If you have U.S. ancestors, Michael Hait's new book, Online State Resources for Genealogy, is one to add to your genealogy bookshelf. With 784 pages of resources and hyperlinks you are sure to find something new. As I browsed through the book (starting at the back of course) the very first page I looked at had a hyperlink to the Tacoma Area Obituaries Database which helped me with my Martin Brown family case.

Click here to purchase for just $15.99.

Here's the official description:

784 pages | Published August 2012 | PDF (download-only) edition with hyperlinks

The emergence of the Internet has led to many online resources for genealogical research. Subscription genealogy websites, such as Ancestry.com, Fold3, GenealogyBank, and others, have grown to fill the market for record indexes and images online. Free genealogy sites, such as Find-A-Grave and the U. S. GenWeb Project, have employed the work of tireless volunteers over the years to provide record transcriptions online at no cost. FamilySearch, a product of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, aspires to combine the best of both, providing record indexes and images online at no cost. None of these sites will be examined in this book. Many researchers are unaware of the sheer volume and variety of records that have been brought online, at no cost, by government agencies and others active in individual towns, counties, and states. This book will provide a directory to sites that offer record images and indexes nationwide, including state archives, state libraries, state health departments, county clerks, historical societies, genealogical societies, university libraries, public libraries, and others. This e-book contains active links to almost 6,000 separate online resources available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is available as a PDF downloadable e-book, so that all you have to do is click on the hyperlinks to access the websites described.

Click here to purchase for just $15.99.

About the author

Michael Hait, a certified genealogist, has over ten years of research experience on families from Connecticut to South Carolina to Tennessee. He serves as the vice-president of the National Capital Area chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. He is the author of The Family History Research Toolkit and Online State Resources for Genealogy. He is also the author and instructor for the "Research: African-American Ancestors" course at the National Institute of Genealogical Studies and the coordinator of the resource library for Lowcountry Africana.

Register for Michael's upcoming webinars:

• What is a 'Reasonably Exhaustive Search'? presented on September 12, 2012.
• Your Civil War Ancestors: Beginning Your Research, presented on October 24, 2012.

Click here to register.

Passenger lists provide key information about an ancestor’s arrival in the New World. But there are additional hidden clues you on them you might be missing. Join webinar speaker, Lisa Alzo, to learn how to really examine these lists to get more of the story!

Join us for the live webinar on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

About the presenter

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. is a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer, specializing in Slovak/Eastern European genealogical research, writing your family history, and using the Internet to trace female and immigrant ancestors. She is the author of nine books, including the award-winning Three Slovak Women, and hundreds of magazine articles, and writes the blog The Accidental Genealogist.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific/Arizona
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email during the week prior to the webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here by clicking on the "Test Your GoToWebinar Connection" link.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

The 10th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, to be held September 22 through October 7, 2013, starts in San Diego, California and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will feature speakers Megan Smolenyak, Karen Clifford, Geoff Rasmussen, Randy Seaver and others. It will visit the following ports:

• San Diego, California
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
• Puntarenas, Costa Rica
• Panama Canal (cruising)
• Colon, Panama
• Cartagena, Columbia
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Experience the Panal Canal the way you've always dreamed

Stand face-to-face with the grandeur of the Panama Canal aboard Celebrity Cruises - the only cruise that gives you a full vacation while crossing the Continental Divide. When the Celebrity Millennium enters the canal, it will rise 85 feet in one of the legendary Gatun Locks. As you cross the Continental Divide - a journey that took mariners of long ago many years to complete - a new world of wonder and amazement awaits you on the other side. Join us for what will undoubtedly be an enlightening and rewarding journey.

Genealogy Classes at Sea

While at sea attend classes taught by some of genealogy's finest educators, Legacy Family Tree webinar speakers, and Legacy developers:

• Megan Smolenyak
• Karen Clifford
• Geoff Rasmussen
• Randy Seaver
• Steve Salisbury
• Dave Berdan
• Ken McGinnis
• Luc Comeau

In addition to the classes, you will benefit from the small-group sessions and lots of time to learn from each other.

