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Friday, May 31, 2013

FAMILYSEARCH RECORDS UPDATED MAY 31, 2013

The following is a list of FamilySearch records that were updated May 31, 2013.  Note all of these are U. S. Records.

Total number of records did not change from previous number 1558, so all of these records are updates and not new records.

Happy ancestor hunting.
Title Records Last Updated
Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957Browse Images *31 May 2013
New England, Petitions for Naturalization, 1787-1931Browse Images *31 May 2013
New York, Queens County Probate Records, 1785-1950Browse Images *31 May 2013
Washington, County Records, 1856-2009Browse Images *31 May 2013

Thursday, May 30, 2013

FAMILYSEARCH WORLD WIDE CAMERA OPERATIONS

The following is information from the FamilySearch Blog.

Behind the scenes of image capturing

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of indexing and image capturing? There are more than 1.5 million images captured each week. Who makes this possible? Records preservation missionaries, contractors, FamilySearch employees, archive employees, and many volunteers are responsible for capturing millions of images each year. These historical records are captured so that they may be indexed, preserved, and published on FamilySearch.org.
There are about 222 cameras located all over the world; 92 cameras in the Western Hemisphere, and 130 in the Eastern Hemisphere. These industrial cameras can each take millions of images ranging from 16 to 50 megapixels. Computer software is used to calibrate the camera, capture the image, manage the project, and capture metadata or information about the records. Clamps and foam wedges are used to keep the book level and the image in focus. All images are saved on an external hard drive at the end of each week, placed in a protective case, and sent to Salt Lake City, Utah. Once the hard drive arrives in Salt Lake, it is sent through an auditing process where rejected images are sent back for rework and approved images are processed and published. View the video, “FamilySearch Records Preservation Missionaries,” to see the record preservation missionaries in action.

Once these images are captured, they need to be indexed to be searchable on FamilySearch.org. Volunteer to index these images today.

Volunteering to index the images that FamilySearch has digitized is something that anyone can do.  How many time have you been disappointed when you find that a new set of records has been digitized but not indexed?  It is very time consuming to browse through the entire set of records to find that particular record you need.  By volunteering to index we are helping to come one step closer to having all of the records on FamilySearch indexed.  I am looking forward to that day - Volunteer to start indexing today!

At NGS 2013 FamilySearch disclosed that it plans to significantly increase the number of cameras. It plans to do so using record preservation missionaries to operate the cameras. (Record Preservation missionaries are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, generally retired, who volunteer 18 to 24 months of their time to operate FamilySearch cameras.)

Thursday, May 23, 2013

SEARCH MILITARY RECORDS FOR FREE OVER THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

If you need to search military records for joining a lineage societiy or just to find some of your military ancestors, be sure and take advantage of the following:


Four Sites Offering Free Military Records for a Limited Time!
Findmypast.com, MyHeritage and Ancestry.com are offering military records for free in honor of Memorial Day. Fold3 is making its just-completed US Colored Troops service records collection free to mark the USCT's sesquicentennial. 

Find out more about each site's offer on the Genealogy Insider blog:

FINDMYPAST.COM MILITARY RECORDS»

MYHERITAGE MILITARY RECORDS»

ANCESTRY.COM MILITARY RECORDS»

USCT SERVICE RECORDS ON FOLD3»

Happy Ancestor Hunting. 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

FAMILYSEARCH RECORD COLLECTIONS UPDATED OR ADDED MAY 20-22, 2013

WOW! It is getting difficult to keep up with the updates on FamilySearch Record Collection - they are adding updates and new collections daily.  The following are the records that are new or have been updated May 20-22, 2014.

The total count of record collections is now 1557, an increase of 10 from the last post.  This means that 10 of these records are never been available before.

