Blogging Workshop: Easy as 1-2-3

The reviews are in and Saturday's Genealogy Blog Workshop was a smashing success. Twenty-five participants gathered at the California Genealogical Society Library for three presentations by two well-known gen-bloggers and CGS members, Thomas MacEntee and Craig Manson.

Thomas got things started with "Become A Genealogy Blog User" – an overview of blog basics – with instructions on how to use blog readers, how to leave comments and how blogs can help with genealogy research. Attendees received a comprehensive hand-out which included a list of dozens of helpful genealogy blogs.

His second session was the "nuts and bolts" part of the day as MacEntee presented "How To Build a Genealogy Blog." CGS member volunteer Craig Siulinski provided the specifics in advance so Thomas was able to create a blog to Craig's specifications and the audience was able to see just how easy the process is using Google's Blogger.

Craig Manson ended the day with "Blogging and the Law" – a review of the copyright acts, their duration and limitations, fair use, public domain works, using photographs, defamation and privacy.

Two audience members deserve special recognition – bloggers Cheryl Palmer and Steve Danko came to lend support. Of course we took the opportunity to pose for a group geneablogger photo!

Cheryl Palmer, Craig Manson, Thomas MacEntee, Kathryn Doyle and Steve Danko.

And how successful was the day? Well, I'm thrilled to present three new bloglings for you to add to your readers:

August Legacy by Craig Siulinski

Hacienda Circle by Lavinia Schwarz

Historic American Landscapes Survey by Chris Pattillo

CGS member Cynthia Gorman summed up the day like this: "Great program, speakers and afternoon!

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, October 10, 2009, Oakland, California.

The 2009 Annual Appeal

It was all hands on deck this week as volunteers folded, assembled, stuffed and stamped the 2009 Annual Appeal letter to members.

Like many non-profits, the society sends a letter at the end of each year to request member donations. The California Genealogical Society letter is always sent from the society president. This is Jane Lindsey's last year as president and as she notes "seeing the society in good financial health would be a wonderful 'retirement' gift."

The letter highlights several of the year's successes:

Strengthening our successful education programs. Over 120 participants attended genealogy classes offered in conjunction with the Oakland Regional Family History Center. More classes will be offered in 2010.

Providing quality seminars and classes with major speakers including NEHGS.

Bringing programs to members and communities outside the local area.

Utilizing new technology and communications. The CGSL blog was recognized as one of the top 25 genealogical blogs in the nation.

Improving publications. Members are receiving The California Nugget twice a year and the monthly eNews, to improve communication.

Creating valuable new publications, authored by CGS members, that will be revenue producing.

Providing refurbished computers in the library, thanks to generous member donations. We also improved our internet connection and speed by changing providers.

Hosting group visits to the library and offering presentations to community groups such as Rotary and Lions clubs, DAR and Colonial Dames chapters

Of course, it wouldn't be an appeal if it didn't end with a request and a call to action!

Can you help us keep up this valuable work by sending a donation to CGS? Please consider a financial gift to help the society refund the Endowment Fund and support operating expenses. You may write a check to CGS or use PayPal.

Please consider making a gift to our Annual Appeal.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
California Genealogical Society and Library
Manuscript Collection

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 10/3/09, Oakland, California.

Honored To Be Nominated!

The California Genealogical Society and Library blog is honored to be included in the Local/ Regional category of Family Tree Magazine's 40 Best Genealogy Blogs nominees.

Voting is open from now until November 5, 2009. The process is one that the magazine is using to identify the "Best 40" for a future article:

The top 80 vote-getting blogs will make it through to a "final" round, and our editorial staff will select 40 blogs from that list. The Family Tree 40 will be announced in the May 2010 Family Tree Magazine and in the Genealogy Insider e-mail newsletter.

Among the nominees are several other CGS member blogs:

GeneaBlogie by Craig Manson

Heritage Happens by Cheryl Fleming Palmer

Destination: Austin Family by Thomas MacEntee

Steve's Genealogy Blog by Stephen Danko

The Educated Genealogist by Sheri Fenley

The really exciting news is that you can meet ALL of these bloggers in person this coming Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Blog Your Genealogy workshop. If you haven't signed up yet, please email us and let us know you are coming!

