Sunday, July 31, 2011

Principles of Effective Genealogy Librarianship

This article reprinted with permission of the Utah Genealogical Association. To learn more about the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) or the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), please visit their website at ugagenealogy.org.

It's time for another installment in our series of blog posts about the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG).  Today's guest blogger is Course 7 Coordinator, Drew Smith.

Principles of Effective Genealogy Librarianship Course

One of the biggest difficulties in being a genealogy librarian is that relevant education is hard to come by. Very few library schools offer a course in genealogical librarianship, and continuing education for genealogy librarians usually consists of a single hour or at best a one-day series of workshops covering a very limited number of topics. But what if you could experience a full five days of classes designed to carry you through the entire spectrum of issues faced by genealogy librarians? Now you can have that opportunity.

You already know the basics of librarianship, and you likely have a grounding in the basics of genealogical research. This course will take you further by addressing twenty different skills and knowledge bases that any modern genealogy librarian will need to develop as part of their profession. While many librarians engage in reference interviews, collection development, library instruction for their patrons, and professional development for themselves, this course will take each of those topics and look at them from the special viewpoint of a genealogy librarian.

We’ll cover in detail the kinds of resources most used by genealogists in the typical library, such as newspapers, published materials, and manuscripts, but we’ll also bring to light the other useful resources found in a typical library but not usually thought of as a part of the genealogy collection. We’ll discuss the new online tools that have become critical only in the 21st century, such as Ancestry Library Edition, HeritageQuest Online, Footnote.com, and social networking services. And we’ll address the importance of the genealogy library in leading the way in digitization projects for local materials.

Genealogy librarians, perhaps more than any other kind of librarian, need to understand how to work with volunteers and local societies, and we’ll learn about the best practices in these areas. What happens when patrons want to donate their own materials? How do you market your library’s genealogy resources and services so that they are used to the fullest? What kinds of ethical and legal issues are you likely to encounter as a genealogy librarian? We’ll address those questions, too. Finally, we’ll explore as a group the hot-topic issues of genealogical librarianship, drawing upon the interests and experiences of the students.

This course will also provide you with the unique opportunity to network with your fellow students, each of whom is very likely to bring to the course a wealth of knowledge and experience that they can share with us all. Of course, there will also be plenty of time during the week to enjoy the resources of the Family History Library. As a genealogy librarian, what more could you ask for?

Thanks, Drew!  If you are a genealogy librarian register for the course or check out more details here. If you have any questions about this course, please comment on this post.  Are you going to join us in January?

If you enjoyed this article we invite you to share it via your favorite social networking media using the appropriate icon below. You may also reprint this article in any email or print newsletters you wish to distribute provided you include the date of original publication and the following text:

This article reprinted with permission of the Utah Genealogical Association. To learn more about the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) or the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), please visit their website at: ugagenealogy.org.

Friday, July 15, 2011

American Records & Research: Focusing on Families

This article reprinted with permission of the Utah Genealogical Association. To learn more about the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) or the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), please visit their website at: ugagenealogy.org.

American Records & Research: Focusing on Families

Starting off our new series of blog posts about the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), today's guest blogger is Course I coordinator, Paula Stuart-Warren.

Are you at a point in your research where you need some in-depth education about evaluating records, research, and U.S. resources in the 19th -21st centuries? Would you like five days of learning from some of the top experts in the field of family history? How about one-on-one consultation time to work on your own family history with some of these experts? What about working on a project in small groups that provides insight into the research process?

Then this is the course for you. Maybe you have already done basic searches online or in a library, but know there are more records to check and more to learn about those records that are online. This intermediate level course provides all that and more for strategies that take you beyond basic research tools both online and off. On-site consultations at the Family History Library from course instructors on three afternoons provide one-on-one assistance and guidance with your own research. The instructors don’t just lecture, they interact with you. This is the perfect course to take before you venture into other SLIG courses.

We’ll delve deeper into probate, vital records, guardianships, manuscripts, passports, lesser used federal records, school related records and church records. The records of births, deaths, and marriage will be scrutinized more closely along with substitutes for them. Civil war related records (other than pensions) will be discussed. All of these are goldmines for family details.

This course helps you extend your research skills with light, optional homework assignments to immediately apply the classroom information to research on your own families. There is ample time for open research in the afternoon and evening. The 2011 the Intermediate Course focused on localities. In 2012 this course focuses on individuals and families.

Click here to see the 2012 Course I lineup of excellent classes and "top-flight" instructors. See you next January!


If you enjoyed this article we invite you to share it via your favorite social networking media using the appropriate icon below. You may also reprint this article in any email or print newsletters you wish to distribute provided you include the date of original publication and the following text:
 
This article reprinted with permission of the Utah Genealogical Association. To learn more about the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) or the Salt Lake Institute ofGenealogy (SLIG), please visit their website at: ugagenealogy.org.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Great Genealogy Education Post by Valerie

I just read a great post on Getting a Great Genealogical Education for Little or No Money! by Valerie Elkins on her blog Family Cherished.

