FASTSTONE IMAGE VIEWER

Need a digital image viewer that’s versatile, fast, and free? This one may be just what you’ve been looking for:

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NOTE: This application also does some basic photo editing, but it’s mainly a top-notch viewer!

GENEALOGY & LAND RECORDS SYMPOSIUM

Focus on use of homestead land records by genealogists.

Dates: July 15-16, 2011
Place: Truman Center, Southeast Community College, 4771 W. Scott Rd., Beatrice, NB 68310

More info: http://www.southeast.edu/

FGS CONFERENCE 2011 CLASS SCHEDULE

Here's a schedule of talks and speakers for their September 2011 conference, arranged by day, track, or speaker according to your preference:

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FREE FACE TIME FOR YOUR SOCIETY

Received from FGS 2011 Conference planners:

Genealogical societies that are members of FGS are eligible to participate in Spotlight on Societies at our 2011 Conference. This will be a "display only" section of free tables in the hallway near the classrooms. If societies wish to make sales, they must reserve (and pay for) a regular exhibit booth.

To send boxes of brochures for Spotlight on Societies or for the Free Literature Table, ship to the following address BETWEEN August 1 - 15, 2011:

Shirley Aleguas
195 E. Elm St.
Waverly, IL 62692

(Be sure to mark boxes you send us either "Society Literature" or "Free Literature.")

MI6: THE SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

What role did this ultra-secret agency play in World Wars I and II? The author had unrestricted access to MI6’s closed files covering the two conflicts:

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THE WAR IN THE TRENCHES

Planning to research the part Grandpa played in the WWI war in the trenches? These detailed maps for sale by the National Archives (UK) could prove very useful:

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GREAT WAR LIVES: A GUIDE FOR FAMILY HISTORIANS

The Great War was a key event of the twentieth century and it is one of the most popular and rewarding areas for historical research - and for family historians. More records than ever are available to researchers whose relatives served during the war, and Paul Reed’s new book is the perfect guide to how to locate and understand these sources - and get the most out of them. In fascinating detail he follows the stories of twelve service men who fought and died in the Great War – a rifleman, an infantry officer, a tunneller, a gunner, a Royal Marine, a naval rating, an airman, and others. He describes their wartime careers and shows how they fitted into the armed forces. He looks at what they did, at their lives in the front line, in the rear areas, on leave, and at the conditions they endured and the experiences they had. And he demonstrates how the research was done and how the lives of these individuals were reconstructed - the methods that were used, the sources that were consulted.

Paul Reed’s informative and accessible book will be essential reading and reference for anyone who wants to find out about the Great War and is keen to understand the part an ancestor played in it.

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COVERING YOUR TRACKS

Your IP address can tell websites you visit quite a bit about you. If you don’t know much about IP addresses (or aren’t even sure what an IP address is), it will behoove you to read Kim Komando’s enlightening article on the subject:

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VIDEO BIRTHDAY TRIBUTES

Here’s a birthday idea you may not have considered previously, with suggestions on how to keep creation of a video tribute a fairly simple process:

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PUBLIC DOMAIN OR POTENTIAL PAIN?

Is that book published in the United States between 1923 and 1963 still under copyright? Check this database to find out:

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AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & GENEALOGY SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Good afternoon,

I am a member of the St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society (STL-AAHGS), and we are holding our Second Annual Conference on February 19, 2011 at Harris Stowe (our co-sponsor).

We are inviting anyone interested in African American genealogy/history to come and enjoy the day with us.

To view complete conference information and registration materials, please visit our website at www.stl-aahgs.com.

Feel free to forward this information to any interested individuals or groups.

Thanks for your support, and hope to see you at the conference!

Mildred Rias (314-484-9462)
2011 Conference Co-Chair & Souvenir Book Chairperson

WIKICARDS

Need to organize something? Doesn’t matter if it’s a list of contacts or your to-do list-- Wikicards can help put it in order:

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SIMPLE DESKTOPS

If you like using desktop wallpapers, but don't want overly complicated wallpapers that obscure your program icons, you should take a look at Simple Desktops:

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VINTAGE MILITARY PHOTOS FROM WWII ON FLICKR

A pool of 485 photos on WWII subjects:

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WEEKIS

A very simple (and free) weekly planner to help you get organized:

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UNDERMINING KEYLOGGERS

If you don’t know what keyloggers are, and have never checked your computer to see if any are installed, now’s the time to do so:

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TAGSCANNER

Want to organize and label all your music files? Here’s a free option:

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ST. LOUIS PHOTO POOL

More than 25,000 photos of St. Louis scenes in this Flickr photo pool:

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TWENTY GREAT READS ON THE CIVIL WAR NAVY

Twenty books you can use to learn more about the efforts of the Federal navy during the Civil War:

