to engage in family history without a computer! See how anyone can use this amazing tool to get started and how family history consultants will help.
FamilySearch Blog Articles



We recently held our annual department business meeting and showcased to missionaries and employees what's coming in the future to FamilySearch. I want to share this information with you, too; I think you'll love what you see!
A new video has just been added to the consultant training website showing how family history consultants can assist the ward council in its efforts to minister to new members, less-active members, investigators, and prospective missionaries.See how you can better fulfill your calling as a family history consultant by watching this video.
RootsTech and the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) will combine efforts for the 2015 National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read how this important industry merger will make for an even better conference.
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Will you be in Salt Lake City, Utah, for general conference weekend? Join us for the annual Stake Indexing Director Forum on Friday, October 4. You will be able to attend four classes, each of which will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Click here to review the class schedule and see what is in store for those who attend.
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FamilySearch works with a variety of partners to help provide you with as many ways as possible to find your family members. FamilySearch is pleased to announce Ages-online,CreateFan , and TreeSeek and are now Tree Access Certified.Read more about these great partners.
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Since we launched the enhanced FamilySearch.org in April, we have seen a tremendous amount of interest in our photos and stories features. We are pleased (excited! ecstatic!) to announce a major milestone.

FamilySearch New Collections Update 27 September 2013

The following is from FamilySearch.

FamilySearch Adds More Than 192 Million Indexed Records and Images to Collections from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, and Wales

FamilySearch has recently added more than 192 million indexed records and images from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, and Wales. Notable collection updates include the 314,910 images from the Spain, Province of Barcelona, Municipal Records, 1387–1936, collection, the 576,176 indexed records from the United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907–1933, collection, and the 189,395,454 indexed records from theUnited States Public Records Index . See the table below for the full list of updates. Search these diverse collections and more than 3.5 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org.

Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the world’s historic genealogical records online atFamilySearch.org.

FamilySearch 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 for free at FamilySearch.org or through more than 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Collection
Indexed Records
Digital Images
Comments
0
126,870
Added images to an existing collection.
0
827
Added images to an existing collection.
0
94,516
Added images to an existing collection.
0
111,526
Added images to an existing collection.
0
176,918
Added images to an existing collection.
0
314,910
Added images to an existing collection.
0
2,552
New browsable image collection.
0
2,851
New browsable image collection.
0
3,062
New browsable image collection.
0
2,968
New browsable image collection.
0
20,530
New browsable image collection.
0
22,554
New browsable image collection.
324,971
690,459
Added indexed records and images to an existing collection.
189,395,454
0
Added indexed records to an existing collection.
576,176
0
Added indexed records to an existing collection.
644,004
0
Added indexed records to an existing collection.
0
84,676
Added images to an existing collection.

Getting Started With Heritage Collector Webinar Series

The following is from Heritage Collectors.

Getting Started With Heritage Collector Webinars 
By Marlo E. Schuldt

New Webinar series will start Oct. 1st.

Go to the following links to view the dates and times of webinars. 

We've moved the day from Thursday to Wednesday so others could attend on a different day / evening.

Click Here to sign up for the Heritage Collector webinars.

Click here  to sign up for Storybook webinars.

We Continue to Add New Content and 'How To' Videos.

Visit the following places to get the latest news and tips from us.


YouTube 'How To' Videos - Click Here
FamilySearch - Click Here
Pinterest -  Click Here
Facebook - Click here


New Heritage Collector YouTube Channel - Click Here

Hope to see you at the next webinar!

Best Wishes,
Marlo E. Schuldt
President
LifeStory Productions, Inc.

Ancestry Updates: New Features and Content - September 2013

The following is from Ancestry.com.

Feature Updates on the Site

Global Commenting on Photos, Stories and other media

As you discover your family history you realize that many other “cousins” share parts of your family story.  Today, commenting happens on individual copies of photos which means most comment activity on shared photos is missed.  We have made a new update on the site that will enable comment sharing across all copies of a shared photo so everyone can join the conversation.  We'll email users when new comment activity occurs, but also make sure the email volume isn't overwhelming.  In addition, we're refreshing the media page so it's simpler to update, share, and view your family photos and stories.

cid:FB52C40E-3C5A-465E-9921-C47DFA66B9C0

Interactive Image Viewer: Related Content Panel

The Interactive Image Viewer has been updated with the Related Content panel. This is currently the most requested feature for the image viewer. A fantastic way to discover new content is just another avenue to easily flesh out more relevant records, the Related Content panel not only includes Suggested Records but will also show Related Trees. 

 cid:image022.png@01CE9CE0.A3E75FE0
  
Real Name for all new signups

With more than 50 million family trees on Ancestry.com, connecting with other members can yield family history gold. We know it’s hard to make a personal connection with “TheRealCookieMonster53.” In an effort to promote collaboration and sharing, members profiles will use real names instead of usernames. Users can still change their setting at any time from their Member Profile page to show their preferred name. Although this change is only for new users, we encourage everyone to update their Member Profile to a more personal and transparent name (sorry Cookie Monster)

Search Results: Consolidated Attached Records and Smart Filtering

For the large percentage of users who start a search using an ancestor in their tree, we have cleaned up the results list to consolidate all the records already attached to the searched for ancestor at the top of the results list.  Previously, already-attached records were interspersed amongst results, making it challenging to see what was already attached and what was a potentially new result. The new consolidated list is also sorted to help users see easily which records they have found and where they are missing records. The list can be collapsed as well to give more room to the search results list.

