Cape Cod Vital Records Go Digital

Typically I don't write about new digital records but in this case it's coming from an unusual source that is under the radar of most people.

The Sturgis Library in Barnstable, Massachusetts on Cape Cod is reporting in its newsletter a joint effort with the Boston Public Library to digitize Cape Code Vital Records.  This is a tremendous resource for people with early Cape Cod ancestors.  The digitized records, as indicated below, are already online.

Here's the snippet from the newsletter:

One of the most-used resources at the Sturgis Library is the 50-volume handwritten set of vital records entitled Genealogical Notes of Cape Cod Families, (aka the "Green Books.")  The set compiles Cape Cod births, deaths, and marriages from a variety of publications into one resource.  The information was assembled by three tireless and dedicated women in 1966, and the only print copy resides at the Sturgis Library.  It is also available on microfilm. We have been working with the Boston Public Library on a project to scan and digitize items from our collections, and the opportunity arose to have the set digitized at no cost through the BPL's grant-funded project.  The digitized set now resides in the Internet Archive, and is available online for the first time to researchers doing Cape Cod research and genealogy. To see and use this important resource, CLICK HERE and choose the volume you are interested in. For those still interested in using the print version of this resource, the Green Books are back from BPL and available for use in the Hooper Room.

Thanks to Janine Penfield for finding and sharing this information.

Camera People vs. Scanner People

There really aren't that many controversies of any serious nature that stir up the genealogical world (with the exception of the same one or two that get revisited every year).  I've noticed, however, that there is one topic of conversation that tends to get people a bit heated.  That is the preference for capturing digital copies of items either by a camera or by a scanner.

Now, let me say right at the start that I am a firm believer in calling ahead to a library or archive and asking them what their policy is. Regardless of your technological preference, following the repository rules is key.

But what if you have a choice? What if the archives says you can use either? Then which do you select?

I'm going to use deeds books as an example for this particular discussion.  You know deed books, those big, awkward to hold and photocopy books?  My preference is to use a wand scanner to capture the images of the page.  The reason for that is the wand scanner lies flat on the book and curves with the large awkward curve of the book to give a nice flat, curve-less image when finished.

Cameras on the other hand, will capture all the text but also capture the curve.  The result is that your line of text is not straight as with the scanner.  In a low light situation that can make your photographs blurrier and more awkward than what is already created with the curve.

Mind you, many deed books are modern copies of original or older deed books. For this reason I have no problem with using a wand scanner. However, if this were an original document I wouldn't dream of using a hand scanner. In that case, I would use a Flip Pal, flatbed scanner or digital camera (digital camera being the easiest to transport to an archive followed closely by the Flip Pal).

It's not so easy picking your digital capture device is it?  There are so many factors to take into consideration. The preservation of the documents being first and foremost and our digital capture preference next in line.

I've gotten into some serious "going no-where" discussions with folks who insist that using the camera is always better than using a wand scanner.  Clearly I think the wand scanner has its time and place.

What about you?  Which camp do you fall into and why?

The Best Topic Isn't Always the Most Obvious Topic

I mentioned in a previous post that I am currently in the midst of a large oral history project focused on my local community.  Conducting oral history interviews is front and center on my mind these days.

One of the challenging parts of interviewing someone is knowing what to ask them.  There are a number of websites that provide sample questions for interviews.

Here is a selection of sample questions to get you started:

• TheSmithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide. Sample questions on pp 22-27. (pdf file)
  
• About.com Genealogy: 50 Questions for Family History Interviews
  
• Grosse Pointe Historical Society: Sample Questions to Conduct an Oral History Interview (pdf file)
  
• T. Harry Williams Oral History Center (LSU University): Sample Interview Questions (pdf file)
  
• A personal webpage with some interesting topics and decade specific questions
  
• Veterans History Project: Sample Interview Questions for Veterans

While I happen to be conducting a large project, oral history interviewing could be as simple as talking to your mother or father over a cup of coffee. The key thing is to ask them questions and to record their answers so that you have them for the future.