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PENNSYLVANIA COAL MINERS

Researching a Pennsylvania coal miner? This finding aid prepared by Pennsylvania State Archives staff should prove very helpful:

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PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY RECORDS

If you’re researching a Pennsylvania military unit, this finding aid prepared by the Pennsylvania State Archives should prove most useful:

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MEDIEVAL PHOTOS ON FLICKR

A pool of more than 9,000 photos on subjects medieval:

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LEGO WEIRD AND ALTERNATE WWII ON FLICKR

Don’t ask- just look at the 376 photos in this “What the heck?” Flickr photo pool:

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FREE EBOOKS

Looking for free ebooks/audio books? Look no further:

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FLASHNOTE

Online, and need to make a note of some sort? Flashnote is as quick as its name suggests:

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CIVIL WAR NAVY SESQUICENTENNIAL

Interesting blog on the subject maintained by staff of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, DC:

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NAVY ART COLLECTION

The U.S. Navy maintains a great collection of artworks that depict the history of that distinguished armed service. There are several interesting online exhibits:

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FIRST WORLD WAR POETRY DIGITAL ARCHIVE

Collection of digitized materials dealing with major British poets of the First World War like Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, and Vera Brittain:

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JOURNALS OF BRITISH NAVAL MEDICAL OFFICERS

Podcast from the National Archives (UK) that discusses these rich resources for 19th century British naval and medical history:

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GRAVES OF VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR

Photo set on Flickr with nearly 10,000 photos:

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NOTE: You can search the pool by surname of veteran; I also searched using 89th (I’m interested in the 89th Illinois Infantry Regiment), and found photos of the headstones of a number of 89th members that way.

MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM FLICKR PHOTO SETS

Fifty-two sets; several thousand photos total:

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DON’T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH!

Planning a trip, but don’t want to forget anything essential (whether it’s things to pack, or things to do before leaving town)? Then you’ll want to check out this site:

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JOB HUNTING ONLINE

Whether you’re looking for your first job fresh out of college, or beginning a job search after having been employed for years by the same firm, there are tips here that will help you get started and stay on track:

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IT REALLY WAS ABOUT SLAVERY...

For the Palmetto State, certainly...

For South Carolina, it seems, seceding from the Union really and truly was all about slavery:

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CONFEDERATE ROMANTICS

Brooks Simpson says that neo-Confederate really is not a very good descriptor for present-day defenders of the Stars and Bars who continue to insist that the Civil War was all about “states’ rights.” He thinks a much better descriptor is “Confederate Romantic,” and his argument is certainly interesting:

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DISUNION SERIES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

Interesting ongoing series of articles about the numerous factors that led to our great Civil War:

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AASLH INVITES NOMINATIONS FOR 2011 LEADERSHIP IN HISTORY AWARDS PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Bethany Hawkins
AASLH
Nashville, Tennessee
(615) 320-3203
hawkins@aaslh.org

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) invites nominations for its 2011 Leadership in History Awards. Now in its 66th year, the Awards Program is the most prestigious national recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of local, state, and regional history. AASLH initiated the Awards Program in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout America.

The AASLH Leadership in History Awards Program recognizes exemplary work completed by state or federal historical societies, institutions, or agencies; regional, county, or local historical societies, institutions, or agencies; specialized subject societies in related fields such as oral history, genealogy, folklore, archaeology, business history, railroad history, etc.; junior historical societies; privately owned museums or foundations; individuals; and organizations outside the field of traditional historical agencies. Awards are given for general excellence, exhibits, public and educational programming, special projects, publications, multimedia, individual achievement, and preservation or restoration projects. Nominees need not be members of AASLH to qualify.

Nomination forms may be obtained here or by contacting the AASLH office by phone: 615-320-3203 or email:

National contact: Bethany Hawkins
Missouri contact: Mary Beth Brown

Nominations are due to state award representatives on March 1, 2011. A list of state award representatives can be found at the AASLH website. Nominations are then reviewed by a national committee in the summer of 2011 with formal presentation of the awards made during the AASLH Annual Meeting, September 14-17, in Richmond, Virginia.

The American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH provides leadership and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, and monthly newsletter. The association also sponsors regional and national training workshops and an annual meeting. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards Program, contact Bethany Hawkins in the AASLH office at 615-320-3203.

KANSAS CITY PHOTO POOL

More than 32,000 photos in this Flickr photo pool:

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PROLOGUE

Prologue is the wonderful magazine that NARA has been publishing since 1969. The blog post linked to below covers the magazine, the Prologue blog, and the numerous ways one can access Prologue issues and articles:

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NARA PHOTOSTREAM ON FLICKR

7,000 photos and counting:

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NARA ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS

NARA is now offering a federated search beta, which allows you to search all NARA online databases (ARC, AAD, ERA, etc.) at once:

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DID THE REAL CIVIL WAR EVER GET IN THE BOOKS?

