Showing posts with label FamilySearch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FamilySearch. Show all posts

Thursday, August 23, 2012

North American Indexing Volunteers Invited to Join New US Immigration & Naturalization Community Project

As many of you know, people who immigrated to North America often went to the United States first, and then proceeded to Canada, and many who went to Canada first, often crossed the border to go to the United States.

So even though this is a FamilySearch Community Project, it should be of interest to Canadians indexers.

FamilySearch says that “It will be an indexing effort to make passenger lists, naturalization records, and other immigration related records freely searchable online. Hundreds of thousands of North American volunteers are expected to contribute over the next 18-24 months, focusing initially on passenger lists from the major US ports”.

To find out more about the project, Individuals, societies and other groups that want to participate should visit From Sea to Shining Sea: Helping Everyone Find US Immigration Ancestors at https://familysearch.org/immigration

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Start a Facebook Research Community

FamilySearch.com is asking you to start a Facebook Research Community!

They say that "We are excited to announce the creation of several online research communities powered by FamilySearch, and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join! These communities are being created to help you and others researching in the same area to:

collaborate on your research,

ask questions of each other, and

share knowledge you have gained as you've done your own research in that area".

There isn't any for Canada right at the moment.

If you would like to start one for a region of Canada, the instructions are at https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Join_a_Facebook_Research_Community#Questions.3F

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

FamilySearch.org - From a Canadian Point of View

Every since the Internet has become like a second skin for the genealogy public, one site has become essential for research: <FamilySearch.org>.

I did that back in 1995 when I started my family history. There were three genealogies which had been done - but there were no supporting documents. So I am grateful that <FamilySearch.org> was there and that I was able to use them for free. But that might be changing in the near future.

In a recent press release from them, the word "free" is more clearly defined.

"Where possible, FamilySearch will seek to provide free public access to digital images of original images of original records. Due to affiliate obligations, free access to some images may be available only to FamilySearch members (volunteers and indexers who meet basic contribution requirements each quarter, patrons at Family History Centers, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who's contributions supply FamilySearch's operations)."

So what does this mean to you?

To me, it sounds like you will have to pay for access unless you fall into one of those categories. Will you be willing to go the local Family History library to do your research rather than turning on your home computer? Are you willing to index so much material per quarter in lieu of paying for access?

They are going to have the software by next year to verify that you are a member of FamilySearch so that you will be able to access future home use.

What do you think?