I enjoyed her focus on creating a genealogy education plan first, and then finding options to meet your needs. She lists some good ideas for free or inexpensive genealogy education available online, and I encourage others to read her piece.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

FamilySearch Resources for Federal Records

These links are a portion of the handout I created for a presentation at the National Institute on Genealogical Research.

FamilySearch - Granite Mountain Records Vault, Part 2
Video showing the digitization process FamilySearch uses.

Here is a sampling of the National Archives records available on the FamilySearch website:

Historical Records Collections

Military Records:

Immigration Records:
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Case Files of Chinese Immigrants, 1900-1923

Court, Land and Other Records:
Louisiana, Eastern District Naturalization Petitions, 1838-1861

Federal Census Records:
Population Schedules: 
1850, 1870 & 1900 (Indexes and images) 
1860 (images on Footnote.com)
1880, 1910, 1920 &1930 (Indexes only)

Related Civil War collections:

FamilySearch Indexing

National Archives records currently being indexed by FamilySearch volunteers:

FamilySearch Research Wiki

Articles available for National Archives records:

Land Records:
United_States_Land_and_Property             
Homestead_Records                                    
Lottery Land                                                 
Private Land Claims                                     
Locating Federal Land on Maps                 
Land Terms & Definitions                           

Military Records

Wars

Immigration Records
Ulster Ireland Presbyterian Immigrants               

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Pam White's Perspective on NIGS and BU Genealogy Certificate Programs

From time to time I will invite guest authors to share their experiences with different genealogy educational programs. Today the guest author is my good friend Pam White who has completed the certificate programs from The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and the the Boston University Center for Professional Education.




Pam White received a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies in American Records from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies and a Certificate in Genealogical Research from the Boston University Center for Professional Education. She is a volunteer genealogist with the Butler County Records Center & Archives in Hamilton, Ohio; and is president of the Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Pam is the owner of Key Genealogy, LLC.

Pam's perspective on the certificate programs:

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies has 40-course certificate programs in American, Australian, Canadian, English, German (not yet complete), Irish and Scottish Records. They also offer a 14-course certificate in methodology and a 12-course certificate in librarianship. The various 40-course certificate programs share the same courses in methodology, paleography, genetics, electronic resources, and research from Family History Centers and FamilySearch. All offer three Analysis and Skill Mentoring courses in which the student completes assignments and has two 20-minute telephone chats with a mentor to discuss those assignments and ask any questions they might have.

The courses are pretty much self-paced. They are broken down into several week-long modules (most are 6 weeks) with reading and written assignments each week. There are usually two extra weeks one of which is an exam week. The exam is a multiple choice test which is completed online. You do not have to take the full 8 or more weeks allotted to complete the class. As soon as the assignments are submitted for week 1, the student has access to the material in week 2 so you can move at your own pace. There is not a great deal of interaction with the instructors, but the student can ask questions of an instructor via email. I did so twice with German electives but never received an answer. There are chats scheduled periodically for some of the courses and students can “talk” to an instructor and ask questions during the chats.

The material offered is very good and I have used the course material as a reference for my own research. This course is best suited for someone who is a self-starter and does not require much validation for their skills. There may be more interaction now. As I was finishing, they were just beginning to hold live meetings using webcams and they also have a web presence at www.genealogywise.com. Students may sign up for as few as one or two courses if they do not want to sign up for a full program. There are packages available to reduce the cost over individual courses.

The Certificate in Genealogical Research through Boston University is an excellent program. The course covers the following topics:
  • Foundations of Genealogical Research
  • Problem-Solving Techniques and Technology
  • Evidence Evaluation and Documentation
  • Forensic Genealogical Research
  • Ethnic and Geographic Specialties
  • Professional Genealogy

The course can be taken on site in Boston or online. I took the online course which lasted about 13 weeks. The course requires a commitment of time but is well worth the effort. It is advertised as “an interactive, multimedia course of study that serves as excellent preparation for those who seek certification through the Board for Certification of Genealogists,” and I definitely agree with that assessment.

There are assignments due each week, some of which are graded and critiqued by either the instructor or a teacher’s assistant. Other assignments are uploaded using BUs Blackboard software interface for all students to read and discuss. There is also an area for students to ask questions of the instructors who respond within a day.

It is hard to compare the two programs because they are very different. If you’re a beginner or intermediate genealogist, you might prefer the NIGS courses which would expose you to record groups that may be new to you. If you’re an intermediate to advanced genealogist who is thinking about certification, the Boston University program might be better suited for you. I learned a lot from both.