They are NextGen

Meet Katie and Laura, two of our volunteers

In order to thrive, genealogical societies must continually attract new members. We need to embrace changing technologies, unusual resources and new volunteers. Sometimes, that means engaging the newly retired. After all, baby-boomers are retiring in droves. Not only are they our newest members, but they are usually our newest volunteers. 

We also need to embrace the youngest genealogists, and not just those under 65 or even 50, but the young adults who will bring our organizations into the future. 

At the California Genealogical Society, most of our steadfast volunteers are between 65-80 years old. We also have a significant number of members and volunteers well over 80. In contrast, we have far fewer younger members. That's because younger adults are busy in different ways. They may be working, raising young children, attending college, or perhaps all three. They might only be able to volunteer on Saturdays, or from home, or on summer breaks. But we can't ignore them; they are the future of genealogy, and the future of our societies. 

What is your society doing to attract younger members and volunteers? Are you friendly? Do you make them feel welcome? Do you value their time constraints? Or their skills? Do you use text messaging, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to communicate? Do you remember when you were the youngest member of your society? How does your group support the next generation of genealogists?

Two of the younger members of the California Genealogical Society are Katie and Laura. They are engaging, warm, funny, and tech-savvy professional women. They are genealogists who teach classes and volunteer on our events team. 

They are NextGen. 

And we are so lucky to have them onboard. 

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

Giving Thanks

Fall is my favorite time of year and Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Today, I have much to be thankful for. 

In my first year as President of the California Genealogical Society, I have been blessed with many mentors who have helped me navigate this role. I have watched dozens of individuals contribute thousands of hours working in the library, on the research team, maintaining our computers, repairing books, updating our databases, teaching classes, and much more. Our organization has thrived since 1898 because of the dedicated volunteers, loyal members, and generous donors who share a passion for family history.

I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society

Our Annual Appeal

The 2015 Annual Appeal is well underway and we're hoping for a great response!

At this time of year, we know that other charities and organizations are all competing for your time and resources. We also know that you are the reason that the California Genealogical Society continues to thrive so many decades after our 1898 establishment. In fact, our 120th Anniversary is just over two years away! 

We are very proud of our library—we think it may be one of the reasons you joined. It is the cornerstone of our organization, housing a collection of books, maps, pedigrees, manuscripts, and more. It also is an educational space for classes and events. As essential as the library is to our identity, even more important are the members and volunteers who truly define us. Our organization is a gathering place for like-minded individuals dedicated to one thing: genealogical research.

In order to ensure that our library continues to be a model for genealogical research, we need your help. It is important that our computers are state-of-the-art, that our collection continually grows, and that our educational events meet the needs of our community. However, membership dues only cover 40% of our operating expenses. By donating to the California Genealogical Society, you will help us to prosper. You, and your gift, make a difference.

Today, we ask for your help. Please consider donating by check or online. Matching corporate gifts are always welcome. 

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society

Wordless Wednesday

Volunteers at Work

California Genealogical Society Library

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California, 6/11/2013.


Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Membership Meeting and Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Photographs courtesy of Ron Madson, Oakland, California.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Lunch Bunch at the Library

Photograph courtesy of Linda Okazaki, Oakland, California, 2/12/2013.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Almost Finished! 1940 Census Indexing: July 2012 Update

The California Genealogical Society is part of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to create a free, online searchable name index of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census.

CGS has sixty-six indexers who are part of a team of almost 155,000 volunteers. Our team members indexed 13,301 names and arbitrated 8,739 during the month of July. 

Amazingly, after only four months, the project is almost finished!

99% of the 1940 census has been indexed and arbitrated. More than 134 million records have been indexed and thirty-one states are searchable by name.

President Jeffrey Vaillant is our acting project coordinator and he is posting periodic "cheerleading" messages to our group participants. 

Thank you to all of our hard-working indexing and arbitrating volunteers! 

If you didn't get a change to participate, don't worry! New indexing projects are added every week. 

