Events and Genealogy and Updates 2009, deadline, register, retreat 4:34 pm
October 1 Deadline for registration: Genealogy Retreat on the lake
Paid registrants will be signed up for a private E-Group for shared updates and ongoing networking that includes an informal writer’s group atmosphere. Register by the end of next week or be left out.
Book Production and Genealogy 3:32 pm
Not in September 2009 Issue
Genealogy archive, collection, Lawton Constitution, library, Paul Follett, reference, resource, Tree tracers, vertical file 2:40 pm
The Vertical File
As interest in genealogy has expanded, libraries have accumulated letters, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, Bible records, research notes, charts, lineage society application forms – you name it, they probably have it.
Librarians had no place to store this valuable information and would never consider throwing it away. Consisting mainly of loose sheets of paper and brochures and pamphlets, these small items got lost on the bookshelves.
With the creation of vertical files, the problem was solved. Vertical files are simply labeled folders kept in filing cabinets. Most libraries have them. The experienced library researcher knows these folders are potential goldmines so they should be looked at regularly.
Folder contents are usually not indexed or catalogued beyond a listing of folder titles. The folders are alphabetized according to subject of the folder’s contents.
In the Family History Room at the Lawton Public Library, the vertical files are kept in three cabinets. The files are grouped by surname, Native American, place and miscellaneous subjects.
If you are researching your family history, check with your nearest library to find out if it maintains a vertical file. If so, that would be a good place to donate items that do not pertain to your family but might be a “treasure” to someone else.
(This information was taken from Paul Follett’s column Tree Tracers published in the Lawton Constitution on August 4, 2008.)
Genealogy ancestor, citizen, hometown, Lawton Constitution, newspaper, Paul Follett, town, Tree tracers 7:16 pm
Newspapers Reveal Towns And Ancestors’ Past
The hometown newspaper offers valuable and unique insight into the life of a community. Within its pages, the story of the town and its citizens is revealed. The citizens are our ancestors.
Details of an ancestor’s life are often found only in the newspaper. Besides obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, peruse the gossip columns, society and lodge news, letters to the editor, legal notices and sports page.
Small towns and weekly newspapers are often the best. They contain more personal local news and less state and national. This is great for the genealogist.
Newspapers are also an excellent source for local history. Sometimes, they are the only source. Editors tend to have “their ear to the ground” and know what is happening. Their articles on local events, politics and news may be the only record available or maybe the articles will suggest avenues for further research.
The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) maintains the largest collection of Oklahoma newspapers. The collection is not only the largest but also the most complete collection in the state. It is estimated that they own over 90% of all newspapers published in Oklahoma. The collection consists of over 4,000 different newspapers. The newspapers are on 35,000 rolls of microfilm.
To learn if the society owns a particular newspaper consult the newspaper database found on the society’s web site —http://www.okhistory.org/research/collections/newspapers.html.
In 1998 a paper listing of the collection was published. Titled Index of Oklahoma Newspapers, the newspapers are alphabetized by title and by county. The Family History Room at the Lawton Public Library owns a copy of this index. These newspapers are not available through interlibrary loan.
Copies of articles from the newspaper collection are available. The fee is $10 for Oklahoma residents. OHS members receive a 10% discount of copy costs. To order, the “Newspaper Order Form” must be completed and submitted. Download the form at www.okhistory.org/research/forms/newspaperform.html.
(This information was taken from Paul Follett’s column Tree Tracers published in the Lawton Constitution on May 19, 2008.)
Genealogy archive, Archivist, Dennis Northcott, Genealogy, get started, Librarians Serving Genealogists, Local History, Missouri, Missouri History Museum, MO, reference 3:08 pm
Recently the Missouri History Museum launched the Genealogy and Local
History Index — http://www.mohistory.org/genealogy — which includes
references to hundreds of thousands of our St. Louis ancestors. In this
index, you can search by personal name, business/corporate name, or
street address. (The latter search option is designed primarily for
those researching the history of their home and its former residents.)
You can also sign up for our email list to receive monthly announcements
of new sources that are added to the index.
BEFORE SEARCHING, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THE IMPORTANT SEARCH TIPS!
Among the more than 225 sources in the Genealogy and Local History Index
are the following: more than 5,000 Civil War-era loyalty oaths signed by
St. Louisans; many high school and other school yearbooks from the first
half of the 20th century; local Who’s Who publications; company employee
magazines; a few mid-19th-century, nonfederal St. Louis-area censuses;
questionnaires filled out by World War I servicemen; records and
publications relating to Civil War veterans; and much more.
Please note that the Genealogy and Local History Index is an INDEX to
selected books, publications, documents, and photographs in the holdings
of the Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center. You cannot
view a digital image of the actual source online. If you find references
in the index that interest you, you can request a photocopy online.
(Copies will be mailed in 1-2 business days.)
Please also visit our new Family History–Get Started page —
http://www.mohistory.org/lrc/family-history/get-started — to learn
about additional catalogs, guides, and indexes.
Read more about the Genealogy and Local History Index in the current
edition of Voices, the online magazine of the Missouri History Museum:
http://www.mhmvoices.org/2008FallDept2.php
From the Librarians Serving Genealogists E-List
Submitted by Dennis Northcott, Associate Archivist for Reference, Missouri History Museum
Genealogy Copyright, subject, addition, addenda 8:54 pm
Q. There is a pre-existing work on the subject material I’d like to publish a book for. Is there a way to further the work done in that book, if I don’t have a Copyright release?
A. If you are working on new material to complement an original book, your first step is to try contacting the author or her estate. You can work with them as to how much of the original content you may use in your new book. Even if you don’t wish to use any of their original content, establishing a relationship will help spread the word about your project.
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This section is drawn from
http://www.gregathcompany.com/msschelp.html
Genealogy data, family, holiday, mailing, update 7:55 pm
Don’t forget to ask for family data updates in your end of year holiday mailings. So many of us put off adding family information to our working files because it can be done later. Sometimes this turns into loosing information. Remember to include your new family data in these mailings as well. This can be done as a separate sheet that can be easily discarded for those non-genealogy oriented family members.
Genealogy collection, Genealogy, library, online, section, service 7:46 pm
Check with your local library, even if they don’t have a large genealogy section, to see what online services they offer. Don’t stop with your hometown library! Check other libraries that neighbor your “home” library’s service area. Not all library’s are aware of what other near by library’s offer. It may be worth a trip to get a library card for the services the offer from their website that you can take advantage from your home computer.