And please go vote for your favorite blogs!

Book Repair Workshop Returns November 7, 2009

The California Genealogical Society is taking reservations for the popular Book Repair Workshop to be held on Saturday morning, November 7, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Taught by Book Repair Committee Chairman, Bill O'Neil, the workshop is limited to ten enrollees.

Workshop participants learn book repair techniques by creating a book for themselves. Pages are provided and the pupils create the binding. The finished product will be a copy of a "how to" pamphlet written by the late Dick Thrift, founder of the CGS Book Repair Committee. Everyone goes home with a self-made instruction book and souvenir of the day.

PLEASE NOTE:
• Workshop is limited to ten.
• $25 charge for materials.
• Reservation form and pre-payment of fee required.

Download the registration flier and mail with a check for $25 to CGS. Questions? Call CGS at 510-663-1358 or E-mail CGSLevents@gmail.com

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, 10/25/2008.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Fall Beginning Genealogy Series
Margery Bell

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, September 26, 2009, Oakland, California

Two Talks at Salem Lutheran Home in October

California Genealogical Society President Jane Knowles Lindsey will be speaking twice in October at the Salem Lutheran Home at 2361 East 29th Street in Oakland.

On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, at 3:00 p.m., Jane will present “Genealogy is not just for Genealogists” – Find out what you can do to ensure that your family treasures and stories remain intact and available for your descendants to discover.

Jane will follow up the following week on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. with “Getting Started: Your Genealogy Search” – Learn the first steps of genealogical research, including surveying family documents, organizing files, and discovering basic tools such as forms and computer programs.

Salem Lutheran Home is part of the Elder Care Alliance family of assisted living seniors communities, dedicated to providing care services to meet the needs of older adults. They are a non-profit, faith-based organization open to all faiths and denominations. They sponsor fun and informative events which are open to the public. The California Genealogical Society appreciates the opportunity to participate in the Salem programs.

If your group is interested in hearing "Genealogy is Not Just for Genealogists" or another talk related to genealogy, please contact the society at 510-663-1358.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Book Repair Committee
Dick Rees

Photograph by Judy Bodycote, 4/15/2009, Oakland, California

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

Tim Cox has an important message that he has agreed to share with our blog readers:

Over the twenty-five years or so of my genealogy experience, I’ve joined a few societies and organizations that interested me but I never got involved with them. I was more interested in being on their mailing lists, and being just a member at large who paid dues and received the monthly or quarterly newsletter. This arrangement suited me just fine because the only two events I ever attended in the 1980s were presentations hosted by the local society I belonged to. I felt really out of place at both events because I was in my twenties and everyone else was much older and way more experienced in genealogy and in life! So I resolved to do it on my own. It would take years for me to realize you don’t know what you don’t know.

I was on top of everything in my research. I had the guides that taught me how to set up correspondence and research logs; how to interview my living relatives and where to go to find census records, wills, and all the records I would need to find my ancestors. I was all set! I purchased a brief case to carry my folders, notepads, magnifying glass (for those hard to read records Bill Dollarhide’s book said I’d come across), pencils, tape recorder for interviews, and a few other things. I was ready for anything and everything!

Then came the computer age: America-On-Line, GEnie, Prodigy and others that are the grandparents of the sites we have today. I quickly picked up on how to communicate on mailing lists and met a lot of faceless online friends. My mother was shopping one day and purchased a family tree program for me. I was between jobs at the time and living at home, so this was a mistake on her part. It took me two weeks to enter in all of the information I had on paper. That was two weeks of not looking for a job! I eventually found one but it didn’t stop me from sitting up all hours of the night chatting and emailing about my ancestors.

Fast forward to 2007.

Over the years I continued researching my ancestors and I still belong to some of the same (and even joined a few new) societies and organizations. I'd also learned tips and tricks from experts in genealogy magazines and websites. I was still doing pretty well doing research on my own – just me, the internet and a couple of subscriptions. I'd read about attending local and national conferences and I guess I secretly wanted to attend one just to see what they were about and perhaps buy a few things for my library. But then I would think – who really needs to go to those things? You don’t know what you don’t know! It was while learning how to use an iPod Nano that I discovered podcasts and The Genealogy Guys. George and Drew had me hooked after just one session so I ended up downloading all of the previous episodes and listening to them all. Because of them I joined the California Genealogical Society and got involved. So involved that I want to do so much more than I really have time for.

