wednesday february 15 presenter: jocelyn badley dig deep: an introduction to genealogy &...
TRANSCRIPT
Wednesday February 15Presenter: Jocelyn Badley
Dig Deep: An Introduction to Genealogy & Ancestry Library Edition
StrathconaCountyLibrary
Narrowing the search based on other knowledge is often necessary.
Keep track of your sources! You may think you will remember where you found something , but you (probably) won’t.
Basic tips: Genealogical Research
Start by filling in all the information you know about your family, including yourself, siblings, parents, grandparents. If possible, ask older relatives you help you fill in the generations above you. Check family records, if you have access to any – for example, letters, family Bibles, diaries, photographs, etc.
Then narrow your search to a particular person you know something about, for example:
Basic Tips: Genealogical Research
Do you know where/when they died? > Check obituaries, cemetery records, will/probate records, church bulletins
Where/when they lived? > Check land petitions, homestead records, Henderson’s directories and other municipal records, census records, voter lists, land titles, school records
What they did for a living? > Check tax records, insurance records. Records specific to trades, such as clergy, teachers, RCMP. If they were a farmer, check homestead records. If they worked for a well-known company or organization (eg. Hudson’s Bay Co., CPR) check the records from that organization. If they owned a business, you may be able to find records of business licenses + fees.
Types of Records
If they performed military service? > Check military records, draft cards, military pensions. If you know what unit they served with, check with that unit’s archives.
If they immigrated? > Check immigration records, ships’ passenger lists, border crossing records, passport records. If point of entry is known, narrow the search to the records for that location eg. Pier 21, Ellis Island
When/where they were married? > Check newspaper announcements, parish registers (for up to mid 1800s), marriage indexes (for mid 1800s to present), divorce records (until the mid 1800s, divorces required approval from the Senate!)
When/where they were born? > Check birth records, christening/baptism records, newspaper announcements
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Types of Records
Add flexibility around dates – records (and memories) are often wrong.Be creative about spelling, especially for immigration records. Keep in mind that most name spellings were not standardized. A person’s name might have been spelled differently in different records—William becomes Will, Bill, Wm.Double-check print transcriptions against original scanned images, where they are available. Transcription errors are common in all genealogical indexes.
General genealogy search tips
Inside SCL:
Ancestry Library EditionOther databasesHistory & Genealogy Subject GuideInterlibrary Loan/Microfilm
Ancestry Library EditionExcellent coverage of the USA and UK; good coverage for Canada. Growing coverage for other areas
Contains thousands of databases (collections) and billions of names; 1000 historical mapsFrom 14th century to present day; continual updates
Access in the library only – including on our wireless network.
Use the wildcard * to match 0 or more characters – so searching Jes* will find Jessica, Jessie, Jesse, etc.Use the wildcard ? to replace a single character, eg., Eli?abeth will find both Elizabeth and Elisabeth.Use double quotes to search for a phrase.Use + or – symbols to include or exclude search terms from results.
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Searching Ancestry
If you tick the “exact matches only” box, an “Exact/Soundex” option appears. Exact will retrieve ONLY THAT EXACT SPELLING (eg Smith). Soundex is a filter designed to lump names with similar pronunciation together (eg. Smith, Smythe, Smithe all share a single Soundex code).
Remember: The more information you provide when you search, the fewer results you will get. If you get too many results to process, fill in more information. If you get too few results, make your search more vague/general.
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Searching Ancestry
Basic & Advanced Search
Basic SearchAdvanced Search
Collection Browsing (Card Catalog)
Explore by LocationClick on the “Search” tab (not the menu, the tab itself)“Explore by Location” appears below the search box
Search Results –Original Document + Transcription
Ancestry.com vs. Ancestry Library EditionThe following features of Ancestry.com (personal subscription) are NOT included in the Library Edition:
•Collaborate features – public profile, Members Connect, message boards (read-only for Library Edition users)•Learning Center – online columns from Ancestry.com, Ancestry Daily News, how-to materials•Shop – Books, magazines, and CDs•OneWorldTree – family trees from Ancestry users and links them together. These are read-only for Library Edition users.•Family Trees – allows users to compile their own family trees and save their data.