Happy ancestor hunting.
Title Records Last Updated
China, Collection of Genealogies, 1239-2011Browse Images *22 May 2013
Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953Browse Images *22 May 2013
England, Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1603-1910957,350 *21 May 2013
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968Browse Images *21 May 2013
Italy, Ragusa, Modica, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1942Browse Images *21 May 2013
Maine, Knox County Cemetery Records, ca. 1800-2007Browse Images *21 May 2013
Minnesota, Clay County, School Census Records, 1909-1962Browse Images *21 May 2013
Portugal, Évora, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1554-1938Browse Images *21 May 2013
Russia, Samara Church Books, 1869-1917442,772 *21 May 2013
Ukraine, Kyiv Orthodox Consistory Church Book Duplicates, 1840-18451,322,432 *21 May 2013
Austria, Seigniorial Records, 1537-1888Browse Images *20 May 2013
Chile, Santiago, Cemetery Records, 1821-2011Browse Images *20 May 2013
Czech Republic, Censuses, 1843-1921Browse Images *20 May 2013
Idaho, Gooding County Records, 1879-1962Browse Images *20 May 2013
Luxembourg, Civil Registration, 1793-1923Browse Images *20 May 2013
Maine, Piscataquis County, Deed Books, 1838-1902Browse Images *20 May 2013
Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986Browse Images *20 May 2013
Portugal, Braga, Priest Application Files (Genere et Moribus), 1596-1911Browse Images *20 May 2013
Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Catholic Church Records, 1537-1909Browse Images *20 May 2013
Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1811Browse Images *20 May 2013
Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1818Browse Images *20 May 2013
Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1834Browse Images *20 May 2013

Friday, May 17, 2013

FAMILYSEARCH RECORD COLLECTIONS ADDED OR UPDATE MAY 13-17, 2013

The following is a list of FamilySearch record collection that were updated or added May 13-17, 2013.

Two interesting updates - "United States Social Security Death Index" and "United States Census, 1940".  If you have been looking for someone in these records that you know should be there, check again.  They may have been added on this update.  It is always wise to go back periodically and check where you have not been able to find the records you need.  FamilySearch and Ancestry are continually updating records.

The total number of FamilySearch Record Collections stands at 1547 today.
Title Records Last Updated
Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1891-1959579,571 *17 May 2013
United States Social Security Death Index92,920,654 *17 May 2013
Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center, 1827-1933Browse Images *16 May 2013
Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-19341,026,354 *16 May 2013
Italy, Cuneo, Alba, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1910Browse Images *16 May 2013
Spain, Province of Valencia, Municipal Records, 1611-1935Browse Images *16 May 2013
United States Census, 194039,028,895 *16 May 2013
Argentina, Baptisms, 1645-19304,029,976 *15 May 2013
Argentina, Santa Fe, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1975288,434 *15 May 2013
Austria, Seigniorial Records, 1537-1888Browse Images *15 May 2013
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-19592,315,411 *15 May 2013
Isle of Man, Parish Registers, 1598-1950410,460 *15 May 2013
Italy, Treviso, Treviso, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1941Browse Images *15 May 2013
Paraguay, Miscellaneous Records, 1509-1977Browse Images *15 May 2013
Portugal, Portalegre, Catholic Church Records, 1859-1911Browse Images *15 May 2013
Italy, Como, Como, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1929Browse Images *13 May 2013
Italy, Cosenza, Rossano, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1910Browse Images *13 May 2013
Italy, Cuneo, Saluzzo, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1942Browse Images *13 May 2013
Portugal, Beja, Catholic Church Records, 1550-1911Browse Images *13 May 2013

Saturday, May 11, 2013

WHAT'S NEW AT ANCESTRY.COM

Ancestry.com has just released a video that outlines the newest features and tools that are available on their site.  To view the twenty-seven minute video click on the link below.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY0FBu-R1-U&feature=youtu.be

FAMILYSEARCH PROJECTS UPDATE

The following are the latest data on some of the FamilySearch projects that were announced at the NGS Conference:


  • FamilySearch currently has 3.2 billion searchable names on the website.
  • 429 Million names were indexed in 2012.
  • 222 digital cameras are currently operating worldwide, capturing images of genealogical documents.
  • Digitization of the records stored in the granite vault above Salt Lake City is now at 37% of the 31 billion images.
Source: