The Morning After Who Do You Think You Are? - First Saturday Free!

First Saturdays FREE
Introduction to Genealogy
Saturday, March 6, 2010
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Sometimes things are carefully scripted and planned. Sometimes it's just plain dumb luck. This month the California Genealogical Society and Library's First Saturday Free and Introduction to Genealogy class (taught by Lisa Gorrell) just happens to come the morning after the premier of Who Do You Think You Are?.  I'm hoping for an onslaught, so, attention volunteers: 

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

In anticipation of an increase in patronage of the library, local members are asked to volunteer their time to answer phones, re-shelve books and be on-hand to assist visitors. If WDYTYA? creates the same response in the U.S. as it did in 2004 in the U.K., we are going to need more volunteers to staff the desk and help in the library.

It remains to be seen if the program will translate to a resurgence in interest in genealogy but NBC is pulling out the stops to promote both the show and the pursuit of our favorite hobby. Executive Producer Lisa Kudrow has been busy. She's made appearances on the Today Show on NBC, The View on ABC and on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, she'll hang with Oprah on Celebs Dig Up Their Family Secrets.

In any case, it's cause for celebration anytime mainstream media is paying attention. Yesterday's New York Times sited the "genealogy craze" and today's Los Angeles Times review includes one encouraging statement:

The power of "Who Do You Think You Are?" does not lie in the celebrity but in the much more dramatic nature of "ordinary" life. Residents of 21st century America cannot be reminded often enough of how easy so many of us have it compared with previous generations. As anyone perusing their own genealogy knows, the infant mortality rate of even a few generations ago is shocking to the modern sensibility.

So don’t forget to tune in tonight to watch Sarah Jessica Parker and stop by the library to greet all the newcomers!

Wordless Wednesday

Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, 2/17/10.

Ethnic Genealogy Series: Chinese Ancestry - A Workshop in Two Sessions

The California Genealogical Society and Library, in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration - San Francisco, presents a FREE two-part workshop on researching Chinese ancestry. Members Christine DeVillier, Jeanie Low and Kay Speaks will share their experience and the knowledge gained researching their own Chinese ancestors.  The classes are open to all levels of experience – Chinese language skills are not necessary. Attendance at both sessions is required. 

Session I - Saturday April 17, 2010
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
California Genealogical Society Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA.

Program:
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Chinese Research Timeline in the U.S. from 1849 to the present – Jeanie Low presents an examination of immigration laws and migration patterns and their effect on Chinese families.

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  Resources in the The National Archives and Records Collection Pertaining to Chinese Research – Marisa Louie, NARA Archivist.

12:00 p.m. -   1:00 p.m.  Brown bag lunch and informal discussion.

1:00 p.m. -   2:00 p.m.  Obtaining Records: Your Toolbox – Christine DeVillier reviews: interview and research techniques, using photos and artifacts, online resources, how to use headstones, passengers lists, birth and death records, census records, family associations and more.

2:00 p.m. -   3:30 p.m.  Case Studies and Research – Kay Speaks.


Session II - Saturday, May 8, 2010
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
National Archives, San Francisco Pacific Region, 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA.

Research day at NARA with access to the Angel Island Immigration Station case files. Only those who attend the April 17, 2010, workshop will be admitted to the archives.

Please note:

• Workshop is limited to twenty.
• FREE with advanced registration.
• No walk-ins allowed.
• Handouts will be emailed in advance. Please bring your own printed copy and help us cut costs.

Update 3/12/10:

The Chinese Ancestry Workshop is now full. A waiting list has been started for a future class. Add your name at the online registration form. 

eNews March 2010, Vol. 4, No. 3

The March 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 3, has been published and emailed to members and friends. As always, the eNews features timely information about the California Genealogical Society and our upcoming events. Each edition also includes Editor's Picks: Suggested Links From the Blogosphere and a photo feature: California Ancestors.

This month, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, Cathy Paris pays tribute to her Irish Roots – the photographs and story are of her grandmothers, Helen Elizabeth Nimmo (1898 - 1976), left, and Mary Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1886 - 1918), right.