And I have some regrets about the decisions I made in my twenties. Now I know I lost a golden opportunity to learn from others at the events I attended and at the societies I belonged to. They knew the history of the region and the state. Because I didn’t want to feel out of place I put myself at a disadvantage.

I’m willing to wager that even today there are people still thinking the same thing. They think that everything is on the internet and they don’t need to join a society or organization. You and I know that this is not true. But what can we do about it? I have a few suggestions.

1. Reach out to the youth and attempt to pull them into the joy of family history.
2. Use the networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to promote your events.
3. Establish a youth membership level.

You don’t know what you don’t know!

– Tim Cox

Old San Francisco Cemetery Records

Saturday, October 17, 2009
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
San Francisco Main Library
Latino/Hispanic Room B
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, California 94102

Our own Nancy Peterson, Research Director for the California Genealogical Society and Library presents Old San Francisco Cemetery Records as part of the One City One Book September Events line-up at the San Francisco Main Library.

Her lecture will answer questions about San Francisco’s old cemeteries – Where did the bodies go and what records followed them? Who and what was left behind and never moved at all?

Nancy tells me that she will spend some time on "determining the date of death in order to locate the correct old cemetery." She's created a summary handout of available records so she can concentrate her talk on "the colorful history of disinterment and reinterment (and no disinterment)" in the second hour of her presentation.

Nancy Simons Peterson is a certified genealogist and author of numerous articles. She won the Society of Genealogists Scholar Award in 2003. Her narrative genealogy Guarded Pasts: The Lives and Offspring of Colonel George and Clara (Baldwin) Bomford was the winning entry in the 1998 National Genealogical Society Family History Writing Contest and is used as an example of quality work in the NGS Quarterly style on the Board for Certification of Genealogists Web site.

Nancy's search for her maternal San Francisco ancestors led ultimately to the publication of Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research, published by the society in 2006 to coincide with the centennial of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.

As Research Director, Nancy provides expert assistance for members and non-members alike. The charge is $30 per hour ($20 for members) which covers research time, analysis, documentation and a report. Rarely can one obtain the services of a certified genealogist at such bargain prices, and, as with the proceeds from her book, all monies collected benefit the society.

Photograph of the old IOOF Cemetery is part of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, used for this promotion with permission of Christina Moretta, Photo Curator, San Francisco Main Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Anne Robinson

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, 7/22/2009.

Celebrate October Family History Month

For nearly a decade, October has been celebrated as Family History Month among genealogy enthusiasts. The California Genealogical Society and Library will celebrate by hosting beginning to advanced genealogy seminars throughout the month.

Topics range from organizing and performing basic genealogical research to a special workshop on the whys and hows of genealogy blogs. Friday and Saturday lunchtime sessions at the library are open to the public and free of charge.

During the entire month of October, the society library waives the usage fee for non-members and opens its doors to the public without charge.

The full menu of Family History Month October 2009 offerings is listed on the Events flier.

The society's complete schedule of classes, workshops and consultations can be always be found on the Google calendar at the society Web site: http://calgensoc.org/

Announcing the CGS Manuscript Collection

Please come to the California Genealogical Society Library this Saturday, September 12, 2009, at 12:30 p.m. and join us at an open house to celebrate the completion of the Manuscript Collection Project. Light refreshments will be served. There will be a five to ten minute presentation about the project at 1:00 p.m. at the start of the membership meeting.

The CGS Manuscript Collection consists of loose papers, research and family history material totaling ninety linear feet which have been donated to the society over its 111 year history. A comprehensive review and organization of the collection has recently been completed by member volunteers Pat Bonderud and Linda Darby. All materials have been cataloged and a comprehensive document has been created to describe the society's holdings. Thanks to a generous grant by the BayTree Fund, all items are now arranged on open shelving in a separate room at the library and the documents are stored using acid-free and museum quality archival enclosures.

Pat Bonderud, Judy Avery and Linda Darby.

