2013, a Genealogy Learning Extravaganza!

Source: About.com

Note to self: #1 top priority - mark 2013 calendar for genealogy classes, webinars, and more.  Let's get started...

Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society: programs, workshops and seminar.  First up, Thursday, January 10th, learn about using Wikis for your genealogy, a webinar presentation via CD by Thomas MacEntee with handouts.

January 2013 Genealogy Programs at the Sacramento Central Library:

• Jan 6 - Obituaries and Cemetery Records, with Glenda Gardner Lloyd
• Jan 13 - American Migration Trails: Western United States, with Melinda Kashuba
• Jan 27 - How the Genealogist can Remember Everything with Evernote, with Lisa Louise Cooke
• Feb 24 - Genealogy - Beginning Your Family History Research, with Kim von Aspern-Parker

Jamboree 2013 Extension Series by the Southern California Genealogical Society: free webinars

Illinois State Genealogical Society 2013 Webinar series: live webinars are free to nonmembers

2013 Legacy Family Tree Webinar Schedule: free webinars that benefit everyone whether or not you use this family tree software. The Root Cellar workshop is scheduled on some of the webinar dates. No problem, go to the workshop and listen to the archived webinars which are available free for about 10 days.

I encourage you to roam around the individual websites provided above because other content could be very useful in your genealogical research.   However, if you want even more than what's listed above, go to GeneaWebinars.com, a centralized calendar for webinars.

Happy New Year!
Happy Learning!
posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Thankful Thursday - Top Reads for 2012

Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society would like to thank all of its followers for reading this blog during the past year.  Whether you live near or far, member or not, we hope the blog articles have helped you become more informed and educated. 

Thank you also to our members who contributed personal ancestor stories, photos and mysteries in hope for a cousin-connection or brickwall-breakthrough.  Remember, the blog is a member benefit so keep the contributions coming in 2013!

Year-end lists are quite popular so let's review a selection of the most read articles during 2012.  Who knows, maybe you missed a couple!

Posted by Sandra Gardner Benward:

Letters from the War Front -- Wordless Wednesday

NARA Citizen Archivist Dashboard Live!

Second Day at Roots Tech Conference

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond:

Tuesday's Tip: Death Records: A Check List of Ten Documents Every Genealogist Should Acquire

Follow Friday: National Library of Medicine and Your Ancestors

Society Saturday - Sacramento County Coroner's Records Collection Completed

Posted by Ron Setzer:

Technology Tuesday – NGS Recommendations on Standards for Use of Technology

Tombstone Tuesday - John McLearie, Sr.

Follow Friday – Your Genetic Genealogist

As always, we love receiving your contributions, suggestions and comments.  Send them to rootcellarsgs@gmail.com.  Have a happy, healthy, and ancestor-rich New Year!

Daily blog prompts are used with permission of GeneaBloggers.com. 
Images from Microsoft Office Clipart.
posted by Denise H. Richmond

Merry Christmas from Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society!

Image Source: Microsoft Clipart
posted by Denise H. Richmond, ho, ho, ho!

The Geni Blog – Follow Friday

The Geni Blog is one you may wish to follow (http://www.geni.com/blog/). The blog deals mainly with profiles and genealogy tips. But the subject that I find the most entertaining is the "Monday Recap" for the week. They list "On Geni" and "Profile of the Day." Also listed is "The Genealogy Sphere." This section introduces you to a variety of blog entries you might have not run across on your own. Here is an example. This is Ashley Gilreath's genealogy jewelry (http://holykaw.alltop.com/wearing-the-family-tree) – Great idea. Check out Geni Blog and, or course, Ashley's story.

Wearing the family tree

Posted Dec 12th, 2012 at 3:02 AM and seen 2358 times

Not every family picture is fit to be seen by outsiders, but there’s a certain charm to old black-and-white photos that begs to be taken off the shelf and with you wherever you go.

This incredible creation is the work of Ashley Gilreath, who explained that:

This necklace was made to represent the memory of my grandparent's long staircase in their house. I want the viewer to see my history as the necklace wraps around, and to feel the sensation of climbing up and down the stairs as the images of my family line the walls. More importantly, I wanted my skin to show through as my family's skin, so that my stories, my life and who I am as an individual is shown as the sum of all of the people that came before me.

In this case, the family is the heirloom, and one that all members can share.

Wordless Wednesday – The Snow is Coming

With the pending storm in the Sierras, I think back to my first career. As a locomotive engineer, I spent many hours during the winter months on snow removal equipment like this rotary for the Southern Pacific RR.

Posted by Ron Setzer

Reminder of today's workshop:
Wednesday, December 19, 1 pm - 3 pm
Root Cellar Workshop, visitors always welcome

Program:  Help with brickwalls; helpful research and tech tool tips
Host: John Jay
Location: Sylvan Community Center, 7521 Community Drive, Citrus Heights, CA. 

Technology Tuesday – NGS Recommendations on Standards for Use of Technology

Some guidelines to keep in mind as you do your genealogical research online.