While the above guides provide lots of sample questions keep in mind that the best topic isn't always going to be the most obvious topic.

For instance, during the course of my interviews I wanted to get a sense of how local residents were affected by major historical events.  I used various events such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the first landing on the moon. I had hoped that events of national or international scope would elicit responses from everyone.

I was wrong! Not everyone reacts the same way and with the same depth of emotion to major events. Ironically, it was a local event that really got my interviewees talking. The one event that generated the most dialogue and most passionate, animated response was the "Blizzard of '78" that hit the northeastern United States in the winter of 1978.

Perhaps there is a local event or storm that impacted your area. Create a list of a few possible subjects so that if you don't get much response with one topic you can move on to the next. When you find that "golden topic" that everyone wants to talk about, write it down so that you can continue to use it in the future.

Remember, once they get talking, sit back, relax and let them talk! Capture history and memories from their eyes. Your job is to record it and save it for the future.

What is the Genealogical Community?

I was just catching up with my email and read a post on the APG membership list from a 20-something genealogist who wanted to know where the conversations were taking place about encouraging young genealogists like her.

Likewise, the genealogical community loves to talk about blogs and bloggers and their role in the community. The perception, I believe, is that bloggers carry great cred within the online community.  I present both talks and workshops about blogging. The irony of this is that most people in my talks or workshops don't regularly read blogs. I usually use Dick Eastman of Eastman's Online Newsletter and Randy Seaver of GeneaMusings as my test cases. Most participants have heard of Dick Eastman but not of Randy Seaver. If someone hasn't heard of Randy Seaver then they really aren't acquainted with blogging. That suggests to me that is a great disconnect about what is the genealogical community.

The "community" I believe is that bunch of us that get online on the APG or TGF lists or on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and prattle away about genealogy.  When "we" are talking about the "community" that is who "we" are referring too.

But from my experience as a speaker, I know that the definition of the genealogical community is much greater than that.  There are many active genealogists who participate in their local societies but don't participate in "our community" online.  Does that mean they are not part of the genealogical community? Or are they part of a different community?

And then there are folks like my uncle and Dad, who use Ancestry.com and actively do research but don't engage with any society. They operate completely on their own or only with other family members. Perhaps in their searches online they bump into information by bloggers but rarely do they engage blogs on a regular basis.

So if we are going to be honest, what exactly is the genealogical community? Is it the folks who are trying to define the community, is it the broad group of society members or the even broader group of lone mavericks out to discover their family history?

Let me know. I'm curious to hear what you think.

Just the Hint of a Smile

I've started a new oral history project in my community. I've wanted to do something that centered on my local community for a long time. As a house historian I thought perhaps I would do something related to house histories. But as the concept evolved I broadened it out to engage local residents to talk about the history of their homes and the changes in their neighborhood and town in general while they've lived there.

I've been at it for a few weeks now and I can't express what a tremendous experience this has been. Capturing oral history is that fuzzy gray area in genealogy between resurrecting the secrets of the dead and living your own life in the present. Much of what is still in the living memory, such as World World II, is slipping into active history as the participants and eye witnesses pass away.

I've been learning, too, during the course of this project about what makes a good oral history interview. All genealogists, whether beginners or those with 30 years experience, have the unique opportunity to take advantage of recording family, friends and associates to capture genealogy and history.

Some people may hesitate to get started. I know I did. Or some may feel that they are not qualified or experienced enough to conduct interviews. To encourage you forward and get you started I want to leave you with one tip. Look for

Just the Hint of a Smile 

As I have been interviewing folks I have been trying to remove myself from the conversation to let them lead the topics. I want them to talk about what is most important to them.  Often, I need to probe further for clarification by asking questions.

Every once in awhile I will hit on a general topic that will elicit a specific response and just the flicker of a smile.  The mention may be very minor and insignificant.  But if you see that smile, stop dead in your tracks.  You need to go there! Whatever was said at the moment that smile flickered across the person's face needs to be probed further, even if it is off topic.  There is a story hiding in that smile that is worth finding.  Perhaps it was a positive memorable experience and something the speaker would be happy to talk about.

Today I probed further and I was rewarded not just with events and history but with fond memories of close relationships.  The associations and relationships that people develop are just as important as jotting down the dates and facts. Knowing who made someone feel special and why will turn your interview from historical information to dynamic memories.

The next time you conduct a family history interview don't just listen closely to your subject.  Take the time to read the subtle unspoken language of their responses. Your experience and your interviews will soar as a result.

Curious Abbreviations on Probate Records

I work with probate records quite a bit. Mostly by choice because I love probate records so much. It's doesn't take much prodding to get me to go to the probate court to do research.

I have noticed some abbreviations written on the outside of original documents and I've been curious about what they mean. I started some dialog about this yesterday on my Google+ wall. My quest has taken me on a journey greater than I had expected. I still haven't found an exact answer yet but I'm getting closer.

Here are the abbreviations in question: C., C.R. and R.  They appear on the outside of will or administration file documents and I would like to know what they mean.  Here's an image to show you exactly what I mean:

Then I found a document that had typed out indicators : Filed, Returnable and Allowed. Perhaps the R. refers to the instrument (document) being returned? Notice the abbreviated R. appearing again below the form text.

Next I found another document with an extended abbreviation - Cet. Ret. - which I am guessing is a longer form of C.R.

Perhaps C.R. and Cet. Ret. stand for Certificate Returned. That is my current guess. If you have the definitive answer to this mystery please feel free to comment. I feel like I am getting pretty good at interpreting probate documents but these abbreviations are still tripping me up.

WDYTYA: The Rashida Jones Episode

Photo by Arnold Gatilao (cc 2.0)

Did you watch the Rashida Jones episode last night on Who Do You Think You Are (WDYTYA)? If you haven't seen it yet be sure to watch it (if you're in the US) on hulu.com. What a great episode!

I have to admit that before last night I had no idea who Rashida Jones was. The biographical profile at the beginning cleared things up when they proclaimed her the daughter of Quincy Jones.


Rashida was probably the most natural and relaxed celebrity to-date that they have featured on WDYTYA. I find that both funny and ironic considering that all the guests are celebrities who are used to being in front of a camera and the public eye. I have always been astounded at how uncomfortable some of the celebrities have been.

In addition, Rashida was one of the most genuine of the guests. Perhaps it's her youth that makes her more open to the experience than some of the others. Rashida struck me as a very down-to-earth, intelligent and an interested adventurer on this family history quest. I'm not a big fan of celebrities, yet Rashida checked her celebrity status at the door and went on this journey as a daughter and granddaughter seeking to uncover the mysteries in her family history.

At one point Rashida said "It's a miracle that I even exist." I don't think she was exaggerating or overstating. Her background is quite unique. On her father's side she comes from enslaved African Americans. On the other, Latvian Jews, most of whom were killed by the Nazis at Rumbula during World War II. If her great grandfather hadn't been the one family member to leave Latvia for the United Kingdom in the late 1800s she wouldn't be here today.

The end of the episode showed Rashida and her mother, Peggy Lipton, visiting the memorial site of the Rumbula massacre, the place where 24,000 Latvian Jews were killed. I thought it was a genuinely heart-felt moment for the two as they were overcome with the emotion of what had happened there. I appreciated when they said that perhaps their branch of the family survived so that could remember and provide testament to those of their family who didn't make it. I admit that even I needed a hanky at this point.

I hope that Who Do You Think You Are will continue on for another season. They have highlighted the importance of family history and reminded all of us of critical moments in U.S. and world history.