Besides the preservation of materials, it is the intent of the society to open the collection to interested researchers. A twenty-three page inventory is available in pdf format at the society website on the Searchable Databases page. It includes a synopsis of each collection and provides enough information to help you determine if further examination of a manuscript is beneficial to your research. Individual collections may be viewed at the library by appointment once a team of volunteers is identified who will oversee the collection.

If you are interested in helping the society offer this new service, please email CGS.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

A Few Good Men
Bill O'Neil, David Lowndes, Tom Gesner

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, May 10, 2008, Oakland, California.

How Many Ships Are Buried Beneath San Francisco?

Tim Cox let me know about this piece by Ken Bastida on KPIX CBS Channel 5 which features CGS member Ron Filion, co-founder of sfgenealogy.com discussing the more than fifty ships buried beneath the streets of San Francisco.

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54942@kpix.dayport.com

Thanks, Tim!

Bowen Cousins at the Intermediate Classes

I love sharing stories of cousins found at the CGS library! Mary Mettler informed me earlier this year that she had met some CGS cousins at the Intermediate Genealogy classes. You will recall that Mary shared information about some of her New England lines last summer in her Tuesday Tales series. Mary and Kristen Netterblad found they shared Richard Bowen (born about 1589 in Wales, died 4 Feb 1674/5 in Rehoboth or Swansea). Mary told me she was "sure we probably share some other lines, as the land-owning Baptists stuck together." They met for lunch and an examination of Mary charts when Kristen's mother was in town in March. I was able to snap this photo when they came by the library.

Kirsten Netterblad, Mom and Mary Mettler.

Here's Kirsten's summary of how the cousins met:

You never know who you're going to meet at a CGS class. As a 2008 Christmas present, I promised my mother I would break our Emily (Bowen) Smith (1806-1870) and/or Philip F. Cyphers (1826-1890) lines. Since I'm under some time pressure, I took the Spring Intermediate series of genealogy classes to help me along. I'm a bit of a talker and started chatting with the people around me about my project.

It turned out that Mary Mettler, the person who was sitting next to me, is a distant cousin off my Massachusetts Bowen line! She provided help connecting our trees and after comparing our additional lines in more depth, we're related in about a dozen different ways (Terry, Smith, Trumble, Loomis, Wright, Sheldon, Belden, etc).

Now that I've learned Emily's parents were Peter and Martha (Norton) Bowen, I'm just sourcing my information as I take all of my new lines back to the immigrant (my people are old New England, so I need a consistent stopping point).

I guess the moral of this story is that everybody is related to somebody else. If you don't take the time to chat with the people around you, you might miss out on an important family connection and new genealogy friend.

Emily Bowen Smith brought the cousins together.

Image of Emily Bowen Smith courtesy of Kirsten Netterblad.

Photograph of Emily's descendants by Kathryn M. Doyle, 3/14/2009, Oakland, California.

MS Word Skills for Genealogists – An Encore Presentation

Microsoft Word Skills for Genealogists – Formatting Styles, Footnotes and Indexing
A Publishing Workshop with Matthew Berry

Saturday, October 17, 2009
10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California

Join CGS member Matt Berry for this encore presentation of his very popular skills building workshop designed to help give genealogists the practical tools they need to go beyond the basics of Microsoft Office Word. Follow Matt's step-by-step tutorial and learn to create an organized family history with information that is easy to find using:

· Consistent formatting of information
· Footnotes or endnotes to document ancillary information, especially sources
· A comprehensive index and table of contents.

Please note that MS Word 2007 will be used for illustrations and instructions but support will also be provided for MS Word 2003.

The workshop day will consist of lecture material with handout, a lunch break and a "hands-on" session so attendees can practice their new skills. Members are encouraged to bring laptop computers; the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Bring a brown bag for lunch or, if you prefer, there is a nearby deli where you can buy a sandwich and bring it back to the library.

The workshop is a FREE benefit of membership but is limited to fifteen people. Pre-registration is required. There is a non-refundable sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (This fee can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) There is a sign-up sheet at the CGS Library desk. Please call CGS at 510-663-1358 or E-mail CGSLevents@gmail.com to reserve a space.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Website Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

October Workshop: Genealogy Blogs - Why, How, Do's and Don'ts

Are you curious about genealogy blogs? Or have you dismissed them as fluff and not worth your valuable time? Two experts will show why blogs are more than just "the latest fad" and how they are a valuable way to enhance your genealogy research.