Next up: the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Community Project.


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Western States Complete! 1940 Census Indexing – June 2012 Update

The California Genealogical Society is part of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to create a free, online searchable name index of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census.

CGS currently has sixty-six indexers who are part of a team of more than 143,000 volunteers. Our team members indexed 14,299 names and arbitrated 6,970 during the month of June. The project is ahead of schedule and FamilySearch created the graphic above to show that indexing is more than halfway to completion.

In fact, by the end of June, 75% of the entire 1940 census was indexed and arbitrated! More than 105 million records have been indexed, twenty-nine states and territories are searchable by name, and the entire western U.S. is complete.

President Jeffrey Vaillant is our acting project coordinator and he is posting periodic "cheerleading" messages to our group participants.

Thank you to all of our hard-working indexing and arbitrating volunteers!

If you haven't signed on yet, this may be your last chance to participate. Join us and the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Celebrating Our Volunteers

During National Volunteer Week, we celebrate our many volunteers at the California Genealogical Society and Library. Here is a message from CGS president, Jeff Vaillant:

The California Genealogical Society has no paid staff. Our volunteers ARE our society. I appreciate the willingness of members who DO the necessary jobs needed to effectively run the society, and who freely share their genealogical expertise. Thanks to all of the members of the California Genealogical Society – we wouldn't be as strong as we are without you!

In addition, our member volunteers equip, maintain, staff and operate a genealogical library. Our founders, if they could time-travel forward from 1898, would be astounded at the collection we have amassed in a century, thanks to the generosity, in time and money, of our members. The CGS continues, in the twenty-first century, to place the highest value on real books in the digital age. To run a library without any paid staff is a remarkable accomplishment.

Member volunteers contribute their time and energy to a large menu of projects, services, and educational opportunities the CGS provides. Some work behind the scenes to keep our computers in repair and our digital presence up-to-date. Our research team is in the library every Tuesday to handle look-ups and research requests and help produce our publications. Indexers, archivists, librarians, catalogers, writers, editors, photographers, designers, film-editors, videographers, archivists, bookkeepers, receptionists, speakers, teachers, book repairers – all these, and more, are words that describe the actions our volunteers perform every year.

One of our challenges is finding the right person to do the right job. We are extremely fortunate to have Linda Okazaki as our Volunteer Coordinator. Her enthusiasm and knowledge enhances our volunteer corps.

It is my experience with volunteer organizations that there is a core of people who carry the load. We are blessed with a number of members who have stepped forward to do the work. Thank you for all you do for the California Genealogical Society.

—Jeffrey Vaillant, President, 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Join Us and the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project

 

The California Genealogical Society is proud of our continuing partnership with FamilySearch Indexing.

CGS has joined forces with genealogy societies around the country as part of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to create a free, online searchable name index of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census after images of the census are released to the public starting April 2, 2012.

The 1940 Census is attractive to both new and experienced researchers because most people in the United States can remember a relative that was living in 1940. It will do more to connect living memory with historical records and families than any other collection previously made available.
—David Rencher, Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch.

Join our members throughout California and across the U.S. (and one international indexer!) who have signed on to help. Visit The1940census.com/society and register to participate with our society. Simply select California Genealogical Society and Library on the profile screen when creating your account. Every new person indexing with our society gets us closer to milestones that qualify us for incentives provided by the sponsors of the project, so sign up today!

Steps to take:

1. Download and install the indexing software
   Watch an Overview | Get Started
2. Learn how to index the 1940 US Census
   Watch a Video | Try the 1940 Census indexing simulation
3. Let others know about the 1940 US Census Community Project
   Like the Facebook page | Follow @The1940Census on Twitter | Follow the page on Google+ | Tell friends about the1940census.com

Thank you for your help!

 

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

New Shelves in the Library!

There's been lots of activity in the library this month as the contents of close to 600 shelves of books were moved over a period of just two weeks. This was the culmination of a space review and "remodel" that included the purchase of ten new shelving units paid by an anonymous donor.