Past issues of the eNews are available for viewing at the eNews ARCHIVE. The April 2010 issue will be emailed on March 31, 2010. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Judy Avery's Report From London: Who Do You Think You Are?

I'm so excited that Judy Avery agreed to send a report from this year's WDYTYA - Live. Okay, I'm a little jealous, too. Thank you, Judy, for taking time out to be our eyes and ears in London!

It's been a busy and jam-packed couple of days so at night I've been too tired to report anything! Today it's pouring rain and a good morning to stay in the hotel and actually try to write about what I've seen and heard at the conference.

It's called Who Do You Think You Are - Live: a National History Show at the Olympia Conference Center in London. Even though WDYTYA is a hit BBC show, it's not a BBC event but sponsored by Ancestry.co.uk., in association with the Society of Genealogists and The Genealogist.co.uk. It's a huge success - they estimated 10,000 to 15,000 participants over the three days and judging by the number of day passes and workshop tickets that have sold out, they've reached their goal.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society has a table in one of the corners for the first time and this is an experiment to see what response an American organization gets. The president, Brenton Simons, and three staff members are manning the table and giving lectures (they're called workshops in the brochure). Trustees and councilors were invited to join up and at least four of us are here - visiting booths (at least 200), enjoying bangers and mash for lunch and chatting with other participants.

Sandi Hewlett, Judy Avery and Meriwether Schmidt at the NEHGS table.

You should see the crowds! Very orderly, queuing up cheerfully as the British do, so happy to be here. There is a fairly-quickly moving line in front of the Military Memorabilia booth, where people are bringing in photos, medals, letters, etc. and waiting to talk to a military expert who can tell them about their treasures. Another very popular booth is Ask the Experts – a free 20-minute session with a genealogist and his laptop. Michael LeClerc and Josh Taylor have volunteered stints there, and find themselves answering family history questions about the U.K. and other European countries. They report great interest in people who went to America and have been lost by family members. "My grandmother's favorite brother went to California in 1910 and no one knows what happened to him."  Or "Mary sailed for America in 1890 - we think she went to New York and married a man named Smith." Remarkably in most cases, the staff members have been able to find some information or give helpful advice, and  people are so grateful. It seems at conferences in the U.S. we're interested in where our ancestors came from. Here we've had many questions on what became of family members in America.

Highlights for me: Maureen Taylor's talk on Scrapbooks. Remember when she gave that wonderful talk to the California Genealogical Society about dating old family photographs? She said scrapbooking in Britain isn't the big industry it is in the U.S. but it's coming. There are no big stores dedicated to readymade scrapbooks yet but supplies are in arts and craft shops. Audience members said they are making their own albums - very creative. Original photographs or documents should be copied and then pasted into the scrapbook. In the 20th century scrapbook makers began telling a story in their scrapbooks and it's a good idea to have a theme in the book.

Photo Detective Maureen Taylor

FamilyTree DNA has a big presence here and interesting workshops. If you're like me, you've done some testing but find it really frustrating and confusing to interpret. I think I understand it a bit better going to "DNA for Genealogy - Basic Concepts" and "I've Been DNA Tested - Now What?" FamilyTree is in the beta phase for a new program called Family Finder, which can find relatives within 4-5 generations across all lines. Traditional testing has done the yDNA and MtDNA chromosomes which can show direct male and female lines - good for surname projects and showing if men are related. The new Family Finder tests the other 22 chromosomes and can find male and female cousins, half-siblings, and will become the "perfect test for adoptees." Their new motto on a t-shirt is, "Sex doesn't matter anymore."

The best find in all this new information was Terry Barton explaining the FamilyTree website and giving information on his organization WorldFamilies.net. He and his wife have explained for us laymen about terms (markers, alleles!), and navigation of the FamilyTree website to get the results we want. "You are responsible for your own learning," he says, but this makes it seem possible.

So many booths with enthusiastic volunteers - small local history societies, Irish, Scottish and Welsh history groups, preservation supplies, map sellers, military history tables, a booth scanning documents, etc. I'm going back this afternoon and will try to take in some more!

- Judy Avery

Photographs courtesy of Judy Avery.