Major Transition for Family Search Platform!*

Magnolia Tree

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FamilySearch has been wildly successful in the past few years.  It has grown by leaps and bounds like no one could have imagined. In order to avoid a successful tragedy they knew long ago that they would have to expand the platform to allow for this growth.  This move to a platform called Cassandra that is bigger and more powerful has been in the works for some time.   After beta testing the move 9 times, they were ready.  

I can bet there were some very sleepless nights for a lot of the developers and engineers as well as users. Probably more than a few.  Yesterday morning at around 12:30 am they made the move.  It was announced that there would be a shut down for possibly 24 hours.  

The main purpose of the update was to expand FS capabilities to handle the deluge of users and records added to the site, in unprecedented numbers, in just a couple of years.

There were also other purposes one of which was to disconnect new.familysearch.org the previous iteration of FS before FS/FT. There is now freedom to merge many people that were not mergeable in the past.  However this does not apply to all. There are some that are still too large.

Think Mayflower.  If there are over 80 sources attached to an individual they may not be merged at this time.  But the majority of the ones causing problems in the past have been rectified and we are given freedom at last to proceed and to clean up the records.
We will eventually see far less duplicates than we now see.

They have put some numeric limits of various aspects of what we can add.  This includes how many sources can be added but also pertains to some other things.  More info on that will come out in the coming days from FS.  Most of us do not add more than 80 sources.  Right? And most of the other limits are equally as high so not too much to worry about for most people.  

I learned that some insiders like the big bloggers, including James Tanner had the inside track info that FS was planning to have it done by 5:00 am Mountain Time.  James sat at his computer yesterday giving the blow by blow of what he was thinking and what was happening.  It was fun.  He said, "Most people do not read blogs for breaking news".  I said,  "They do if they know which blog to read!"  

If you want the insider's view go to these blog posts he has written in the past 24+hours.

This event was a bit reminiscent of the Y2K scare with much of the same results.  It reminds me of that plaque you sometimes see that says, "On this spot (insert a specific date) absolutely nothing (insert bad) happened."  

The links 

http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-beginning-familysearch-family.html

http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-beginning-familysearch-family_27.html

http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-beginning-familysearch-family_51.html

http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-beginning-familysearch-family_12.html

Way To Go FamilySearch~Congratulations!

Ron Tanner.....Take a Break!

"You Have To Put Your Hands On It"

Google Images

Last week was the first new lesson under the new staff training program in our Library!  I for one was really delighted with Kim's lesson and how much I learned. I have yet to have had a minute to look at the bulletin board she created but it looks fantastic as well.   I am sure all of us felt the same abut her lesson.  I love it when we can all share and teach each other and all move forward in our learning.  So thank you to both Kim and Linda for what they are planning for us in the future as well.

Last week I had very little time to work on the assignment as I was working with patrons most of the day and evening until 8:30.  So I missed a lot of the synergy going on among all of you as you collaborated together on answering the questions.  So yesterday I tried plowing through it on my own and then Jim has been helping with it since then.  Bob spent a lot of time creating a spread sheet for all of us to have and use in the future.  It is really a good one.  Again group teaching.  It is the best.  And one thing I re-learned for sure is that You have to put your hands on this to learn it.  Not surprising, that is just the way most things are.  Someone can tell you about it but until you try it yourself your don't really learn it.  The test is can you teach someone else to do it? As Stephen Covey said, that is when you own it.  When you just hear about something and don't follow through with the practical application you only know about something but you do not know it.  Learning something is a verb.  It requires action.

*On another note, I saw in the handout that Kim referenced Mark Lowe's form and also an article on "Who Is This Tick Mark? Using the Pre-1850 census Records."  I googled that and found a video by Mark Lowe on YouTube.  Perfect, right?  Not exactly.  i discovered that one reason I cannot find a lot of things on Ancestry anymore is that they are add-ons to the free account.  The Ancestry Academy is one of those things.  $11.99 per month if you want the courses and classes.