Once the new shelves were installed the process of "shifting" books began. Many responded to a call for volunteers, including members of the Library, Look-ups and Desk Committees.

Special thanks to our librarians Laura Spurrier and Diana Wild for overseeing the project and to our member volunteers who worked tirelessly: Judy Bodycote, Nancy Fike, Steve Harris, Jane Lindsey, Arlene Miles, Shannon Reese, Lavinia Schwarz, Pat Smith, Roland Smith, Jim Sorenson and Judy Zelver.

Temporary signs have been put up to help patrons locate books until our exhausted librarians have time to create new permanent ones.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone!

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, 5/28/2011, Oakland, California.


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Society Row at Jamboree – Can You Help?

It's that time of year again! The Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree returns Friday through Sunday, June 10 - 12, 2011, at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center.

The generous folks at SCGS know how difficult it is for societies to afford the fees and provide the manpower to have an exhibit booth for the full three days of the conference. This year Paula and Leo have made an incredible offer to genealogical societies and we have taken them up on it!

Jamboree's new feature this year is Society Row. The California Genealogical Society will have a 6' table in the Convention Center main foyer on Saturday, June 11, 2011, at no cost! Thank you, Southern Cal! Our table will be staffed throughout the day 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Members are needed to help starting at 7:00 a.m. for set up.

For detailed information about schedule, speakers, genealogy exhibitors and more, visit the Jamboree blog and be sure to download the Jamboree App. The full thirty page Jamboree Magazine is available for download from the SCGS website.

Attention members: please email me if you are attending and can help at the table.


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Volunteerism: One Day in the Life

When the topic for the 88th Carnival of Genealogy was announced I faced a bit of a dilemma. At first I was pleased because volunteerism is a subject I could easily write about on a society blog - and that isn't always the case. But then it dawned on me that every article published here is at its essence about volunteerism. The California Genealogical Society is 100% a volunteer organization. We have no paid employees so everything we do is by definition an act of volunteerism. What new insights did I really have to offer on a subject I've been writing about for over two years? I decided to forgo this edition of the COG.

Obviously something happened to change my mind (literally at the eleventh hour). Photographs have become an integral part of the story I tell for the society so I tend to keep my camera in my bag and I always take a few shots on every visit to the CGS Library. Tonight as I was uploading I noticed that I had a few photographs taken on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 and I remembered how crowded it was that day in the library.

 Pub/Mark Committee Meeting

The Publications and Marketing Committee meets on the first Tuesday of every month and there are usually six or seven of us who attend. The number varies depending on what else is going on in our lives. This month our chair, Cathy Paris, was there, along with Jane Hufft, Nancy Peterson, Marianne Frey, Arlene Miles and a new comer to our group - Henry Snyder. Unfortunately, Marilyn Willats had to leave before Jane Lindsey took this photograph. I remember thinking at the time how wonderful it was that Marilyn had been able to come in for the meeting. Marilyn cares for her grandchildren on Tuesdays so she can rarely make it anymore but on that day she didn't have her family responsibility. On her one free Tuesday she came to the library for a committee meeting.

Judge Project Meeting

Meeting in the next room were the members of the Research and Lookups Committee. These days they are consumed with the Judge Project. Laura Spurrier, Lavinia Schwarz, Pat Smith, Judy Bodycote, Lorna Wallace and Nancy Peterson were discussing formatting and footnotes and all manner of other things for the book they are researching and writing. I really need to write a blog article about the hundreds of hours they are logging and the amazing story they will tell but I dare not bother them for details with deadlines looming.

Others were there who were not photographed. Verne Deubler was at his computer processing emails and working on his newest indexing project. Dick Rees was handling the mail. Sandy Fryer and Paul Mayer were meeting which means that QuickBooks was open and they were probably closing the books on 2009 and readying things for the upcoming Annual Business Meeting.