This appears to be more social history than military history, but still very interesting-- and it’s free. The catch: you’ll need to be in New York City on February 3, 2011 to take in this event:

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NOTE: They’re hosting panels on other Civil War subjects on April 5, 2011 and November 3, 2011.

BLUE GRAY REVIEW

A look at events of the day 150 ago:

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OPEN CLIP ART LIBRARY

Just what you’d expect- loads of clip art available for free download:

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OVERDRIVE.COM

Want to know if a library in your area offers downloads of ebooks, audio books, etc? Search Overdrive.com for a list of libraries near you:

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ALTERNATIVE TO

Need a better/cheaper/free alternative to a particular piece of software? Try alternative-to.net:

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FREE UNDELETE

You finally decided to purge those files from your Recycle Bin, but realize now that you actually need several of them. What do you do? Run Free Undelete, of course- it can restore deleted files that have not yet been overwritten by your computer:

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TRI-COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY UPDATE

December 2010 newsletter is available:

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GOOGLE EBOOKS STORE

There’s probably something here you’ll want to read- they offer three million titles, after all:

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GRATIOT STREET PRISONERS

List of almost 700 military and civilian prisoners held at Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis during the Civil War:

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NOTE: There’s also a separate list of female prisoners confined at Gratiot Street Prison:

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PRISON SEARCH

Looking for a past or present prison inmate (or past or present sheriff)? Then you’ll like this links site:

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NEW YORK STATE DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

List of collections that have been digitized by the New York State Archives, New York State Library, and New York State Museum:

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NEW YORK CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

If you’re researching one or more soldiers who served in New York State Civil War regiments, you need to take a look at the New York State Military Museum website:

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NOTE: They can also offer some help for persons researching New York State vets of the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and Korean War. If you happen to be a veteran from New York State, you can also choose to participate in their Veterans Oral History Program:

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WHAT IS MALWARE?

Nicely done list of non-technical definitions of malware, spyware, adware, etc:

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HOW BIG IS AFRICA?

It's huge, actually, and this graphic really gets the point across:

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SPECIAL CENSUSES

Short, informative article on the Tampa Bay Online website:

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KENTUCKY STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES

They're trying to make do in the face of fairly severe budget cuts:

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SLCL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS SECURITY POLICY

They recently changed policy, and the change means certain items are not allowed in the department:

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY LIBRARY HOLDINGS

Great list of items held by their Special Collections Department:

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ST. LOUIS’S SPLIT PERSONALITY

Did you know that St. Louis is an independent city- it is not part of St. Louis County! City and county split in 1876, and that split can have a definite impact on where records of genealogical significance are housed:

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TOP TEN COMPUTING TIPS OF 2010

Kim Komando helps you solve computer problems and banish minor technological annoyances:

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FREE CREDIT REPORTS

The official site where you can get one free credit report annually (no strings attached!) from each of the Big Three credit reporting agencies:

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NOTE: Before inputting sensitive info like SSN or account numbers on a website, check to see that the URL starts with https://, which is secure, rather than http://, which is not.

TO-DO LIST FOR 2011

Juliana Smith has an interesting to-do list for 2011- her list might inspire you, too:

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PORT OF NEW ORLEANS

Five things you probably didn't know about this popular antebellum port of entry to the U.S.:

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CLEAN, SAFE, and BACKED-UP IN 2011

Start 2011 with a clean, secure, and backed-up computer using these tips from Lifehacker.com:

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VIETNAM CASUALTIES BY HOME OF RECORD

Outstanding website that lists Vietnam casualties by Home of Record (Home of Record is sometimes place where entered service rather than hometown). Listing for each casualty lists name, service, rank, medals awarded, and details about incident resulting in death. Some listings include photo of the service member:

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GENEALOGICAL WORKSHOPS AT NARA-KC

The following free genealogical workshops will be offered at the National Archives at Kansas City.

Friday, January 21, at 1:00 p.m. - Provost Marshal Records

The Provost Marshal General's Bureau was created in 1863 to streamline the process of filling the ranks of the Union Army. This entailed enrolling men for the draft, enlisting volunteers, conducting physical examinations for enlisted men, and arresting deserters. In the process of carrying out these tasks, the Provost Marshal recorded a wealth of information on men eligible for military service during the Civil War. The result is a gold mine for genealogists, who can use the records of Provost Marshal General's Bureau to learn fascinating details about their ancestors and what their lives were like during this crucial time in American history.

Friday, January 28, at 1:00 p.m. - 68,937 and Counting: Inmate Case Files of the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas

A treasure of information awaits researchers and genealogists inside the prison records of Leavenworth Penitentiary. More than almost any other federal record, inmate case files offer unsurpassed biographical details on the life of an inmate. This presentation will cover what is available inside inmate case files and how to go about using them for genealogical research.

