The recording of today's webinar, "A Month's Worth of Must-Have Tech Tips To Start Using Today” by Gena Philibert-Ortega is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 26 minute recording of "A Month's Worth of Must-Have Tech Tips To Start Using Today" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. 

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• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
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Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

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See you online!

When I was growing up, I worked at my local city library. I was a Reference Page which meant that I worked in the basement and retrieved magazines for patrons doing research, amongst other things. The magazines in our holdings ranged from the newer popular magazines to bound volumes dating back 100 years. The library’s  basement also housed  some of their archival collections. That archive included all kinds of items from documents to material items like textiles. It was a wonderful place to work for someone who loved to read and had lots of questions about history.

Because of my early job experience, I know that libraries, archives, and museums often have great collections kept out of the public’s view. It’s not that they are trying to hide them, it’s just that they don’t have the storage space in the public places to store everything. And quite frankly some of the items, while important, are not “popular” and rarely requested. Because of this, sometimes the public or interested researchers don’t know everything a repository has. I was reminded of this recently after I presented to the Pomona Valley Genealogical Society which meets at the Pomona (California) Public Library.

The Pomona Public Library has been around since the 1880s but their current building dates to 1965. The Library is old enough to have a basement and their basement  includes bound periodicals, like the ones I retrieved as a teenager,  and their special collections  as well as the collections of the nearby genealogical and historical societies.

When the president of the society asked if I wanted to see their collection, I had to say yes. Afterall I absolutely love library basements. They had stacks of everything from genealogical periodicals to family group sheets donated by members over the society's 50 year history.

Because I’m always anxious to pass on information about great collections, I asked, “how do people know  what you have?” Like most collections the answer is not simple. Most people don’t know this collection exists. Most societies don’t have the volunteers or time to make information about their vast collections available. Just like libraries and archives, there is simply not enough time, money or people to make collections easily available to everyone.  While The Pomona Valley Genealogical Society has an  ongoing indexing project that is available in printed form from the reference librarian, there’s no digitized version of what they own.

It’s important to remember that not only is not everything online but online catalogs don’t tell the entire story. It’s by making contact with societies and repositories in the places where your ancestor lived that you can learn more about what is available. If you have not done this, most likely you have not done a thoroughly exhaustive search of what is available for your ancestor because there are clues in the basement.

Take some time to locate the repositories and societies in the place your ancestor lived. Search their online catalog, digital collections, and finding aids but then contact them and ask about what other collections they house that might be helpful to your research.

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

Every Friday we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers a new bonus webinar just for them!   This Friday enjoy "12 DIY Photo Projects to Share Family Stories" by Denise May Levenick. If you're not a member, remember the webinar previews are always free.

12 DIY Photo Projects to Share Family Stories

Get your ancestors out of the archive and into creative do-it-yourself photo projects you can make in an evening or weekend: family history scrapbooks, yearbooks, family reunion “face books,” reproduction cookbooks, custom fabric, candles, games, and gifts. Plan your project with a Photo Project Board (template included); edit images with free online photo editors.

About the Presenter

In every family, someone ends up with "the stuff." Denise May Levenick is a writer, researcher, and speaker with a passion for preserving and sharing family treasures of all kinds. She is the creator of the award-winning family history blog, The Family Curator and author of two books on preserving family treasures, How to Archive Family Photos (Family Tree Books, 2015), and How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records, (Family Tree Books, 2012).

 

Denise inherited her first family archive from her grandmother & a trunk filled with photos, letters, documents, and lots of "miscellaneous stuff" and is now the caretaker of several family collections. She has adapted professional archival techniques to the family archive situation and shares her experiences at her website, and in her books and articles.

 

Denise is a frequent contributor to family history magazines and online publications, and presenter for webinars and workshops. She is a former high school English and Journalism teacher, and a holds a Master's Degree in English Literature.

 

How to Archive Family Keepsakes helps family historians use professional archival techniques with their own family treasures.  Numerous charts and checklists and Denise's practical guidance offer step-by-step advice for organizing, preserving, and digitizing heirlooms, and genealogy research. 

 

Denise is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Southern California Genealogical Society, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and The Phi Beta Kappa Society. She heads the grant committee for the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant founded in 2010 to assist young genealogists seeking to advance their genealogical education. She lives in Pasadena, California.

See all the webinars by Denise May Levenick in the Legacy library.

 

Not a member yet?

Legacy Family Tree Webinars provides genealogy education where-you-are through live and recorded online webinars and videos. Learn from the best instructors in genealogy including Thomas MacEntee, Judy Russell, J. Mark Lowe, Lisa Louise Cooke, Megan Smolenyak, Tom Jones, and many more. Learn at your convenience. On-demand classes are available 24 hours a day! All you need is a computer or mobile device with an Internet connection.