The Ship

Luxurious accommodations and intuitive service consistently place Celebrity Millennium at the top of the rankings among large cruise ships. A favorite of many vacationers, Celebrity Millennium was "Solsticized" in May of 2012 and emerged with many award-winning Solstice® Class features. She's been renewed with spa-inspired AquaClass® staterooms, the AquaClass signature restaurant, Blu, and the addition of verandas to her chic Celebrity Suites. We can't think of a better way to experience the exotic beauty of the Panama Canal than aboard Celebrity Millennium. Out of the ordinary? Definitely.

Reservations or questions

Prices begin at $1,443 per person, based on double occupancy. The price includes:

• Genealogy classes
• Shipboard accommodations
• Ocean transportation
• Meals
• Some beverages
• Most onboard entertainment
• Port charges

Airfare, gratuities, government fees/taxes, and optional tours are extra.

Click here to securely book your cruise online.

To reserve a cabin, or ask questions, contact our travel coordinator, Christy, at 1-888-505-6997 or send an email to [email protected].

More Information

For class descriptions, frequently asked questions, descriptions of the places we'll visit, or pictures of our past cruises, visit http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2013.asp.

The recording of today's webinar, Building a Family from Circumstantial Evidence, by Judy G. Russell, ^CG is now available to view for a limited time. Using the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) Judy taught principles and techniques that every genealogist should use when researching any ancestral family. This webinar changed one viewer's life:

"This webinar was not only informative, it was also inspirational....The webinar today has totally changed how I will move forward and over or around the brick walls I have been dealing with for many years."

I've got to admit - the goosebumps I had when she revealed her last clue lasted about an entire minute! Well done Judy, we are anxious to have you back!

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 28 minute recording of Building a Family from Circumstantial Evidence is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It will be available until September 10, 2012 for free.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

Own your own copy of Building a Family from Circumstantial Evidence by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the complete 1 hour 28 minute recording of the class, the question/answer session, and 8 pages of handouts. Click here for more information or to purchase.

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of evidence that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, September 3, 2012.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Beyond the Arrival Date: Extracting More from Passenger Lists with Lisa Alzo. September 5.
• What is a 'Reasonably Exhaustive Search'? with Michael Hait. September 12.
• Getting Started with Heritage Collector Software with Kathleen Bitter
• Use Your Digital Camera to Copy Records with Mary Hill. September 19.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy Family Tree with Geoff Rasmussen. September 26.
• Privacy and our Ancestors with Thomas MacEntee. October 3.
• Researching Your Irish Ancestors: Beyond the Basics with Judy Wight. October 10.
• Ten Brick Wall Tips for Intermediate Researchers with Marian Pierre-Louis, October 17.
• Your Civil War Ancestors: Beginning Your Research with Michael Hait. October 24.
• Breaking Down Your Irish Brick Wall with Judy Wight. October 31.
• Researching Your Canadian Ancestors - an Overview with Claire Brisson-Banks. November 7.
• Genealogy for Novices: Where Do We Begin with Linda Geiger. November 14.
• The Big 4 U.S. Record Sources with Mary Hill. November 28.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Here's a deal you don't find every day: name your own price on GENViewer and GENMatcher - two of Legacy Family Tree's add-ons. The publisher of these programs announced the special today to celebrate Labor Day (or Labour Day!). He has graciously allowed us to offer the same deal. Here's the announcement and instructions:

To celebrate Labour Day, GENViewer and GENMatcher will be retailed at the excellent price of whatever you want to pay through Monday, September 3, 2012. I urge you to think about how much it is worth to you. Where else could you buy professional-quality software like this for less than 20 dollars?

GENViewer - adds more functionality, searching, and views of your Legacy family file.

Purchase Instructions

1. Click here to add GENViewer to your shopping cart.
2. Enter your purchase price in the Each field (normally $19.95).
3. Click on the blue Recalculate button.
4. Click on the yellow Proceed to Checkout button and place your order.

Or click here to first learn more about GENViewer.