As part of a special Family History Month line-up, the California Genealogical Society announces a special Genealogy Blog Workshop on Saturday, October 10, 2009.

Renowned genealogy bloggers Thomas MacEntee and Craig Manson will be on hand to share their blog expertise and have some fun.

Program:

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. How to Use a Blog - MacEntee

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Building a Genealogy Blog - MacEntee

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Blogging and the Law - Manson

Thomas MacEntee will start with the ABCs of blog use in a basic introductory demo. You'll leave this session with a list of great genealogy blogs to read, tips on how to best use the information found in blogs and wonder why you didn't start following blogs sooner!

Thomas' second session will show how having your own genealogy blog can take your genealogy research to another dimension. Learn how to get started in this easy-to-understand session geared towards beginners. With the help of an audience member, Thomas will create an individual family history blog right before your eyes.

Thomas MacEntee is a genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and as a means of interacting with others in the family history community. With over twenty-five years of experience in the information technology field, Thomas writes and lectures on the many ways blogs, Facebook and Twitter can be leveraged to add new dimensions to the genealogy experience. As the creator of GeneaBloggers.com he has helped organize and engage a community of over 600 bloggers who on a daily basis document their own journeys in the search for ancestors.

Craig Manson will end the day with a topic of interest to beginners as well as experienced bloggers: Blogging and the Law - Privacy Issues & Copyrights.

Craig is Distinguished Professor and Lecturer in Law at the Capital Center for Public Law and Policy at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. He teaches administrative law and has been a lawyer for twenty-eight years. Craig began the study and practice of genealogy in 2004. He writes the popular blog, GeneaBlogie and a weekend column called Appealing Subjects on the highly-regarded magazine Shades of the Departed. Although GeneaBlogie focuses on genealogy, he often writes about legal topics of interest to genealogists.

Found in Fort Wayne

Ten members of the California Genealogical Society met at America's crossroads for the biennial CGS Research week at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This year's group included members Carole Brisson, Kathryn Doyle, Sandy Fryer, Jane Hufft, Mary Mettler, Frankie Rhodes, Jim Robinson, Pat Smith and Kate VanDemark, led by Jane Knowles Lindsey.

Sandy Fryer and Jane Hufft.

On Wednesday I wordlessly posted several photograph of our week in the library, including some of Curt Witcher, Genealogy Center Manager, who generously gave us a personal tour of the facility and an excellent private lecture on military resources.

Pat Smith, Jane Lindsey and Carol Brisson

All in all we were a pretty driven group - entering the library at 9:00 a.m. when it opened and staying until the last closing announcement at 9:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.) The exception was mealtimes.

Jim Robinson and Mary Mettler.

Unfortunately, the concession that ran the in-house cafe on the main floor of the library (which served great soup and sandwiches two years ago) has been replaced by Dunkin' Donuts. That meant more time out at restaurants and less library time and consequently, a bit more fun (as you can see by this collection of photographs.)

Pat, Kathryn, Jim and Frankie Rhodes.

This year's group was a little smaller so we ate together as a group several times during the week. New friendships were formed and former connections were rekindled.

Frankie, Kate, Jim, Kathryn and Jane Hufft.

As always, a special dinner celebration was held on the last night and everyone shared some of their special finds. Here's a quick list of some of the week's highlights:

Pat Smith proved Thomsen Clark who was named in her sister-in-law's will. Pat found her in Indiana in the 1880 census.

Jane Knowles Lindsey and Pat Smith did some work on the Judge Project - the latest of the society's group research undertakings. Jane was tracking Alonzo Kelly of Iowa. She found his widow and four children in Arkansas in 1900.

Sandy Fryer made a wonderful discovery using PERSI – the PERiodical Source Index. She learned that her ggg-grandfather, Martin Burris, died instantly after being shot by "Mr. Frost" during a dispute over a cow in Wayne County, Kentucky.