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

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Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women's Studies) and a Master's degree in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, women's studies, and social history, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States as well as virtually to audiences worldwide. Gena is the author of hundreds of articles published in genealogy newsletters and magazines including FGS Forum, APG Quarterly, Internet Genealogy, Family Chronicle, Family Tree Magazine, GenWeekly and the WorldVitalRecords newsletter. Her writings can also be found on her blogs, Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. She is the author of the books, From The Family Kitchen (F + WMedia, 2012), Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing, 2007) and Putting the Pieces Together. Gena is the editor of the Utah Genealogical Association's journal Crossroads. An instructor for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, Gena has written courses about social media and Google. She serves as a board member of the Utah Genealogical Association. Her current research interests include women's social history, community cookbooks, signature quilts and researching women's lives using material artifacts. Gena Philibert-Ortega is the author of IDG's monthly column, Remember the Ladies: Researching Your Female Ancestor. 

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 Friday, June 28, 2019 at:

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

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live 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.
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 recording of today's webinar, "5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor” by Marian Pierre-Louis is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 25 minute recording of "5 Steps to Becoming a Good Ancestor" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. 

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 949 classes, 1,219 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 4,216 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

Print the 2019 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

The recording of today's webinar, "Hidden content treasures you might have missed at MyHeritage” by Mike Mansfield is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 24 minute recording of "Hidden content treasures you might have missed at MyHeritage" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. 

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 948 classes, 1,218 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 4,212 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

Print the 2019 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Marian Pierre-Louis is a House Historian and Genealogy Professional who focuses on New England research. She specializes in educational outreach through webinars, internet broadcasts and video. Marian is the host of the Genealogy Professional podcast, a show committed to helping genealogy professionals become better business people. Once a month you'll find her as the evening host of Legacy Family Tree Webinars.

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, June 26, 2019 at:

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

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live 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.
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!

Tuesday's Tips provide brief how-to's to help you learn to use the Legacy Family Tree software with new tricks and techniques.

Options: Data Format (Beginner)

Previous articles in this series:
Customize Legacy
Options: General Settings
Options: Data Entry

The next section in the Customize Legacy menu is Options > Customize > 3. Data Format

Option 3.1 Letter Case of Prefix and Suffix (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

If you choose Initial caps Legacy will automatically capitalize your prefixes and suffixes if you enter them in lowercase. Some people like this feature because you can type faster and it also keeps you from making a capitalization mistake. I have mine set to Don't change what I enter because I have a habit of using the suffix field for things other than a true suffix (many times in privacy brackets). If you have been using Don't change what I enter and you change your mind and select Initial caps you will notice the Apply button become active. If you click Apply it will go through your file and capitalize all of your prefixes and suffixes at one time.

Option 3.2 Letter Case of Given Names (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

This option is pretty much the same as the previous one but in this case I do want Legacy to capitalize the given names because I am very capable of making a mistake when typing and I have no given names that would be in lowercase.

Option 3.3 Letter Case of Surnames (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

I have this set to Initial Caps but there are going to be a lot of people that won't want to do this. If you have a lot of surnames like van der Molen then you don't want to have Initial Caps.

It used to be that UPPERCASE surnames were the norm in genealogy. I think this came about when we dealt a lot with unindexed books. If the surnames were in uppercase you could scan pages pretty fast looking for the surnames. Today this is not the standard; however, there are many people that still prefer it and so the option is here. This will trigger a Potential Problem since this isn't the standard. If you want to use uppercase surnames you need to do two things.

1) Make sure you have this option set to UPPERCASE and then click the APPLY button over on the right to make sure that all of your surnames are in uppercase.

2) Now go to Tools > Potential Problems. Click the Standardization tab. The very last entry is Surname entered as all uppercase. Uncheck that box.

Now you are good to go.

Option 3.4 Displaying Surnames (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

These options are for display only. In other words, it doesn't matter how you actually enter them, this is how the will be displayed on your screen. Most people that want their surnames in uppercase want them that way all the time so this option might be a bit redundant; however, /Surnames/ within slashes is a bit different. Sometimes it isn't obvious which is the given name and which is the surname. Slashes around the surname will tell you which is which. A lot of older programs did this and some people like it so we have it as a option. If you had the name Ann /Kelly/ you wouldn't mistakenly thing that her middle name is Kelly and that the surname is missing.

Option 3.5 Format of Names with Titles (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

This is how names with prefixes and suffixes will appear in the various reports. I do want Legacy to Put a comma before title suffix so that it reads out John Doe, Jr. I am not sure why you would Put a comma after a title prefix but there must be a reason so if anyone does this post a comment explaining why.

Option 3.6 Letter Case of Locations (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

This one works the same way as Options 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. I have no locations that start with a small letter so I want Legacy to make sure I haven't made a mistake and it will capitalize locations automatically for me. Again, you have an Apply button so that you can convert all your locations with a click of a button. This is very convenient when you have done an import.

Option 3.7 Location Format (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

You can see how I prefer to format my locations in reports. I am not sure why you would want to remove the spaces because that wouldn't be good English nor would the option to have inconsistent spacing but apparently some people prefer this and that is why the programmers have included these options. You can use the Apply button to make sure your file is uniform, especially after an import.

Option 3.8 Child List Indicators (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

These options give very different displays so it is easier to do this with screenshots. Anything that has to do with a Direct Line means you have to have already set your Direct Line by going to Tools > Set Direct Line or the option won't work.

Use Bold and Underline on the numbers to indicate spouses and continued lines

Bold means the person is married. Underline means the person has children. If the person is both bold and underlined then they are married and have children which is the case in this screenshot.

(click image to enlarge)

Use § and + at the end of names to indicate spouses and continued line

§ means the person is married but has no children. + means that the person is married and does have children.

(click image to enlarge)

Indicate Preferred children in Child List (*)

(click image to enlarge)

Indicate direct-line children in lists (bold)

(click image to enlarge)

I showed you screenshots of the Children's List but some or all of these will also show up on the Name/Search List, Pedigree View, Descendant View, Index View, Edit Children and the Siblings List. On the Name/Search List and Index Views you will only see the Direct Line in bold. The § symbol there means a married name (a ~ means an alternate name). The Descendant View will only  have the Direct Line in bold.

Option 3.9 Living Indicator (gbl)

I like to keep this turned on because it might alert me to someone that is marked living that should be dead or someone that is marked dead that should be living. When I am working with DNA I will kill myself off (or whoever is the anchor person for the DNA gedcom I am uploading). I want the DNA matches to see my name while still protecting those people that truly are alive. Sometimes I forget to resurrect myself from the dead.

Alive

(click image to enlarge)

Dead

(click image to enlarge)

Notice that there is a button to Select Color if you want to change it.

Option 3.10 Term for Christening (ff)

(click image to enlarge)

This is the only option in this section that is (ff). Why? If you have more than one file and these files have different demographics (time, place) you might prefer one term over the other.  This changes the display on the screens but it also changes reports and exports.

Option 3.11 Word for Blank Records (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

If you choose Unknown Legacy will automatically insert Unknown on your screens and in reports. I just prefer to leave it blank.

Option 3.12 Potential Problems Indicator (gbl)

(click image to enlarge)

If you have this turned on you will see  a >> next to their title on the Family View, if you have excluding something from the Potential Problems.

(click image to enlarge)

And you will see an asterisk (*) on the Individual's Information screen.

(click image to enlarge)

That's it for this section. Next up, Options: Data Defaults.

Find tech tips every day in the Facebook Legacy User Group. The group is free and is available to anyone with a Facebook account.

For video tech tips check out the Legacy Quick Tips page.  These short videos will make it easy for you to learn all sort of fun and interesting ways to look at your genealogy research.

Michele Simmons Lewis, CG^® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.

One of the aspects of the Internet I love the most is finding genealogically relevant information in places that are not genealogy related. When we limit our research to only genealogy websites we miss out on relevant information found on websites focused on art, history, geography, and other related topics.

A whole book could be written about these “unlikely sources” but for now let’s explore four websites and what they have to offer.

Getty Research Institute – Research Guides and Photographers

I love exploring California’s  Getty Museum in person but even better is their website, the Getty Research Institute. There is so much to look at here including catalogs and digital collections but let me just point out a few items a genealogist might be interested in. In the Research Guides and Photographers collection there is an article titled, A Nation Emerges: 65 Years of Photography in Mexico.  This article includes a bibliography, glossary, history, chronology, and even a list of photographers  with biographical information. Included in this list of photographers are those who had studios in El Paso, Texas but photographed Mexico and the people of Mexico. For fans of artist Frida Kahlo, her father Wilhelm Kahlo is listed.

Don’t forget to also explore their digital collections catalog as well. Follow The Getty on Facebook  to learn more about their collections and to watch Facebook Live presentations.

Digital Public Library of America

I’m always amazed at what I find on Digital Public Library of America. Remember that while it is a fabulous catalog of images, you can also limit your search to “text.” A recent search I did to find vintage Los Angeles postcards resulted in images for a Missing Person postcard and another regarding a group of men who broke out of jail in Missouri.

Looted Cultural Assets

During the Nazi period of 1933-1945, the Nazi’s not only looted art and heirlooms but they also stole books.

Looted Cultural Assets is a database of names found in those books, scattered throughout various libraries, and reunite them with the owner’s family. An online database allows you to browse by name, object type or collection. Browsing by name allows you to click on a name and see a digitized image of the book page with that name on it.

This German website can either be translated via an online translation tool like Google Translate or by selecting English at the top right-side of the website.

Sampler Archive

One of the points I always make when I present on researching female ancestors is that it’s important to search using the records they left behind. Women did leave behind material culture that has genealogical value such as quilts, cookbooks, and needlework samplers . One place to search for women’s name is the website Sampler Archive that documents the makers of needlework samplers. From the top right of the Sampler Archive website you can browse the collection by contributor, which currently includes the DAR museum, Rhode Island Historical Society, and the Winterthur Museum. You can then browse through the sampler results which include a thumbnail image. This is such an important collection of young girl’s and women’s names that would otherwise be lost.

Where have you found genealogically relevant materials online in unlikely places? Please share your favorite finds in the comments below.

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

The list of speakers and their sessions have now been announced for the 2nd annual MyHeritage LIVE conference. This year we will be in the beautiful city of Amsterdam. If you've always wanted to visit, and you want to mingle with other genealogists, this would be the perfect combination.

For more information, or to register visit https://live2019.myheritage.com.