I was able to access a free Crista Cowan video that was great so I'll give you that link below. It is a 15 minute video and helpful in discerning what the tick marks mean and where you can go from there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z8gDMU8Nkk

Happy Hunting!  Bonnie

3 Tips For Using Google For Genealogy

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Clearing up The Fog With Google!

I was excited to see this on the FamilySearch blog post this week.  I attended the class on Google by Lisa Louise Cooke at Rootstech back in February.  I also bought her book on the subject and have been meaning to get back to it and share more about it.  Time just races by with more and more information coming to our attention daily.  It is hard to keep up for sure.  But this class was really worth revisiting. 

* I was glad to see a link to Lisa's presentation is included in this great article by Tyler Stahle. Just looking up the link he included I saw that many of the RT classes are archived on that same page.  Made me want to hear them all again.  Treat yourself to many or all of the talks!

June 16, 2016 by Tyler S. Stahle

Family Search Blog

It’s likely that we’ve all turned to Google at some point in our genealogical research. After all, simply typing in our search topic, hitting “Enter,” and hoping for the best is one of easiest ways to be led to heaps of helpful (and sometimes not-so-helpful) sources. But there’s a better way to use Google for family history research says Lisa Louise Cooke, host of The Genealogy Gems Podcast.

“I’ve discovered that there actually is a methodology to using Google for genealogy,” said Cooke in her presentation at RootsTech 2016. “There really is a science to it.”

While there are many ways you can use Google to aid your research, here are three of the most beneficial:

1. Formulate Specific Queries

The first and most important step to using Google successfully is identifying what you want to find. That may sound simple, says Cooke, but many people will simply pull up Google and search “Johnson.” Instantly, the searcher will be overwhelmed with results that likely aren’t relevant due to the commonality of the name “Johnson.”

“We’ve been a little too global in what we’re requesting,” says Cooke. “So don’t throw your genealogy brain out the window just because it’s going to Google.com. Structure a question about what you want in really specific terms. Are you looking for a particular record collection? Are you looking for a particular ancestor in a family? Are you just trying to figure out how to upload your family tree?”

Cooke says it’s a good idea to formulate your question to Google just as you would to a reference librarian.

“How would I describe it to a reference librarian? Ask yourself that. That will help you in doing this.”

2. Use Quotation Marks and Minus Signs to Narrow Search Results

One of the best ways to get relevant results from a Google search is to use quotation marks in your search query. Quotation marks tell Google to display only an exact keyword or phrase in all results.

“If I’m doing newspaper research in the San Francisco area, I put ‘newspapers’ in quotes and also ‘San Francisco.’ I’m telling Google something very specific about—it’s got to have ‘newspapers,’ and it’s got to have ‘San Francisco,’” said Cooke.

To further refine search results, you can also use the minus sign (-) to get rid of keywords that you know have nothing to do with your family.

3. Set Up Google Alerts

After you’ve flushed out the perfect search query for your ancestors, turn to Google Alerts. Google Alerts will take the keywords or phrase you’ve developed and will run it across the internet every hour of every day until you tell it to stop.

“Setting up Google Alerts is like getting your own genealogy personal assistant, somebody who’s going to do this for you in the background,” says Cooke.

To create a customized Google Alert, go to www.google.com/alerts. In the search bar near the top of the page, insert your query or the keyword you want to search. In the box below that, type the email address you wish to have results sent to, and click “Create Alert.”

Your customized Google Alert will then send you links to web pages that match your query.

After you set up the alert, Google will email you updates on new and updated web pages. Cooke also said, “You can have up to a thousand [alerts]. You’re going to sign in, make one query after another, and in your sleep, Google will be searching and finding ancestors. And you will wake up, and it’s just like Christmas every day. I love it.”

You can learn more about using Google for genealogy by watching Cooke’s RootsTech presentation here.

How do you use Google for genealogy? Tweet us @RootsTechConf.

