Online Genealogical Resources

May P. ChanPrairie History RoomRegina Public Library

© March 21, 2009

Outline• Introduction to Online Genealogical

Resources• Developing a Search Strategy• Recommended Websites:

– Prairie History Room (PHR)– Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)– FamilySearch.Org– Cyndi’s List

• 5 Websites You Should Use• Additional Resources

Introduction

• Nowadays, more genealogical information (e.g. records, research tips, etc.) can be found online

• Includes websites, databases, blogs, message boards/forums, etc.

• Online creators include libraries, archives, genealogical societies, historians, genealogists, booksellers, etc.

• Sites are either free or fee-based

Online Genealogical Resources

Advantages• More convenient -

24/7 access from any internet accessible computer

• Ease of use - type in a name and get instant results

• Saves $ on traveling to distant locations to look at the records

Disadvantages• Less than 5% of the

world’s records (or less than 1% of Canadian records) are actually available online because mass digitization is very expensive

• Technology is changing too rapidly

Developing a Search Strategy

1. Focus your query2. Know where to look for the

information 3. Follow instructions4. Investigate the source5. Documentation & backup

1. Focus Your Query

• Instead of asking “I would like any information about the [Smith] family who settled in Saskatchewan”, ask “I am trying to find out when Charles Smith homesteaded in Saskatchewan”

• Concentrate on one family branch at a time

• Do background research • Don’t assume everything is

online or in a single resource!

2. Know Where to Look

www.familychronicle.com/records.html

3. Follow Instructions

• Not all online resources are created in the same manner or for the purpose of providing genealogy information

• Read the online help manual/instructions before beginning a search on a unfamiliar website, database, or index

• Know the difference between:– Index: leads you to other sources– Database: a collection of

resources that may include indexes, books, photos, etc.

4. Investigating the Source

Ask yourself: • Who provided the information?• Who is the “real” source?• What tells me that it came from that

source?• Do they have a bias or an agenda?• When was this website last

updated?• Does it ask for payment? Is payment secure?

Investigating the Source…

• Look for an “About” page• Look for a date; be vigilant even if

it is today’s date!• “Google” the full name (in quotes)

of the person or organization whose name appears as the author of the site

• Contact the source

Avoiding Genealogy Scams

• Cyndi’s List Myth, Hoaxes, and Scams (March 2009)http://cyndislist.com/myths.htm

• Dick Eastman’s article on Genealogy Rip-Offs (May 2008) http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/05/the-dark-side-g.html

• Genealogy Hoaxes, Scams and Fraud http://genealogy.about.com/cs/genealogyscams/

5. Documentation & Backup

• Always record document your sources and your findings!– Write down whether the source was online,

in a book, newspaper, etc.– Write down search terms that were used

(e.g. spelling of surnames, dates, etc.)– Write down url of the website or the

database that was used (e.g. HeritageQuest Online)

– Write down when you accessed the resource

• Back-up your data on a regular basis

Prairie History Room (RPL)

www.reginalibrary.ca/prairiehistory

Prairie History Room (PHR)• Officially opened in 1973• Collection covers the 3 Prairie Provinces

from pre-settlement times to present day• Serves as both a local history &

genealogy collection• Revamped website launched in April

2007, featuring RSS feeds (enables users to instant notifications of updates via an RSS readers or email address), PHR blog, online photo site, various research guides and links to popular web resources

Prairie History Room (PHR)

1. Available Resources• Over 2000 community and church history

books• Regina Henderson City directories and

telephone books• Canadian census records (microfilm)• Canadian passenger lists and border

entry records from the U.S. (microfilm)• City directories for major cities in the

Prairies (microfilm)• Leader Post newspaper

(microfilm)• Regina school yearbooks

Free Genealogy Databases (RPL)• Ancestry Library Edition (ALE): An

enhanced library version of Ancestry.com, a popular genealogy research tool that provides digital access to U.S., U.K and Canadian census returns, vital statistics, military records, ships' passenger lists, directories, parish records, family trees, maps and forms.

• HeritageQuest Online: A searchable database providing access to U. S. Federal Census records from 1790 onwards, PERSI (a PERiodical Source Index to genealogy and local history periodicals for both the US and Canada), and digitized copies of genealogy and local history books.

Prairie History Room (PHR)

2. Web Resources• Prairie History Blog

(www.reginalibrary.ca/prairiehistoryblog)– Online newsletter featuring new books,

magazines and websites; upcoming genealogy workshops and conferences; and heritage-related events or news in the community

• Web Links– Recommended web resources; utilize social

bookmark site that enables you to also share your favorites with us

• Research Guides– 15 guides ranging in topics from how to

digitize one’s photos; researching Aboriginal and Métis genealogy; planning a successful genealogy trip; where to locate birth, marriage and death records; etc.

Prairie History Room (PHR)

3. Leader Post Index• Searchable by keyword or subject, this

full indexing of the newspaper cover the years 1992 to 2007.

• Especially useful for tracking down birth, marriage and death notices from 1992 to 2007 (e.g. SaskObits coverage of obits only begins Sept. 2000)

• The record provides a date & page number which you can use to locate the article on the microfilm reel

Prairie History Room (PHR)

4. Google Map• PHR is close by several institutions and

organizations holding historical and genealogical records. Map includes SGS, SAB, U of R Archives, CORA, Regina Plains Museum, etc.

5. Hours of Operation• Open 7 days a week with evening and

weekend hours6. Contact Us• Various ways of contacting us –

in person, phone, fax and email.

Canadian Genealogy Centre

http://www.genealogy.gc.ca/

Canadian Genealogy Centre• Launched in 2003, the Centre includes all physical

and online genealogical services of Library and Archives Canada (LAC)

• Some of the major genealogical resources include:– Census records (1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1906 &

1911 returns) – Divorce records (1841-1968)– Marriage bonds (Upper & Lower Canada, 1779-

1865)– Passenger lists (1865-1922 and 1925-1935)– Immigration records (Home Children database,

1869-1930)– Land grants (Western Land Grants,

1870-1930)– Military records (Soldiers of the WWI)– City directories (Who Was Where,

1861-1901)

Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)

1. How to Begin• Provides a good overview of

genealogical research 2. Most Requested Records• Quick access to various records,

finding aids and research tips 3. Research Topics• guides are divided into 2 sections—

search by topic or search by geographic location

Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)

4. Ancestors Search• Basic search (located in the centre of the

screen or click on the tab on the left hand side of the screen)

…word of caution re: CGC website

• Although most of the databases listed on this website will enable users to view scanned images of the original, please keep in mind that some of them are NOT set up for you to search by surname—e.g. the 1901 Canadian Census or the Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1922.   

• Why?  The original records are arranged according to the way they were created, used and then stored. 

Canadian Genealogy Centre (CGC)

5. Contact Information• Telephone & fax numbers, mailing

address and electronic forms asking them for research assistance or photocopies of records (e.g. military files)

6. That’s My Family• Federated search tool that

enables you to search multiple databases in various provinces

That’s My Family Tool

• Includes databases from LAC as well as from British Columbia (BMDs), Nova Scotia (BMDs), Ontario (Toronto Emmigrant Office), Prince Edward Island (Baptismal index), Quebec (BMDs & land records), and Saskatchewan (Homestead index)

FamilySearch

www.familysearch.org

FamilySearch.Org

• Website began in March 1999• Created and maintained by the Church of

the Latter Day Saints (LDS), better known as the Mormons

• Main Resources:– Ancestral File – over 35 million individuals– International Genealogical Index (IGI) – over