With the consolidated attached records we have also introduced smart filtering.  Smart filtering removes results from collections that are likely to have only one record per person (like a census or a death record), when a user has already attached a record to the ancestor in their tree from the collection. This helps to surface results that are likely to be new discoveries and content.  Users can turn smart filtering on and off on the results page, allowing them to see the filtered list or the full list easily.

 cid:F5BD5F66-D835-41CE-A838-4A7D07CB31E3
cid:3F523343-2FFC-441E-ACE4-D9BE8A0FC3C2


New Record Collections

U.S., Cherokee Baker Roll and Records, 1924–1929         
Records: 20,005                     
If you have ties to the Eastern Band of North Carolina Cherokee, the Baker Roll is a vital document. The Baker Roll was the final roll compiled for determining membership in the Eastern Band, but it is only the beginning of the documents included in this database. Along with the roll itself, you’ll find applications for tribal membership, correspondence regarding applications and other matters, transcripts of testimony, copies of decisions and findings by the Enrolling Commission, and indexes created for some of the document collections. 


cid:image003.jpg@01CEB86F.75062260U.S., Military Registers, 1862–1970 
Records: 828,742            
This database contains registers of U.S. military personnel stationed in the United States.
Currently included in this database are registers for U.S. Navy, Marine Corp, and Reserve officers. Additional registers from the collection will be added at a future date. Once the database is complete, the majority of registers in the collection will be for U.S. Army or Navy personnel. Some Air Force lists will also be included, and some ROTC, Army Nurse Cadet Corps, and retired personnel will be found among the records as well. The database does not include all possible years for each publication listed.

cid:image005.jpg@01CEB86F.75062260New South Wales, Australia, Sydney Improvement Board, 1871–1896          
Records: Image only         
Less than a hundred years after the First Fleet's arrival, Sydney was a fast-growing metropolis. Following gold rushes that began in the 1850s, Sydney's population swelled to more than 200,000. With the rapid growth came the need for oversight of the city's structures. The Board of Improvements, established in 1879, was tasked with assessing the condition of buildings and making recommendations.
This database is a collection of Improvement Board records, including individual appeals to the board to inspect properties and appeals by owners of properties under consideration. In addition to correspondence, there are minutes of meetings, photos of some buildings, and newspaper clippings. This collection is not searchable, but it can be browsed by record type and time frame.
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German Records:
Grevesmühlen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, Births, 1876–1901
Records: 6,472  
Grevesmühlen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, Marriages, 1876–1920
Records: 6,777  
Grevesmühlen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, Deaths, 1876–1950
Records: 16,186               
Grevesmühlen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, Street List, c. 1910
Records: Image only        

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Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Tax Lists, 1819–1869
Records: 576,973       
This database contains various tax lists from Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Cuyahoga County was formed in 1808. The tax lists in this database begin in 1819, followed by a break in the records until 1823. The database includes records listing both individuals and corporate entities, such as real estate taxes levied in Cleveland and other municipalities; enumerations for assessment of both real and personal property; levies for improvements such as bridges, roads, and schools; delinquent tax lists; lists of physicians and lawyers subject to levies; fish surveys; and other items.

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Birmingham, England, Calendar of Prisoners, 1880–1891 and 1906–1913
Records: 6,429           
Located in the West Midlands area in England, the metropolis of Birmingham lies in the county of Warwickshire, with some neighborhoods in Staffordshire and Worcestershire. This collection is a calendar (list) of prisoners from Birmingham, England, as recorded from the Quarter Sessions and Assizes for the years 1880–1913 (although there is a gap in the records for the years 1891–1906).
Justices of the peace presided over Quarter Sessions, where criminal cases were tried. These cases included theft, counterfeiting, loitering, and drunkenness, as well as some civil matters like licensing. More serious matters were referred to the Court of Assize and were ruled on by judges.cid:image025.jpg@01CEB86F.75062260


Birmingham, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538–1812
Records: 551,771            
Birmingham, England, Baptisms, 1813–1912
Records: 700,147            
Harborne, Birmingham, England, Confirmations, 1915–1931
Records: 994     
Birmingham, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754–1937
Records: 828,910            
Birmingham, England, Burials, 1813–1964
Records: 314,983       


cid:image027.jpg@01CEB86F.75062260Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Rate Books, 1880–1946
Records: 801,172       
This collection includes images of rate books that record payments residents made for road maintenance. Records can include the property owner’s name occupant’s name occupation description of property, value, tax rate, and date and amount paid
Because these records place individuals at a particular address in a particular year, they are very helpful for tracing your Perth ancestors’ whereabouts. This collection includes rate books for the local councils amalgamated into Greater Perth in 1914, including Leederville, North Perth and Victoria Park.

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U.S. Virgin Islands, Applications for Travel Identification Cards, 1918
Records: 182  
The U.S. acquired the Virgin Islands at the onset of World War I in Europe, with the transfer being completed in March 1917. With travel restrictions in place during World War I, identification as U.S. citizen by right of birth in the Virgin Islands was necessary to travel to the United States. This collection includes applications for travel identification cards made during 1918.