Tree Connect Part 1

 Google Image

Tree Connect is yet another feature that makes your Family History work more accurate and more streamlined.  In the beginning we had been manually creating a source for Family Tree in The Source Box when adding any document.  Then we were able to automate this process internally in Family Search with the Record Search feature that was added for sourcing records from the FS Record Collections on the Family Tree's Person Details screen.  The Tree Seek site created Tree Connect for sources outside of the Family Search Record Collections.   That was back in September 2013 when this 2 part blog posting originally published.

Tree Connect connects documents that are from other sites like ancestry.com orfindagrave.com for example.  These third party sites were a lot more work to source as you had to copy the url and create a source for them in your source box on FamilySearch.  (Your source box is found on home page on Family Search, in the drop down menu, under your username at familysearch.org) You can still do this by the way.  It is just more labor intensive.  The nice things about Tree Connect is it creates the perfect source for you and takes the guess work out of it.

Tree Connect allows you to bypass that process now and have a standardized, perfect source and citation created for you!  The best part is it connects it right to your person in Family Tree.  This tool is easy to use and wonderful.  A suggestion for ease in connecting to your person, jot down the PID # before you start the attachment.

If you do not have the Chrome Browser on your computer you should install it there and on all your devices for optimum use with Tree Connect.  If you just want to use it in the library, it has been installed already on most computers for your convenience.  If you want it on your home computer you need to do a one time simple installation of the bookmarklet onto your toolbar.

More simply stated by this Google image!

How to install  Tree Connect:  Click on this link: http://recordseek.com/#primaryContent  Click on the 'Need Help?' at the bottom right of the screen and it shows you how to just drag it to your Bookmark Toolbar.  2 seconds and you will be connected to a site that will save you tons of time.

Multiple Browsers can be equipped with the Tree Connect button on the Bookmark Toolbar. 

Here is how it looks on my Mac.  You windows subscribers will have to check out how it looks for you.

You can install it on any of the main browsers, Firefox, IE, Chrome, Safari.  But we have tried it on several and it works the fastest and best on Chrome. 

I was working with a friend and we had trouble getting that Bookmark Toolbar on Chrome, which has to be visible before you can drag something on to it, right?   So when it was time for me to add the bookmarklet to the Chrome browser on my own computer I Googled: chrome~tree connect bookmarktlet~install.  I found this handy little help there!

 These instructions made perfect sense and I got the Tree Connect bookmarklet right on, no problem.

In the process we learned a lot about how the various browsers work with Tree Connect.

 Why Chrome is the Best!

 The Chrome browser seems to be the most stable giving consistent results with Tree Connect.

One of the things that makes the Google Chrome browser unique is that you can sign in when you use it.

Signing in is the key to its mobility!  It now functions in The Cloud.   You can now access your Chrome Bookmark toolbar from any devise after installing the mobile app for the Chrome Browser for that device if you don't already have it.  It also enables you to use it on any computer anywhere that has the Chrome Browser as an option.  

This makes it perfect for any family history library that is running Chrome as one of the browser choices.  The OFSL does have chrome as an option.  Once you select it and sign in, your entire Chrome Bookmark Toolbar with your Tree Connect button is mobile.  This is particularity useful for people on the go.  Tree Connect has a very short learning curve and once you have used it a few times it will be automatic, quick and easy. Important Reminder:  If you are in a public place like the library and you sign into your Chrome Browser to avail yourself of all your personal tabs, just remember to Log Out before you leave the Library.
Personally I don't sign into my personal Chrome Account,  but some people do.  I find I don't need my other tabs for Tree Connect.

Coming up next...How to use Tree Connect.

Tree Connect Part 2

With the Tree Connect bookmarklet for your Chrome Bookmark Toolbar installed you can start using it and reaping the benefits of this great tool to help you with your family history.  Tree Connect is the bridge between a site other than Family Search and your Family Tree found on familysearch.org.

How to Use Tree Connect 
To Add Documents to Your 
Family Search Family Tree

1.    Before you begin using Tree Connect make sure you are using the Chrome browser which works the best or the browser where you have installed the bookmarklet for Tree Connect.  This was the advice given in 2013.  Perhaps all have improved by now.

2.    Go to familysearch.org.  Click on Family Tree.  Look at the pedigree view of your family.  Look for the ID # of the person for whom you would like to add a sourced record that you did not find in the Family Search record collection. Write the number down.  Now close family search.

3.    Go to ancestry.com or finadagrave.com or anyplace you are looking for a record. Go to a document you want to connect to your person in Family Search/Family Tree. (Note: Arkiv Digital does not work for Swedish Records with Tree Connect.  Wade explains this is because the site is basically an app.  Ancestry does have Swedish records in their international record collection, however, and Tree Connect works beautifully there.)

4.    For this exercise let's use ancestry.com.  Open a record for your person and then Highlight and Copy the digitized record.  Do not paste it anywhere yet. Remember to jot down your person's PID# so you can connect it mor easily ot Family Tree.

5.    Now click on the Tree Connect bookmarklet that you have installed on the Bookmark Toolbar.  This reminds me of lowering the drawbridge between Ancestry and Family Search/Family Tree.

6.    A screen will come up that looks like this:

7.    You should see notes in the notes box #3.  This is what you copied at the beginning of the process: the digitized version of the record.  If it shows here it will also show up in Family Tree after you attached your source to your person in the Tree.  If it is not there you can paste it later in the box provided for notes in Family Tree.  (I like to add my person's name after the Title for easier recognition in your main source box in Family Search) You can also do it later in the process #17 if you forget.

8.    Remember when you are done reviewing the record...Click on Save!

9.    A window will then open that will have you search for your person in Family Search Family Tree.  Rather than use the name search, search by ID number.  Add the ID# your wrote down in the last box on this form.

10.     Leave the rest of the boxes blank.    Click on the Search button.

11.   Next you will see....Is this your person?  If yes, click the person name (Hot Link) to open.

12.   Then click on attach.

13.   Add the reason you are attaching it in the box provided.  Example.  Record establishes birth and death places and dates.  Not because this is my grandmother.

14.    You are now in Family Tree and have left Tree Connect.

15.    Select "view in person (summary) card."

16.    Click on sources.    Open and view the details of your newly added source. 

17.    Click edit in that box under the title of the source.  Add the person's name after the source in the title box if you didn't do it earlier.  Example:  1930 US Census-Josephine Reese.

18.    From the edit link also scroll down and paste in your digitized copy of the record that you copied at the beginning if it is not already there.   You may also enter any other research notes you wish to keep or share.   In the notes box, up to 15,000 words can be added if you have extensive research notes you wish to share for clarification.

19.    When you have completed this go up under the title of the document again. Click on Tag.  A drop down menu will appear.  Click on the information contained in the source in the appropriate boxes.

20.    Save and Close Notes.

21.  Last thing...go up to the left hand corner of the page and click on Previous page.  Check your source and make sure it is the way you want. it.  Done!

Additional information:   If you have a public or private tree on Ancestry with a lot of records attached, you just hit the jackpot.  I'll walk you through that scenario.

Find your person on your Ancestry tree for whom you want to attach a record to Family Search/Family Tree.

Click on your person's profile and then on sources and see a list of all the documents you have attached to that person on your Ancestry family tree.
Note that Ancestry uses Sources but most Documents and photos are found in Media not sources.  Sources in Ancestry that Say Other Family Trees are not valid sources without supporting documentation.

Select and open one.  From here just follow the steps above starting with step #3...highlight and copy the digitized version.  Do each step in the process through #21.

This seems like a long process but once you have done it a few times it is very fast.  It will only take you about two minutes.

The nice thing about Tree Connect is it's the bridge for making the perfect source and citation for the record.  Then you can quickly add it to your person on the Family Tree by following the simple steps above.  Enjoy!  They've bridge the gap between tedious and fun!  This will work between any of the Big Sites, in fact it will work with anything that has a url.  And that makes it more valuable than ever before.