Gaye Lenahan, Lorna Jones and Steve Harris were working in the library that Tuesday as well, bringing the total number of volunteers in the library to 21. Twenty-one members showed up on the first Tuesday of the year when the library was still technically closed for the holidays.

There was no speaker to hear, no personal research being done. Twenty-one members were there and the place was buzzing with activity and every moment was a selfless act of volunteerism to benefit a non-profit genealogical society. Now that was something to write about.

Written for the 88th Carnival of Genealogy - Volunteerism. The COG poster provided courtesy of the footnoteMaven.

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, January 5, 2010.

Shelf Reading: A Top to Bottom Review

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 was Shelf Reading Day at the California Genealogical Society Library. Marianne Frey organized the event and provided a review of the Library of Congress call number system so volunteers could check their shelving skills.

Every book on every shelf was examined to insure its proper placement by the fourteen volunteer members who donated their day to the cause.

The industrious volunteers were: Diana Demeter, Mary Beth Frederick, Marianne Frey, Sandy Fryer, Evelyn Gray, Steve Harris, Arlene Miles, Kirsten Netterblad, Dick Rees, Craig Siulinski, Pat Smith, Laura Spurrier, Betty Walker and Bill Whitson.

CGS President Jane Lindsey wanted to publicly thank all the volunteers who came forward and sent this:

I am so pleased we got all the shelves read – a huge project done and all in one day. It was nice to see some new faces and some long-time members, too!

CGS Library cataloger Laura Spurrier added this:

I want to thank everyone for turning out too. Each time we do this, fewer cataloging problems turn up. That is not to say we're anywhere near perfect, but I can see a difference. It takes dedicated people like yourselves to identify problems so I can fix them. You're an integral part in making the books more and more findable and the library catalog more and more accurate. Thank you!

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 7/22/2009, Oakland, California.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Shelf Reading at the California Genealogical Society Library
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey.

Wordless Wednesday

Lunch hour at CGS

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, February 10, 2009, Oakland, California.

Happy Thanksgiving

Julie Cahill Tarr at GenBlog by Julie started a Thanksgiving meme with the challenge to blog two things for which we are thankful.

That's an easy one for me.

1. I'm thankful for all of the generous volunteers who are the California Genealogical Society and Library. You are all THE BEST.

2. I'm thankful that tomorrow is the first blogiversary of the CGSL blog. I can't believe it's been a year since we started this experiment.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Stories, Books, Wine and Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at CGS!

Wine Reception at CGS for Volunteers
Hear Their Stories and Visit the Book Sale
Saturday, November 8, 2008
1:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway at 22nd, Oakland, Lower Level

Please join the CGS board of directors for a special wine and nibbles reception to honor our volunteers.

We are so thankful for all the wonderful volunteers at the society who carry out for CGS many kinds of significant and valuable projects, while serendipitously making many discoveries for their own research. Please join us for this delightful celebratory event. Volunteers will be entertaining us with stories of their greatest, best and most surprising discoveries as well as sharing how they assist the society and its members.

Our volunteers are perfect examples of the many rewards and benefits one can gain from being an active part of a genealogical society. Not only have the volunteers improved the society and helped many people conduct successful research, they have made their own discoveries while working at the library. They are the proof that there is so much more to genealogy than solitary online searching.

Everyone will have nametags listing areas of research to help us connect. To acknowledge our volunteers and all the work they do, we’re celebrating them with wine and nibbles and hearing their stories, and you are invited to be part of the fun!

***Please note: An encore presentation of Breaking Down Brick Walls had been scheduled for this date. The presentation has been postponed until early in 2009. If you would like to submit a research problem for consideration, please email Carolyn Steinberg.

Getting to Know Me and the CGSL Blog

In the weird, wonderful world of genealogy blogging, members of the community sponsor carnivals, throw out challenges and tag one another with memes - all in an effort to encourage their fellow genea-bloggers.