Standards for Use of Technology in Genealogical Research

Recommended by the National Genealogical Society

Mindful that computers are tools, genealogists take full responsibility for their work, and therefore they

• learn the capabilities and limits of their equipment and software, and use them only when they are the most appropriate tools for a purpose;
• do not accept uncritically the ability of software to format, number, import, modify, check, chart, or report their data, and therefore carefully evaluate any resulting product;
• treat compiled information from online sources or digital databases in the same way as other published sources--useful primarily as a guide to locating original records, but not as evidence for a conclusion or assertion;
• accept digital images or enhancements of an original record as a satisfactory substitute for the original only when there is reasonable assurance that the image accurately reproduces the unaltered original;
• cite sources for data obtained online or from digital media with the same care that is appropriate for sources on paper and other traditional media, and enter data into a digital database only when its source can remain associated with it;
• always cite the sources for information or data posted on-line or sent to others, naming the author of a digital file as its immediate source, while crediting original sources cited within the file;
• preserve the integrity of their own databases by evaluating the reliability of downloaded data before incorporating it into their own files;
• provide, whenever they alter data received in digital form, a description of the change that will accompany the altered data whenever it is shared with others;
• actively oppose the proliferation of error, rumor and fraud by personally verifying or correcting information, or noting it as unverified, before passing it on to others;
• treat people online as courteously and civilly as they would treat them face-to-face, not separated by networks and anonymity;
• accept that technology has not changed the principles of genealogical research, only some of the procedures.

© 2000, 2001, 2002 by National Genealogical Society. Permission is granted to copy or publish this material provided it is reproduced in its entirety, including this notice.

Article found on NGS website > References for Researching >Standards for Use of Technology in Genealogical Research (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/standards_for_use_of_technology)

Posted by Ron Setzer

SCGS 2013 Webinars Announced

The Southern California Genealogical Society has announced their webinars for 2013. Sign up early for the ones you want to view. The live version of the webinar is free to those who sign up and is made available to SCGS members as an archival file. We can all learn something new from these webinars.

Registration is Now Open for the 2013 Jamboree Extension Webinar Series  The Southern California Genealogical Society announces that registration is now open for the popular Jamboree Extension Webinar Series for 2013. The webinar series provides web-based family history and genealogy educational sessions for genealogists around the world. Jamboree Extension Series webinars are conducted the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month. Saturday sessions will be held at 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time. Wednesday sessions will be scheduled at 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.   Upcoming sessions are listed below. Click on the link to register for any session you want to attend. For more information on each of these sessions, check out the SCGS website. Saturday, January 5 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time   Lisa A. Alzo Family History Writing Made Easier: Cloud-based Tools Every Genealogist Can Use Wednesday, January 16 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Linda Geiger Woodward, CG, CGL   Documentation: Never Having to Ask, 'Where Did That Come From?' Saturday, February 2 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time. Eric Basir   Digital Organization for Documents and Photos   Wednesday, February 20 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Michael John Neill   No Will?  No Problem Saturday, March 2 -  10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Lisa Louise Cooke     Time Travel with Google Earth Wednesday, March 20 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Michael Brophy   Erin in the USA: Irish Research on This Side of the Atlantic  Saturday, April 6 -  10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Denise Levenick    Break Down Brick Walls with Home Sources  Wednesday, - April 17 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Janet Hovorka   Trip the Tree Fantastic: Intriguing Family History Trips for the Whole Family Saturday, May 4 -   10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG Homespun and Calico - Researching our Foremothers Wednesday, May 15 - 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time. Debbie Mieszala, CG    Options in Post-Adoption Research Saturday, June 1 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Jane Neff Rollins   Is There a Baby Catcher in your Bloodline? Saturday, June 1 -  2pm Pacific time / 5pm Eastern time  Leo Myers and Paula Hinkel    Sneak Peek at Jamboree   Wednesday, June 19 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Valerie Brown Elkins, CG  Interest in Pinterest: Pinning Your Family History Saturday, July 6 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Tonia Kendrick    Transform Your Note-Taking and Remember Everything with Evernote Wednesday, July 17 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Nancy Lauer     Path to Organizational Bliss Saturday, August 3 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Jay Fonkert, CG     Official, but Wrong: Testing the Validity of Genealogical Information in Official Records Wednesday, August 21 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Mary Roddy    Mark Golden: A Case Study in World War II Research Saturday, September 7 -  10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time George G. Morgan     Sidestep Genealogy Wednesday, - September 18 - 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Beth Foulk     Imported to America - Colonists for Sale Saturday, October 5 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Taneya Koonce     Genealogy News at Your Fingertips: From RSS Feeds to Digital Magazine Platforms Wednesday, October 16 - 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Drew Smith   Effective Online Queries Saturday, November 2 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG   Getting Family History Information through the Back Door Wednesday, November 20 - 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Leland K. Meitzler   Mobile Capturing of Your Ancestor's Documents and Pictures Saturday, December 7 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Gena Philibert Ortega   Women in WWII Please share this notice with your fellow genealogical society members, librarians, cousins and others that share your interest in genealogy. The initial (live) webcast is offered free of charge and open to the public. "We offer these webinars as part of our educational mission," said SCGS president Alice Fairhurst, "but are always grateful for contributions to offset our costs." Donations can be made through PayPal, online through the SCGS website or by check made out to SCGS and mailed to the address below.  As a benefit of membership, SCGS members can review archived sessions at any time by accessing the SCGS members-only section of this website.   To join a webinar, most participants attend via computer with audio speakers or a headset. Those with a fast Internet connection (either broadband or DSL) will have the most satisfactory experience. It is possible to phone in to listen to the presentation. Long-distance charges may apply.  For more information contact: Paula Hinkel ( phinkel@pacbell.net )  Vice President Southern California Genealogical Society   417 Irving Drive Burbank, CA 91504   Posted by Ron Setzer