Mary Mettler found the maiden name – Whitney – of Mary, seventeenth century wife of Ephraim Pierce of Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

Jane Hufft was thrilled to find Volumes 1 and 2 of Etched in Stone: Newburyport, Massachusetts Cemeteries by Noreen Cook Pramberg. For some reason the Family History Library in Salt Lake City has one volume and NEHGS in Boston has the other. Jane insists that "Both volumes are essential!" She also told me several times that she should could easily spend another week – she was finding so much.

Carole Brisson found "some good stuff" using two volumes on the New England RAWSON family.

Frankie Rhodes made progress tracking her great-grandfather, Ezra Nichols and his wife Margaret Downs. She found them on a passenger list and located information from 1886 in a Sacramento newspaper.

Jim Robinson got organized and worked with Jane on his JUDY (Tschudi) application to the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

All of us on the last night.

If you have never been on a group research tour, it's something you should seriously consider. Lots of genealogy was discussed during these meals. When a group gets together like this ideas keep flowing even after the library has closed.


Photographs courtesy of Carol Webb Brisson, Jane Knowles Lindsey and Kathryn Doyle, August 2009, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Allen County Public Library Tour
August 16 - 23, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey and Kathryn Doyle, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Fall 2009 Beginning Genealogy Series

In celebration of October Family History Month, the Oakland Regional Family History Center (ORFHC) and the California Genealogical Society (CGS) are offering an encore Beginning Genealogy Research Series. Four classes will be taught on Thursdays at the ORFHC and repeated on Saturdays, at the CGS Library.

The same teachers and handouts will be used in both sessions each week and enrolled students can attend classes at either or both facilities. Classes start on September 24, 2009. All classes will be held from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. In addition, an optional Internet Workshop will be held on Thursday, October 1 and Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

There is a $15 fee for the full series of classes which includes a printed syllabus. Single classes can be attended for a fee of $4 per class if space is available. The optional workshop will not be open to walk-ins.

Free parking is available at both locations. The Oakland Regional Family History Center is located at 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, California 94602. The California Genealogical Society Library is located at 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California 94612.

Preregistration is necessary to ensure adequate handouts. Drop-ins will be welcome on a space available basis. Please register by telephone 510-531-3905 or by e-mail.

Those students wishing to join the California Genealogical Society will also receive $10 off their memberships after attending all four classes. The offer expires on October 17, 2009.

To register for the Beginning Genealogy Seminar, download the registration form from the CGS website and mail with a check for $15 to the ORFHC, attn: Marge Bell, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, California 94602.

Class outline and schedule:

Session I – Introduction to the Science of Genealogy (2 hrs.) – Margery Bell
Thursday, September 24 & Saturday, September 26, 2009, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Session II – Secondary Resources (2 hrs.) – Jane Knowles Lindsey
Thursday, October 1, 2009 & Saturday October 3, 2009, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Optional Internet Workshop (1.5 hrs.) – Jane Knowles Lindsey
Thursday, October 1, 2009 & Saturday October 3, 2009, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Session III – Census Records (1.5 hours) – Margery Bell
Thursday, October 8, 2009 & Saturday October 10, 2009, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Session IV – Vital Records and the Calendar Change (2 hrs.) – Margery Bell
Thursday, October 15, 2009 & Saturday October 17, 2009, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Announcing the CGS e-News ARCHIVE

Some of you may not know that in addition to blogging for the California Genealogical Society and Library, I also edit our electronic newsletter, the CGS e-News. Until now, the only way to view an issue was via email.

Now the society is offering an online archive of all past editions of the newsletter. The CGS e-News ARCHIVE can be accessed through the society website. The link is in the left sidebar.

The e-News ARCHIVE contains all of the previously published issues of the CGSL monthly electronic newsletter, organized by year.

The CGS e-News is e-mailed to members and subscribers on the first of each month. Besides the time sensitive announcements of society meetings, classes and events, the newsletter also contains two regular features that may be of interest long after publication:

1. New trends in the world of genealogy are the focus of Editor's Picks: Suggested Links from the Blogosphere.

2. Members submit old family photographs to CGS Ancestors: Photo Tributes to the CGS Family. This feature, edited by Cathy H. Paris, has already helped one member to find a new branch of her Hetrick family.

