Genealogy Resources Available at the Library

Genealogy has recently been in the media spotlight through two television shows: Who Do You Think You Are? and Faces of America. Both shows delve into the family histories of celebrities and famous Americans.

In NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, viewers are invited to take an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities. Featured in the new series are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. In a recent episode, Sarah Jessica Parker learned that one of her ancestors was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials! The show airs on Friday nights at 8 pm.

The eresource Ancestry.com is NBC's official partner on the series, and is available for free in the Troy Library. The New England Historic Genealogical Society has also been featured on the show. The society’s New England Ancestors database is also available for free in the Library.

In PBS’s Faces of America, Henry Louis Gates, Jr asks, “What made America?” The Harvard scholar turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans including chef Mario Batali, comedian Stephen Colbert, actress Eva Longoria, musician Yo-Yo Ma, director Mike Nichols, Her Majesty Queen Noor, television host/heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, actress Meryl Streep, and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Meryl Streep was shocked to discovered that her ancestors were among the first purchasers of land in Pennsylvania along with William Penn! The show airs on Wednesday nights at 8 pm.

In addition to the resources listed above, the Library also offers the Biography and Genealogy Master Index, the Biography Resource Center, Heritage Quest Online, American’s Obituary & Death Notices and Michigan County Histories and Atlases. These eResources are available from home through the library’s website. All you need is a library card to explore your own fascinating family history!

Genealogists: Do You Use Your Public Library?

Attention genealogists: Do you use a Michigan public library to help you in your family research? If so, the Lansing State Journal would like to know. The Journal is conducting a poll about the use of local libraries for such research.

The poll ends at 7 pm tonight. Go to the Journal and click on Your Take, about halfway down the page.

This is a good way to let elected officials in Lansing know how important libraries are to the people of the State.

Library of Michigan Hosts Genealogists' Seminar, July 17-18, in Lansing

The Library of Michigan's 2009 Abrams Genealogy Seminar -- One Step, Many Solutions -- will take place July 17 and July 18 at the Michigan Library and Historical Center in Lansing.

Stephen Morse, a popular speaker well known for his outstanding One-Step Webpages, will present the keynote address on July 18 -- "One-Step Webpages: A Potpourri of Genealogical Search Tools" -- co-sponsored by the Eaton County Genealogical Society. Morse will give a second program, "One-Step Webpages: A Hodgepodge of Lesser-Known Gems," that same day.

Participants will learn about cemetery research, Michigan death records, online research for the British Isles and New England, and the collections at the Library of Michigan and other regional research institutions. See the complete schedule of events and registration form. Registration is $40, which includes a boxed lunch on July 18.

If you have questions about the Seminar, contact Kris Rzepczynski, Michigan/Genealogy Coordinator, Library of Michigan, rzepczynskik@michigan.gov.

Library of Michigan Hosts Genealogy Seminar on April 4

Genealogists and family history researchers can discover tools and tips to make their search for ancestors more productive at Learning More at the Library of Michigan: Online Genealogy, on Saturday, April 4, at the Michigan Library and Historical Center in Lansing. The Library houses one of the top 10 genealogy collections in the United States.

This free annual seminar – which typically attracts 300 Michiganians interested in exploring their roots -- will highlight the growing number of free Web sites and subscription databases for family history research.

Among the topics to be discussed are: Effectively Using HeritageQuest Online; Finding Free Vital Records; Ancestry Library Edition; Utilizing Footnote at the Library of Michigan and from Home; Seeking Michigan Death Records? A New Digitization Project; and Accessing Obituaries on the Internet.

The free, half-day workshop runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Michigan Library and Historical Center, located at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. Free weekend parking is available at the Library's parking lot off Kalamazoo. Seating is limited, so registration is recommended. Sign up online at www.michigan.gov/familyhistory. For more information, phone at 517.373.1300.

Seeking Michigan Digitizes Michigan History

Interested in Michigan history? Take a look at Seeking Michigan, a new website of digitized documents, maps, films, images, oral histories and artifacts, which tell the stories of the State's families, homes, businesses, communities and landscapes.

Seeking Michigan includes one million death records covering the years 1897 through 1920. These records -- never before available electronically -- are indexed for searching by name, death date, location and age, and hold tremendous research opportunities for genealogists, historians and students.

In addition, the site currently has:

• more than 100,000 pages of Civil War documents;
• approximately 10,000 photographs;
• a variety of Michigan sheet music;
• a rich section about Michigan's 44 past governors;
• Works Progress Administration data (circa 1936-1942) about land and buildings throughout rural Michigan; and
• oral histories with notable Michigan residents.

According to Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center, Seeking Michigan moves the archives and library experience outside of the bricks and mortar of the building in which the collections are housed. By employing the latest Web technologies and social media, the site aims for an enhanced user experience.

Seeking Michigan is a project of the Archives of Michigan and the Library of Michigan. Funding is from the Talbert and Leota Abrams Foundation, a Lansing-based nonprofit that has provided more than $2.5 million toward the development of the Library of Michigan's and Archives of Michigan' genealogy collection. The National Historic Publications and Records Commission provided additional funding.

Another Great Resource for Researching Family History

Many of you who do genealogy know about Ancestry.com, a great online source for family history information with more than 7 billion names and 26,000 searchable databases.

But did you know Ancestry.com has it's own blog? Started in September 2007, the blog features short articles about products and publications, database updates and webinars (online seminars).

For those of us who use Ancestry.com for family history research, the blog adds a layer of up-to-date information which may just help you find that elusive ancestor. Check it out here.

And remember, Ancestry.com is available from the Troy Library computers, free-of-charge.