Introduction to Genealogy Reference

Laura W. CarterHeritage Room LibrarianAthens-Clarke County Library

GALILEO Webinar 23 March 2011

1. Start with the present – self - gather your documents 2. Talk with family members 3.Fill out Pedigree or Ancestral charts, Family Groups sheets and you will know what information you are missing 4. Then work through the federal population census schedules 5. Based on the above 4 activities : a. Develop a plan for each person based on what you already know so you are systematic in looking for your ancestors b. Evaluate your sources carefully 6. Join a genealogical society near where you live for networking and for methodology classes

BASIC STEPS

Start with what they know and preferably what their last documented information is on a person

Need to know where and when the person they are looking for was last documented

Try to keep them away from the stories about their family when they are asking for your help

Names are not the best way to start trying to find book materials for folks

When you do not know something, tell them you don’t know – BUT, tell them you will find where to look and get back to them.

Most of All, Have Fun!

Do NOT be Afraid

•GALILEO gives Georgians access to two of the best known genealogy databases – Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) and HeritageQuest™ Online.

•Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) is available only in libraries –public and academic in Georgia.

•Ancestry.com does not license remote access. Ancestry.com as advertised on television and in print is the consumer version and has features that the library edition does not have.

•HeritageQuest™ Online is available in public libraries or at home through public libraries in Georgia.

• From their homes, Georgia library users can get into HQO with the GALILEO password or by signing into My Account in PINES.

Here users can click on My Account in PINES and sign in. Then click on the GALILEO link and go right into GALILEO.

Ancestry Library Edition (ALE)

and Ancestry.com

Databases such as Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, that are owned

by another company. Those companies want to continue to sell their databases to libraries so do not want these money-makers available in another library database. These types of databases are NOT in ALE

Main differences in ALE and Ancestry.com

ALE has World Ancestry Deluxe ($300.00 per year) not just United States.

Basic pay subscription for Ancestry.com is for United States only ($156.00) . So our patrons who are working internationally can save themselves some money by using ALE in the library.

Ancestral / Pedigree Chart This shows direct blood line

Family Group SheetThis form is filled out for each couple, married or not, so that sib-ling and other information is available to help make connections.

Narrow a search to appropriate category if possible, based on what is known about person. Otherwise, there are often too many hits and it can be frustrating to wade through them.

Be aware that the categories in list on theright are not consistent with the drop down at top of the page. Click on “More … “ under category and get a list of all databases in that category.

This is list under “More …” in category to right

This is list after scrolling further down in the same category. You can see the breadth of what ALE includes

If you want to search a specific database or see if it is inALE, try checking the card catalog

Results page for search “Freedmen’s Bureau”

From list choose a state. I picked South Carolina. Then, scrolled within SC to Court Records.

This is what screen looks like when click on “Answers”

Notice that although clicked on Learning Center, the Answers tab is the one highlighted, not the Learning Center tab. The drop down to the left is the only indication that you are working under a different section

Example of choice made from Answers/Articles

Is this really about the Georgia I want?

Clearly not the Georgia I wanted. Sometimes cannot figure out why a particular database comes up.

Refine search - This list shows which states are included in this database and Georgia is not there. The alphabetical list skips from Connecticut to Idaho. Now confirmed that this is NOT what I wanted

HeritageQuest™ Online: What You Can Find From Home

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

http://www.proquest.com/en-US

/support/training/materials.shtml

This is the list of training materials for

ProQuest that are at the above URL.

Scroll down to get to the section for

Heritage Quest Online

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

Thanks for your time and interest

Happy Hunting

Happy Hunting !