 Some of you that subscribe to my Legacy blog have
asked that I also include a link back to the actual blog
for the sidebar features, questions or comments...

So here it is:

http://alegacythatmatters.blogspot.com

What's New In Family Search/Family Tree~May 2016

Each month, FamilySearch publishes a list of new changes and updates to the FamilySearch.org website. This list includes changes to Family Tree as well as other parts of FamilySearch.org. In some cases, these changes will also be published as individual articles where the need to do so exists.  This month the article is not attributed to an individual and just says" FamilySearch."

 Recently Released

"Family Tree: Possible System Outages

We only have a few new features this month because we’re working on significant improvements to FamilySearch. While the improvements are being tested, there may be a few times when the system will not be available. We have scheduled times when few users access the system. We hope you will be as excited about the improvements as we are. You’ll hear more in future editions of What’s New.

Watch Tip Videos in Full Screen

Several pages in Family Tree have Tips panels. To see the panel, at the bottom of the screen, click the Tips icon.
The panel slides out from the right side and gives you access to instructions and videos for a few tasks you can do on that page. For example, here is the Tips panel for the Memories Gallery:
When you click an item in the Table of Contents, you see brief instructions and a video demonstrating the task.
You can now watch the videos in full screen. Just click the button on the right in the video controls. When you’re done, press Esc. We’re currently upgrading all the videos so that they are clear at full screen resolution.

Memories: Improved Tagging Tool for Photos and Documents

We’ve received feedback that patrons are having trouble seeing the white tagging tool handles and lines when the photos or documents have a light background. The improved tagging tool combines black and white lines for easy viewing on light or dark backgrounds.

Memories: Gallery Will Take You Back to the Memory You Started From

If you have submitted a lot of items to Memories, you’ll probably appreciate this new feature. If you haven’t submitted a lot yet, you may not notice a difference.
All the items you submit appear in your Gallery. When you click an item, the system displays the screen where you add or modify tags and titles. When you are done and click your browser’s back button, the system used to take you back to the beginning of your Gallery. So to return to the item, you had to scroll. And if you had submitted 300 items, that could be a lot of scrolling.
Now on the page where you add tags, when you click your browser’s back button or the Go to: Gallery link, the system returns you to the item you started from."

Managing The Task of Doing Our Genealogy

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Lots of times Jim and I talk about how we can improve the way people learn and do their family history.  It is something we have done since we first started working in the library.  We've had a lot of ideas.  Some have been great...others fizzled.

This last go around I think we have a really good idea.  So many obstacles beset us as we try to proceed in doing our family history.  One of them is the major commitment time it requires.  Another is the old standby...my work is all done.  Those two things really slow the work.

We thought about how effective the call for 4-generations to be sent to Salt City Genealogy Library was back in the 80s. Why did that that work so well?  Those submissions were the basis of the Ancestral File we use today.  There was a deadline date set about 18 month prior and people wanted in on it...and it was a target that was easily visualized and seemed doable. 

Of course things are very different now.  Yet people still feel overwhelmed with the immensity of the project and often are convinced they have nothing left to be done.  Aunt Millie has done all their family history work.

So we plan to challenge some people to start sourcing their first their four generations. Inviting them to systematically go through their tree starting at the beginning should be very good because there are so many record hints now.  Once they start seeing the importance of those sources we think they will be more motivated. The more sources they attach the less likely people will be to challenge and/or change their entries.   

Having a specific project to work on is also important and prevents the skipping all over the place when you have a plan to work on your Family History.  It is something that we as staff members can assist them in doing should they be patrons here.  It is also a good practice for us to do on our own family.

Happy Sourcing!


The goal has to be fairly simple and with benchmarks along the way.  There should also be a time period involved.  Open ended goals are rarely realized.  Just something as simple as saying, "This week I'll add sources for my aunts and uncles on my mom's side of the family!"  This give you a reasonable goal that can be attained.