760 million names– Census Indexes – 1880 US, 1881 British &

1881 Canadian– Vital Records – Mexico & Scandinavia– US Social Security Death Index– Pedigree Resource File – over 130

million names– Family History Web Sites

FamilySearch.Org

1. Search Records for Your Ancestors• Basic search

FamilySearch.Org

2. Research Helps• Divided into 2 main categories –

Articles & Guidance3. Family Library• List of upcoming genealogy classes• If you click on the “Library” tab on the

top navigation bar, you can access information about the Family History Library (Salt Lake City), various Family History Centers and access to the Library Catalog

FamilySearch.Org

4. What’s New• Latest updates regarding the website,

including a link to their pilot research site

Cyndi’s List

www.cyndislist.com

Cyndi’s List

• Website originally launched in 1996• Internet portal offering over 260,

000 family history links (both paid and free websites) organized by:– Geographical locations– Ethnic groups & people– Types of Records – Occupations– Research Tools & Materials– Computers & the Internet

Cyndi’s List

1. Main Category• Alphabetical listing of links organized

by topic2. Browse• Index to the links3. New Links• Quick reference to see what new links

have been added to the portal• Also includes option to submit

a link to this resource

5 Websites You Should Use

1. Saskatchewan Council of Archives and Archivists (SCAA)

2. Our Roots 3. Peel’s Prairie Provinces 4. Canadian County Atlas Digital

Project 5. Library of Congress (LOC)

1. Saskatchewan Council of Archives and Archivists (SCAA)

• http://scaa.usask.ca/• SCAA represents the archival community in

Saskatchewan• 2 key resources:

– List of institutional members– Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Nunavut

Archival Information Network: database of archival descriptions found in the holdings of member institutions

2. Our Roots

• www.ourroots.ca• Created & maintained by the University

of Calgary and Université Laval • Digital collection of Canada’s Local

Histories

3. Peel’s Prairie Provinces

• http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/collections.html

• Created and maintained by the University of Alberta

• Website not only contains the online Peel bibliography but also a fully searchable digital collection of books, newspapers and Henderson directories

4. Canadian County Atlas Digital Project

• http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/• Created by McGill University• Site offers a searchable database of Ontario

property owners' names that appear on the township maps in the county atlases

5. Library of Congress (LOC)

• United States’ oldest federal cultural institution

• Digital collections & services page http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html

• 2 key digital collections:– American History & Culture– Historic Newspapers

Additional Resources

BooksMorgan, George C.The Official Guide toAncestry.com. Provo, UT: Ancestry Pub.,c2007.

ISBN: 9781593313043 or 1593313047

025.069291 MORGA

Gormley, Myra Vanderpool and Tana Pedersen Lord. The Official Guide to Rootsweb.com. Provo, Utah : Ancestry Pub., c2007.

ISBN: 9781593313098 or 1593313098

929.10285 GORML

Books…

Helm, Matthew L. and April Leigh Helm. Genealogy Online for Dummies. Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley Pub., c2008.

ISBN: 0470240571 or 9780470240571

929.10285 HELM 2008

Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online. New York ; Toronto : McGraw-Hill, c2008.

ISBN: 9780071499316 or 0071499318

929.10285 CROWE 2008

Genealogy Magazines• Ancestry, Family Chronicle, and Internet

Genealogy magazines (located beside the PHR Reference Desk)– Back issues can be borrowed for 3 weeks

with no renewals

Ancestry Insider Blog

• http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com• Unauthorized reviews of both Ancestry.com and

FamilySearch.org websites

101 Best Websites (2008)

• http://www.familytreemagazine.com/101bestwebsites08/

• Annual list of the best online genealogical resources (both paid & free)

• 2008 list is organized by topics:– Best for British Isles Researchers– Best for “Continental” Researchers– Best for Genetic Researchers– Best for Immigration

Researchers– Best for U.S. Researchers– Best for Military Researchers

Genealogy Blog Finder

• http://blogfinder.genealogue.com/• Organized by topics such as personal

research, genetic genealogy, libraries, etc.

The End

Email: maychan@reginalibrary.ca