Photo credit: photo by Arnold Gatilao and used under the creative commons license

Terms of Service: Official Response from Ancestry.com

In response to my previous blog post questioning the change in Ancestry.com's Terms of Service I have received this official communication:

In a recent update, the Ancestry.com Terms and Conditions excluded “or professional” as part of the terms of service. This change was in no way intended to exclude professional genealogists from using Ancestry.com in a business or professional setting. Our legal team has reviewed the statement and has reinstated the original text to include “or professional” into Ancestry.com’s Terms and Conditions. We apologize for any misunderstanding. The statement is now updated and reads as follows:

“You may access the Website, use the graphics, information, data, editorial and other Content only for personal or professional family history research, and download Content only as search results relevant to that research.”     

This was received from Mathew Deighton, Public Relations Specialist, Ancestry.com. A big thank you to Ancestry.com for clarifying this issue quickly and restoring the language to include professionals.

Ancestry.com Restricts Access to Website

Last night Judy G. Russell, author of the Legal Genealogist blog, presented "Facts, Photos and Fair Use: Copyright Law for Genealogists" for the APG Webinar Series." If you didn't see it you missed a superb presentation.

One of the items she discussed that really caught my attention wasn't about copyright at all. It was about licensing and terms of service. That's what you enter into when you use sites like Ancestry.com, Archives.com and GenealogyBank.com. When you subscribe to these sites the vendor will share access of their product or service if you agree to abide by their licensing and terms of service.

Last night Judy mentioned that Ancestry.com recently changed their terms of service at the end of March 2012.  The specific part that she mentioned related to the topic of Limited Use License. The recent changes now restrict use of the Ancestry.com website and images to personal use only:

"You may access the Website, use the graphics, information, data, editorial and other Content only for personal family history research."

Dear Ancestry.com

Where does that leave professional genealogists and bloggers?

Does this mean  that professionals are not allowed to access the website for professional research for either clients, background research for books, preparation of presentations or research for articles?

Does this mean that bloggers can no longer share information they find on Ancestry.com unless it relates specifically to their personal family?

I would love to hear from Ancestry.com in plain English specifically where they stand on Professional Genealogists (who are not employed by Ancestry.com or their subsidiaries) and bloggers.

I would like other bloggers and professionals to take up this issue on their blogs. And I would like a direct, public response from Ancestry.com.  We deserve explicit clarification on this topic without having to resort to unspoken acceptable sneaking around use of the website.

Perhaps I've misunderstood what Judy was saying last night. And perhaps I've misunderstood what Ancestry.com wrote in their terms and services which is quoted above. If that's the case, then I look forward to further correction and clarification.

[Postscript: See comment #3 below for the Terms of Service language before the change was made and how it specifically included professionals.]

*** [Postscript: Please read the official response to this blog post from Ancestry.com] ***

There is No Perfect Scanner

the portable Canon LiDE 210

Yesterday I had a bit of a discussion about scanners on my Facebook wall. I had used a new scanner and I was very pleased with it. Based on the comments I was left with the impression that people are hungry to find just the right scanner.

It make sense. Most people can only buy one scanner and they want to make sure that the one they pick is the best one. Most people only need one scanner. The only time I can think that you might need more than one scanner is if you scan things of varying size and type regularly for your work or if you are embarking on a long term project where a specialized type of scanner would be a help.

There is no perfect scanner and honestly there shouldn't be. Products that try to be everything to everyone usually end up failing. The best thing to do is to determine what you need to scan the majority of the time. You will have to accept some inconvenience but as long as you can accomplish your scanning task then that is the most important part.

So if you can only buy one scanner how do you choose?

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What do I want to scan? (photos, slides, negatives, documents, photo albums, etc)

How do I want to use the scans? (printed photos, online for web and blogs, reviewing documents for research, incorporating documents or images into reports, sharing with family or clients, etc.)

Where do I need to scan? (at home, at someone else's home, in my office, in a repository or court house, in my car, at an exhibition hall of a conference, etc.)