I hope you will check out some of our old issues. Please let me know if you find a new connection.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Desk Duty Training at the CGS Library
Saturday, August 8, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, Oakland, California

BayNet Spotlight on CGS and Interview with Jane

Today BayNet, the Bay Area Library and Information Network, turns their spotlight on the California Genealogical Society and features an interview with CGS President Jane Lindsey. She answers questions about getting started in genealogy, what the society offers those with ancestors from outside California and more.

Thanks to BayNet and webmaster Amy Rogers for helping us spread the word about CGS!

About BayNet from their website:

A multi-type library association, BayNet welcomes librarians and information professionals from all varieties of organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our mission is to strengthen connections among all types of libraries and information centers, and to promote communication, professional development, cooperation, and innovative resource sharing.

Workshop: Digital Photography - A Tool For Your Genealogical Research

Digital Photography – A Tool For Your Genealogical Research
A Workshop with Mary Beth Frederick

Saturday, September 19, 2009
10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California

Join CGS member Mary Beth Frederick and learn how to use your digital camera to take photographs of books, original documents, microfilms, and computer screens. Using this method will save you time, money, energy, and frustration, not to mention your back by never again toting a mountain of paper in your carry-on baggage!

The workshop is a FREE benefit of membership but is limited to fifteen people. Pre-registration is required - no walk-ins will be allowed. There is a non-refundable sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (This fee can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) There is a sign-up sheet at the CGS Library desk. Please call CGS at 510-663-1358 or email CGSLevents@gmail.com to reserve a space.

Mary Beth Frederick has enjoyed careers in marketing research, systems analysis and design, project management and as an editor for both print catalogs and an online website. She inadvertently retired when her last employer went out of business.

For over four and a half years, she has been engaged full time in researching her family tree and that of her husband as well as the times and places in which their ancestors lived. She has researched the records of many U.S. states; French Canada and the Louisiana Territory; France and Germany; Wales and the Channel Islands, and South Africa. When the volume of paper collected during the first two years of research threatened to outgrow her office, she started taking digital photos of source documents.

Mary Beth attended the 2008 Salt Lake Institute to study family history writing with John Philip Colletta and Patricia Law Hatcher, has studied Old German handwriting with Ingeborg Carpenter, and holds memberships in First Families of St. Louis and La Société des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan. She earned a BA in English Literature with Classics from The Loyola University of Chicago.

She was born and raised in southeast Nebraska where she was related to nearly everyone in the county, which meant that finding a date (or a mate) presented a challenge. She solved this problem by meeting and marrying a South African. He does have a French surname, however, so she wouldn’t be surprised to find that they are related, too. Earlier this year, Mary Beth visited Australia where she has no known cousins. She is considering making the koala her totem animal since this furry creature also spends most of its time in trees.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Using Land Records in Genealogy
Workshop with Pam Miller
Saturday, August 8, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, Oakland, California.

Family Stories to Help You Break Down Your Brick Walls – September 12, 2009

September Membership Meeting
Saturday, September 12, 2009
1:00 p.m.
CGS Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California

It's story time at the California Genealogical Society Library but these won't be the bedtime variety. Four active CGS members have interesting tales to tell and each is a lesson of discovery that helped them loosen some of those proverbial bricks.

Lorna Wallace will present Buckingham's Letter – how a twenty year search ended because of what someone said in the CGS Library. She'll tell what happened that day and how it changed her research.

Tom Gesner will offer Name That Man: Who Was Mr. Ross? – how a fiftieth wedding anniversary announcement from 1912 led to an action plan guaranteed to find a missing identity. He'll explain what happened and why he did a lot of unnecessary work.

Mary Beth Frederick will share the search for a surname for her great -great-grandmother – The Long and Winding Road to Anne E. She'll tell the story of what she found in a cemetery that made her more determined than ever.

Steve Harris will relate brief vignettes with brick wall solutions using familiar sources in unfamiliar ways. He’ll share his own personal tips and tricks on researching and what can be done when we think we may have come upon a brick wall.

Please note that the short membership meeting starts promptly at 1:00 p.m. The presentations follow at 1:30 p.m. There will time for questions and answers. Seating is limited so please arrive early. Meetings are open to everyone but non-members pay a $5.00 users fee to enter the library. (Or come and become a member of CGS!)