Terry Thornton of Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi issued the Getting to Know You challenge:

The number of new blogs is increasing so rapidly that many of us are having trouble keeping up with reading and visiting. There never seems enough time to get to know new blogs much less to interact with their authors. To help out in that regard, I'm issuing a challenge to all Bloggers to help us get to know each other.

I hope that Terry doesn't mind if I stray slightly from his very specific format.

As I state in About Me, my name is Kathryn Doyle and I am a CGS board member and chair of the Marketing Committee. I started this blog ten short months ago as an experiment and I'm happy to report that so far it is a successful one. I blog exclusively for the members of the California Genealogical Society and Library. I try to use my voice and keep the rest of me out of the blog, as much as possible. (This post is obviously an exception!)

The blog's purpose is to promote the society, to advertise events and meetings, to take readers "behind the scenes" and introduce member volunteers to each other and to the world and perhaps to serve as a "how to" guide for other societies.

Here are three examples of the types of articles I blog for the society:

Roberts: What We Found
This is the second installment of a five-part series on Corporal Harold Roberts which exemplifies the team spirit behind the research done at CGS.

A Tribute to Anne Robinson
This article was written for a National Women's History Month carnival which gave me the opportunity to honor a truly dedicated volunteer. This kind of post has evolved into an on-going "Member Spotlight" series.

Digital vs. Print - Where Do You Stand?
I'll be writing more about the administrative side of the society in the future. Do inquiring minds really want to know?

I am also very fortunate to have many partners who have been willing to contribute photographs, story ideas, background information, articles and entire series (thank you Mary Mettler!) to the cause. It is an honor and a pleasure to write for so many dedicated volunteers.

Dick Rees and me - in the pink.

Photograph courtesy of Judy Bodycote.

Baby Samuel: A Few More Clues About Mom

Yesterday I had a full day of meetings at CGS but I thought I would sneak in a little research time for a friend. I planned to noodle around in some San Francisco city directories to see if I could find any new information about the SWARTZ family for Elizabeth O'Neal of Little Bytes of Life. On Tuesday she reported on The Mystery of Baby Samuel and how she had become strangely obsessed with his short life.

When I got to the library, I discovered that the crack team of researchers at the society were already on the case. Since Elizabeth had done the basic census work, CGS "Look-up Maven" Lavinia Schwarz, did what anyone who has San Francisco ancestors should do. She searched the California Names Index on the California Genealogical Society Web site.

Through the years, CGS volunteers have indexed a wide variety of state, county, and local references, creating an enormous and unique database of the library's holdings. The California Names Index currently contains over 265,000 entries. Search results yield a full name and an Index Code that tells the source type of the information.

These are the results that come up after a search for "Swartz."


The bottom listing is for Baby Samuel's parents: "Swartz, Samuel K. (I. Nielsen) BIO $10.00." The three letter code "BIO" indicates that some biographical information is available in our collection of more than 50 California state, county, and local histories. $10.00 is the charge for copying and sending the information. (Elizabeth, this one is on us!)

Lavinia recognized the source for the Swartz biography as one she had consulted for several previous look-up requests. It is a two volume set and it is in Danish.

Danske I California og California Historie: Beretninger om de Danskes liv og Virke Fra de Tidligste Pioner Dage is: Danes In California and California History, a Report on Danish Life and Work from the Earliest Pioneer Days, according to Google Translate.


Author Sophus Hartwick was once an owner and publisher of the San Francisco Danish Newspaper Bien (the Bee), the only Danish newspaper west of the Rockies when it began in 1882. The paper is still being published, a bi-weekly printed every other Thursday. Another interesting coincidence: the paper's local editor at its Solvang office is a Nielsen!

The biography is actually for "Mrs. Samuel K. Swartz" and it names her Inger Anna Nielsen. Luckily, CGS's Library Committee chair, Laura Spurrier will be able to translate the passage for us. Stay tuned.


Part 2:  Baby Samuel: Some Answers, More Questions