1	Latest Trends in Genealogy Research on the WWW 2.0 Created By Janice Beever Lib 015 – Prof. Blackman Fall 2007
2	Are you a ‘Family Detective’? Have you … Bugged relatives for vital records or photos? Have you … Gone on long trips to ancestral locales? Have you … Been seen roaming thru graveyards? Have you … Gathered piles of printouts/photocopies of genealogical records or books?
3	Cultural History of Genealogy Ancestor Worship – Oral Transmission Early Western Written Genealogies Tribes of Israel (as recorded in [the Hebrew Tanach &] the Bible) Greeks and Romans Throughout history, genealogies have been used as evidence for “inheritance of power, rank and property.” Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online: Researching Your Roots – Web Edition. New York: The McGraw –Hill Companies. Inc. 1998.
4	Genealogy’s Purposes Today Genealogists are hired when wills are contested or when there’s a need to prove a right to an inheritance (Crowe, xiv). Many U.S. national genealogical and historical societies limit membership to descendants of a particular historical group—and require pedigrees (Crowe, xiv). Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies today in the United States. Gives a “sense of continuity and of belonging (Crowe, xiv).
5	Family Detectives Document Family Lineages Dr. Katherine Holden, a Connecticut physician, decided to document her family tree and to verify her lineage. ‘A deep dark [family] secret”…was that her “great-grandmother…had lived in South Dakota…and was …the “putative daughter of an American Indian chief.” Results of a simple $250 DNA test…confirmed that she was, in fact, “12 percent American Indian.” Rosen, Ellen. “Latest Genealogy Tools Create a Need to Know.” New York Times 18 Aug 2007.
6	Family Detectives Document Pedigrees for Descendants from Historical Groups The Mayflower Society www.mayflowersociety.org The Colonial Dames of the XVIIth Century The Sons/Daughters of the American Revolution (www.sar.org, www.dar.org) or Sons/Daughters of Union/Confederate Veterans. * “ Genealogy specialists recommend that novices begin by gathering information from relatives. That initial data can be entered on one of several sites that lets users create family trees (Rosen).”
7	Family Detectives have a passion for researching their roots (Rosen) Online resources are proliferating (both free and commercial) www.Ancestry.com – most widely used – 800,000 paying subscribers and 14 million registered users. Based in Provo, Utah. www.geni.com – Former Paypal COO, David O. Sacks – inspired by family history interest – designed this site combining genealogy software with the ability to network with relatives (like a family Facebook). >500,000 users since January 07 launch. Users can create family trees, post photos, send messages and write free profiles. Viral growth powers this site when users invite others to join. www.castlegarden.org – recent addition provides free online access to U.S. immigrants to NY in early 1800s to 1890, where www.ellisisland.org takes over. I had been waiting for this project – to locate my husband’s immigrants in 1870s from Alsace-Lorraine, France. Successful search: several Dontenville family members located, var. sp. Kralman-Lambert, Linda. “Genealogy Forum Beginner's Center - Printable Forms.” 2005. <http://www.genealogyforum.com/gfaol/beginners/forms.htm>
8	Positives & Negatives of Online Family Research Negative Outcomes Online resources aren’t always enough. Local research still necessary. There are many errors in undocumented user-submitted family trees. Always document !!! Due to privacy concerns, some states are shutting off access to vital records for 50 years. Commercial sites and hiring genealogists to fill-in-the-blanks can be very expensive. (Rosen) Positive Outcomes Access to previously inaccessible historic records and documents. Online training/research tips available. Online research forms available from multiple sources. Hereditary Societies have documented lineages & assistance available online (e.g. Mayflower Society) Networking reduces duplicated effort; allows sharing of trees.
9	MLA Citations “America’s First Immigration Center.” 2007. http://www.castlegarden.org/ . Accessed 10 Dec 2007. Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online: Researching Your Roots – Web Edition. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1998. Crume, Rick. “Social Networking for Your Family Tree.” January 2008. Family Tree Magazine. http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/jan08/networking.asp . Accessed 22 Nov 2007. “Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet.” www.cyndislist.com Last accessed 20 Nov 2007. Fryxell, David A. “Top of the World Wide Web.” Family Tree Magazine. September 2007. http://www.familytreemagazine.com/101sites/2007/index.asp. Accessed 22 Nov 2007. Rosen, Ellen. “Latest Genealogy Tools Create A Need to Know.” New York Times. 18 Aug 2007 (3) http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/18/business/18genealogy.html?_r+1&oref=slogin. Accessed 10 Dec 2007.