GENMatcher - quickly compares your Legacy family file to other genealogy files for possible matches.

Purchase Instructions

1. Click here to add GENMatcher to your shopping cart.
2. Enter your purchase price in the Each field (normally $19.95).
3. Click on the blue Recalculate button.
4. Click on the yellow Proceed to Checkout button and place your order.

Or click here to first learn more about GENMatcher.

Watch a brief video about GENViewer

I just found this brief video about using the FileSearch feature in GENViewer - one of its best features.

Most genealogists learn very quickly that it's a rare family where direct evidence supplies all the proof needed to connect one generation to another and tie brothers and sisters to each other. In most cases, it's necessary to build the case for family relationships from bits and pieces and hints and clues gathered from a wide variety of sources. Find out more about how to build a family from circumstantial evidence.

Join us and Judy G. Russell, CG for the live webinar on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

About the presenter

A Certified Genealogist with a law degree, Judy G. Russell is a lecturer, educator and writer who enjoys helping others understand a wide variety of genealogical issues, including the interplay between genealogy and the law. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, trade association writer, legal investigator, defense attorney, federal prosecutor, law editor and, for more than 20 years, Judy has been an adjunct member of the faculty at Rutgers Law School. Judy is a Colorado native with roots deep in the American south on her mother’s side and entirely in Germany on her father’s side. Visit Judy's blog at http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific/Arizona
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email during the week prior to the webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

You've fallen in love with her brick wall cases, research planning suggestions, and genealogy methodology webinars as part of our Legacy Family Tree webinar series. You can now find Marian Pierre-Louis on her own radio show, Fieldstone Common at Blog Talk Radio. The weekly, live 60-minute shows will feature authors, historians, curators and others whose passion is to keep New England history alive.

The inaugural episode airs on Friday, August 24, 2012 at 1:00pm EDT. The show premiere will feature Paul Della Valle, author of Massachusetts Troublemakers: Rebels, Reformers and Radicals from the Bay State. Future episodes will air weekly on Thursdays at 1:00pm EST.

About Marian Pierre-Louis:

Marian is a professional genealogist and house historian who shares her love of New England history through her research, blogs and social media. She is the author of the following webinar CDs:

• Researching Your Connecticut Ancestors
• Brick Walls: Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Ancestors
• Discovering Your Massachusetts Ancestors
• Ten Brick Wall Tips for Beginners
• Plan Your Way to Research Success

Sign up for her next webinar, Ten Brick Wall Tips for Intermediate Researchers here.

In my casual mention in our last webinar of my family's upcoming move to the state of Idaho I did not consider that it would stir up so many questions. Will Geoff still be with Legacy? What about the webinars? Where is Idaho?

Since I can do what I do from anywhere with an Internet connection, the move will not effect what I do with Legacy or our weekly webinars. Besides, I believe so much in what we are doing here at Legacy Family Tree that I just can't see myself doing anything else. And...we've got some exciting plans for the future! I'll also get to head up the regional Legacy offices in the Boise area. Maybe I should check to see if Idaho has Internet....

Some things will change though. I am now acclimated to 115 degree summer temps, but here in Arizona when it falls below 60 in the winter, it's time for the winter coat. Wierd, I know. Idaho is already into the 40s at night, and it's still summer. I'll miss my grapefruit and orange trees, but I'll get to plant lots of potatoes.

Regardless, we're excited about the change. If you'd like to read a little more, I wrote about it on my personal blog here.

During last week's Researching with Geoff - Live! webinar, one viewer (Barbara) noticed that I entered the word "County" as part of Fanny Brown's death location and asked,

"Why write in the word 'county' when that position indicates it is the county?"

In addition to Barbara's good eye for detail, she must have known about some of the techniques I taught in the Mastering Legacy: Names, Dates, and Places training CD about proper data entry, but she overlooked one of the golden rules for data entry of locations:

Enter the location so that there can be no misunderstanding by novices or others as to the location being expressed.