What size object will I be scanning? (4x6 photos, letter-size documents, legal or 14x17 size documents, various size objects, big courthouse books, etc)

How often will I realistically scan? (every day, once a week, once a month, occasionally)

What is the ONE most important criteria I need from a scanner? (convenience of scanning location, light-weight, high quality, versatility, etc)

How much can I afford?

Over the coming week I plan to tackle all these issues and all the individual scanners (at least the ones I am familiar with).

Let me know some of your needs and concerns and I'll try to address them in my posts.

Family Memoirs: A Lifetime of Addresses

Every once in awhile I send an email to my uncles and my Dad with a single question in it. The questions trigger them to record something about their lives. For instance, one question was "What was your first car?" Then I ask them to email me back with the answer. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. I don't worry about it too much (though I would like to get answers back from all of them) because my goal is to get them thinking, remembering and realizing that they should write down and save this information.

A year or two ago I asked them to send me a list of all the addresses they had ever lived at. My Uncle Bob replied with his full list but the others didn't. My Dad still keeps promising me his some day.

The other day I was giving a house history talk at the Windsor, Connecticut Historical Society. After the talk a gentleman came up to me and introduced himself as the president of the Simsbury, Connecticut Historical Society. We got to talking because I'll be giving a talk in Simsbury in a few months.

I happened to mention that I had grown up in Connecticut and lived in Simsbury when I was a child. Of course, the natural next question was which street did I live on.

Do you know what? I couldn't tell him! I couldn't remember. I drew a total blank. I lived in Simsbury only for 5 years from age 5 to 9 so it's not unusual that I might forget. But that was the first time I had forgotten something about my own life.

That was a real eye opener. While it is important to focus on the previous generation (such as my Dad and uncles) it's also important to focus on our own lives.

I think genealogists are particularly prone to neglecting themselves in their quest for previous generations.

Can you remember all the addresses where you have lived? Have you written them down? Take a moment to do it if you haven't done it yet.  Better yet, create a directory on your computer called "My Life" or something similar and start recording many of your memories. Do a little bit each week.

What a shame it would be to lose your own memories! Save them and pass them on!

The Devil's in the Maiden Name

Today I'm featuring a post by guest blogger, Carol.  Carol is a fellow genealogist and New Englander that I've met several times at genealogy talks and conferences in Massachusetts.  Carol has had her own experience exploring Ancestry's new Holbrook Collection which she shares with you below.

In the Marian’s Roots & Rambles blog post on March 22, Marian's last question to the community was if the Holbrook Collection was worth the hype.  In the past week, I’ve heard ‘Holbrook’ quite a few times.  It started with my non-genealogy friend sending me a newspaper clipping about the collection.  The following weekend, I heard it mentioned a few times at the New England Family History Conference in Franklin, Mass.  And then I read Marian’s blog post.  Her informative posting had me curious – would the collection have any bearing on my personal research?  Indeed it did!

I found a crucial difference between the original Town of Framingham 1896 birth record in the Holbrook Collection for my grandfather, Arthur Wood, and the record that the state of Massachusetts has.

The town record says, “Arthur Wood, M, Framingham, Thomas G. + Elizabeth Goodwin”:

Image source: Ancestry.com, Holbrook Collection. Image enhanced with Adobe Photoshop.
Click to enlarge

Contrast this to the state record, which says, “Arthur Wood, Male, Framingham, Thomas G. + Elizabeth G.”:

Image source: AmericanAncestors.org. Image enhanced with Adobe Photoshop.
Click to enlarge

While the state record is clearer and easier to read, the crucial difference is that my gr-grandmother’s Goodwin maiden name was dropped from the State’s transcription!

So, yes, for me, the Holbrook Collection is worth the hype.  Would I only use the Holbrook Collection?  No.  But it’s a significant piece of the puzzle.  Other vital records indicate a maiden name of Godwin.  It’s a small difference between Goodwin and Godwin, but which one is it?

While searching through the Holbrook Collection on Ancestry.com, I noticed an error.  Being human, mistakes are made.  Someone misinterpreted the data and indexed his father’s surname as Goodwin, when it should be Wood:

Name: Arthur Wood

Birth Date: 20 Nov 1896

Event Type: Birth

Event City: Framingham

Father Name: Thomas G Goodwin

Mother Name: Elizabeth Goodwin

That is, Arthur Wood’s parents’ names were Thomas G. Wood and Elizabeth (Goodwin) Wood. This doesn't impact the quality of the original Holbrook Collection images but it's good to remember that there will be inevitable errors in Ancestry's indexing of the collection.

Carol has been immersed in genealogy since 2008, after the purchase of a digital SLR camera, which led to photographing headstones.  Since then, she has been focusing in on her Yankee roots to bring their stories to light.

Sharing Oral History with the Family and Beyond

In a previous post I wrote about "Getting the Whole Family Involved" and described how my non-researcher brother converted cassette tapes to digital for the family. I'm still working on getting my brother to write a post about how he did that.

At the time of the conversion it's important to think about how you are going to share the electronic files. It's also important to convert the files to a format that is easily accessible for many people. My brother converted the family audio files to an mp3 file format.  For most people, there will be a program on their computer such as Windows Media Player or iTunes that will play these files. It should be so intuitive that folks who really don't know much about computers will only have to double click on the file and have it start playing.

I thought I would share one of the audio files here on my blog to give you a flavor of what we've done in my family (see bottom of page for link). I say we but in this case it was really just my mother.  Here you'll get to listen to my genealogist mother in action.

Before every recording she would state the date and who was present for the recording. Perhaps the only flaw is that in this case she used only first names when identifying people. In this audio clip recorded in 1989 the people identified are Uncle Turk, Aunt Louise and Helen Rose (my Mom). Uncle Turk is my great uncle, Frank Peterka from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A few generations removed from the recording, family members could have difficulty identifying the people especially with the use of the nickname. None of the people in the recording are living anymore.

My brother has titled this clip "That's How I Became a Citizen." This has nothing to do with immigration or naturalization. It's a very funny story that my uncle tells about he became a citizen of a different sort. You'll have to listen to the clip to learn what it's about.

You may want to consider sharing your family oral history beyond your extended family. The stories could be relevant to local history. You could contact the relevant local historical society and see if they would be interested in the files. Before you contact them create a one page description of who is in the audio files, when it was created and the topics that are being discussed. You will want to highlight for them the items being mentioned that are relevant to the local area and its history.

Another option is to share your files on the internet, in a blog or on a website, as I am doing in this post. If you decide to go that route be sure to gain permission from anyone in the audio (or video) if they are still living. If all the people in the recording have passed, then as a courtesy, you may want to ask their closest descendants for permission before posting online. In this case, I sent an email to the whole extended family to make sure everyone was comfortable with me sharing the file publicly.

When posting online think about the people who may be interested in hearing the recording. It could include family members, childhood friends of the people recorded, people from the neighborhood, town or city that is the backdrop of the story and anyone associated with specific places or events mentioned in the story. Be sure to keyword your post or website so those people will be able to find the file in a Google search.

In this particular audio file the backdrop of the story is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1930s. Places mentioned are "Bohemian Hill" where the Czech community lived and the Optimus Club. The main character in the story is Frank Peterka and the supporting characters are the patrons of the Optimus Club.

Search the internet (or your own files) and see if you can come up with supporting materials about the places or events being mentioned. I was able to find two newspaper articles online about the Optimus Club.

"Suspensions Of 26 Dry Up Oases", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 21, 1955

"'Heat' Goes on Optimus Club in Cold", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, November 24, 1954

Here's the audio file of my Uncle Turk. Be warned it is a large 7MG file. It will be no problem for those with high speed internet access. The duration of the clip is 5 minutes.

Filename	File Type	Size
That's How I Became a Citizen	mp3	7MG
Click Here to Listen