The following databases/collections are not included:
•Obituary Collection – recent obits from newspapers•Periodical Search Index (PERSI)•Freedman’s Bank Records•Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)•Passenger and Immigration List Index (PILI)
Other DatabasesCanadian Periodicals Index Quarterly [CPIQ]Indexing of 1200 Canadian periodicals + 550 full-text1980s to present
Canadian Newsstand300 Canadian newspapers (full text)1970s or ‘80s to present
PressDisplay1700 Newspapers from around the world (full text)Focus on current – archives up to 3 months
AtoZ Maps OnlineCurrent and historical maps of Canada and elsewhere
Research
Where to find them:http://www.sclibrary.ab.ca/
Genealogy & History Subject Guide
Interlibrary Loans/Microfilm
TAL Online | http://www.talonline.ca/Catalogue for all Alberta’s librariesMost items can be requested via Interlibrary Loan
Microfilm can also be ordered from many other libraries, including Library & Archives Canada
Need reel # and source (eg LAC)
Additional information is appreciated!
Outside SCL: Great Genealogy Resources & Tools
The Canadian Genealogy CentreFamilySearch.OrgCanadian SourcesAlberta SourcesEPL Obituary IndexServices for Genealogists at the Provincial
Archives
1. The Canadian Genealogy Centrehttp://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/
Contains:
•General genealogical research advice•How to access material in Library & Archives Canada (LAC)’s collection
2. FamilySearch.Org
Provided by the Family History Library (LDS) in Salt Lake City, Utah(There are local Family History Centres at Bonnie Doon and Riverbend)
General genealogical tools including free family tree templates and softwareResearch guides by location – where to look for specific types of records
Canadian records include:Pre 1700s to present dayNational records, plus provincial records from BC, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI, & Quebec Census, birth/death/marriage registrations, baptisms, Quebec notarial records
Plus many more records from all over the world.
Canadiana | www.canadiana.ca/A large-scale project to find digitization projects in Canada
Our Future, Our Past | http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/Alberta Heritage Digitization Project: local histories, newspapers, historical photos, & more
Peel’s Prairie Provinces | http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/Digitization project from the U of A Libraries
3. Canadian Sources
Peel’s Prairie Provinces http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/
Henderson Directories1905 – 1950sAlberta & Manitoba
Peel’s Prairie Postcards1800s onward15,000 postcards
Alberta Family Histories Society: Canadian Genealogical Projects Registry | http://www.afhs.ab.ca/registry/Search by province and type of record to find smaller-scale digitization projects.
Alberta Genealogical Society: Index to Selected Alberta History Books | http://www.abgensoc.ca/bookindex/Includes the names of individual people as they appear in Alberta local history books.
Alberta Genealogical Society: Index to Alberta Homestead Records | http://abgensoc.ca/homestead/An online index to the 686 reels of microfilm at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
4. Alberta Sources
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5. EPL Obituary IndexInterests > Research > Genealogy > Obituarieshttp://www.epl.ca/interests/research/genealogy
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6. Services for GenealogistsAt the Provincial Archives
8555 Roper RoadEdmonton
Ph: 780.427.1750Web: http://culture.alberta.ca/paa/
Archive of government, corporate, & personal recordsCensus, passenger lists, Alberta homestead recordsImmigration, court, divorce recordsNewspapers, daily and weekly – in some cases up to the 80s/early 90sMaps, plans, architectural drawingsOver 2 million photographs
Research helpPhotocopying (if possible)Duplication of photos and filmMicrofilm usePrograms for the public
Online catalogue: HERMIS | https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/
Your presenter has beenJocelyn Badley
Virtual Services Librarian, Adult ServicesEmail: [email protected]
Phone: 780.410.8646
CAN WE HELP? Please contact us.Email: [email protected]
Phone: 780.410.8601
Or come by either of our Information Desks.
Thank you for coming!