In other words, when there is a chance that your data entry may be interpreted incorrectly, make the effort to make it clear with as much consistency as possible. For example, I entered Fanny Brown's death location as:

, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States

Following the "rule of commas" for locations - each part/jurisdiction of the location needs to be separated by a comma. So in this example, I added a comma before Saint Louis County to denote that I am missing the city (the next lower jurisdiction). For United States research, nearly every location can be entered as:

City, County, State, Country

When you are missing a part, such as the city, keep the comma there as its placeholder and enter the rest. Obviously this standard does not fit all countries throughout the world. When it does not, just be consistent. Use FamilySearch's Standard Finder for help.

Researchers with a good eye for detail would recognize this as Saint Louis County:

, Saint Louis, Minnesota, United States

But readers with less experience may interpret this as a city in Minnesota. What makes it more difficult is when they are reading this location as part of a narrative. Below is a snippet from Fanny's descendant book:

Fanny Belle BROWN, daughter of Martin C. BROWN and Mary Elizabeth JEFFREY, was born in Jun 1885 in , , Minnesota, United States and died on 21 Nov 1966 in , Saint Louis, Minnesota, United States at age 81.

Even worse, if before creating her book, you turned on the option in Legacy to "remove leading commas from locations" the snippet would read as:

Fanny Belle BROWN, daughter of Martin C. BROWN and Mary Elizabeth JEFFREY, was born in Jun 1885 in Minnesota, United States and died on 21 Nov 1966 in Saint Louis, Minnesota, United States at age 81.

Hopefully this visually explains why, when I am missing the city of a location, I add the word "County" to the county's name. By doing so, the snippet would read as:

Fanny Belle BROWN, daughter of Martin C. BROWN and Mary Elizabeth JEFFREY, was born in Jun 1885 in Minnesota, United States and died on 21 Nov 1966 in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States at age 81.

Barbara - I hope I answered your question. I didn't add the word "county" for me so much, but for the future readers of my research.

The recording of today's webinar, The 5 C's for Success in Genealogy Today, by Barbara Renick is now available to view for a limited time. Using a series of case studies, Barbara taught advanced research methodologies that will help genealogists of any level of expertise. She covered:

• Naming patterns
• Migration routes
• Tax records
• Topography
• Supporting evidence
• Law
• Culture
• Collaboration
• Citations
• and much more

One of the viewers, Kristine, wrote, "WOW. I just might be able to tackle my two brickwalls using these ideas!! Wonderful!! Thank you Barbara!!! Oh my I am excited!" I think you'll agree with Kristine after watching Barbara's webinar.

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 30 minute recording of The 5 C's for Success in Genealogy Today is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It will be available until September 3, 2012 for free.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

Own your own copy of The 5 C's of Success in Genealogy Today by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the complete 1 hour 30 minute recording of the class, the question/answer session, and 4 pages of handouts. Click here for more information or to purchase.

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of success2 that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, August 27, 2012.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Building a Family from Circumstantial Evidence, with Judy G. Russell, CG. August 29.
• Beyond the Arrival Date: Extracting More from Passenger Lists with Lisa Alzo. September 5.
• What is a 'Reasonably Exhaustive Search'? with Michael Hait. September 12.
• Getting Started with Heritage Collector Software with Kathleen Bitter
• Use Your Digital Camera to Copy Records with Mary Hill. September 19.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy Family Tree with Geoff Rasmussen. September 26.
• Privacy and our Ancestors with Thomas MacEntee. October 3.
• Researching Your Irish Ancestors: Beyond the Basics with Judy Wight. October 10.
• Ten Brick Wall Tips for Intermediate Researchers with Marian Pierre-Louis, October 17.
• Your Civil War Ancestors: Beginning Your Research with Michael Hait. October 24.
• Breaking Down Your Irish Brick Wall with Judy Wight. October 31.
• Researching Your Canadian Ancestors - an Overview with Claire Brisson-Banks. November 7.
• Genealogy for Novices: Where Do We Begin with Linda Geiger. November 14.
• The Big 4 U.S. Record Sources with Mary Hill. November 28.

Click here to register.

See you online!