To make a reservation or for more information call 816-268-8010 or email kansascity.educate@nara.gov.

ANCESTRY FAMILY TREE MAKER® AT THE MAC APP STORE

Downloadable Version of the #1-Selling Family History Software Available Today

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 6, 2011– Ancestry.com today announced the launch of Family Tree Maker® for Mac on the Mac App Store. Family Tree Maker for Mac provides an easy way to save and organize your family tree conveniently on your Mac and has a variety of tools that can help you share your discoveries with family and friends.

“We are excited that Family Tree Maker® for Mac is now available for download on the Mac App Store,” said Eric Shoup, Senior Vice President of Product for Ancestry.com. “We’re committed to making our Family Tree Maker® products easily accessible to everyone and this is yet another resource available from Ancestry.com to enable everyone to discover, preserve and share their family history.”

Family Tree Maker® for Mac combines intuitive tools with robust features and flexible options, making it ideal for family history novices and experts alike. A dynamic user interface and integration with Ancestry.com makes it simple to create family trees, record memories, and organize photos, videos and audio clips, plus share ancestors’ stories. It’s even possible to explore family migration paths by viewing timelines and interactive maps that highlight events and places in ancestors' lives.

Family Tree Maker® for Mac is built on the functionality of Family Tree Maker® 2010, and is constructed from the ground up to take full advantage of the Mac platform in terms of technology and user experience.

System requirements for Family Tree Maker® for Mac include:

· Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later
· Intel-based Mac
· Hard Disk Space: 500MB for installation
· Internet access is required for all Web integration

Family Tree Maker® for Mac is now available for purchase and electronic download online on the Mac App Store for $99.99. The program is also available at http://www.familytreemaker.com and in select retail stores, including Apple’s retail stores, Amazon, Office Depot, and Office Max.

About Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM) is the world's largest online family history resource, with nearly 1.4 million paying subscribers. More than 6 billion records have been added to the site in the past 14 years. Ancestry users have created more than 20 million family trees containing over 2 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries that help people discover, preserve and share their family history, including its flagship Web site at www.ancestry.com.

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM NEWS

The following sources have recently been added to the Genealogy and Local History Index.

1. Necrology scrapbook volume 23 (clippings of obituaries and death notices, 1944-1950) added to Necrology Scrapbooks Index.

2. Airscoop, 1949-1969 (employee magazine published by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation)

3. The Pullman News, 1923-1958 (employee magazine published by The Pullman Company)

4. Gallaher Boiler Co. circular, circa 1922 (includes partial list of St. Louis users of the boiler for house heating purposes)

5. History of the Diocese of Belleville, 1919

6. Graduation program for Holy Cross Lutheran School, 1918

7. Jennings High School diploma, 1926 (lists names of the graduating class)

8. Sanford-Brown's Business College brochure, 1928 (includes testimonials and portraits of several students)

9. Directory of Physicians, Dentists and Druggists of Missouri, 1889

10. George J. Decker marriage certificates, 1874

11. Year Book and Register of the Church of the Unity, 1928

12. Brochure, ship passenger lists, and menus for a St. Louis Chamber of Commerce cruise, 1924


Genealogy and Local History Index

Other Indexes and Finding Aids

DON’T KNOW WHAT A FUZZING TOOL IS? YOU WILL SOON ENOUGH…

I didn’t, either- they can be used to exploit vulnerabilities in web browers:

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AFFIXA

This free application may be of interest if you use G-Mail or another web-based email service:

What is Affixa?

Affixa makes your webmail account part of Windows;

Affixa makes gathering and preparing the files you want to send easy;

Affixa gives you the choice of which web or desktop mail system you use and when;

All the features available in Windows Outlook that were once only available to your desktop mail-using friends are now available to everyone!

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BUILD YOUR OWN COMPUTER

If you can follow simple instructions, and have a few basic hand tools, you can cut out the middlemen and build your own:

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NOTE: Don’t like the guide noted above? Try this one instead:

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NEW FRONTIERS FOR THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Reviews of two new books about the Underground Railroad, including one that covers numerous escapes made by Missouri slaves:

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H-WAR MILITARY HISTORY DISCUSSION LIST

If you’re a military history nut (or live with one), you may wish to subscribe to this list:

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FILESEEK

If you don’t remember a file’s name, but do remember something about its content, you need this free program:

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WHAT’S AHEAD FOR ANCESTRY.COM

Lots of projects already on their plate for 2011:

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WORKFLOWY

Get organized gets a lot easier with this free online app. All you need to provide is an email address and a password to register and get started:

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DROPMOCKS

Easily create online photo galleries of your holiday celebrations or reunions (works best with Firefox or Chrome browsers):

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TOP PRIVACY TIPS FOR 2010

Want to keep your computer malware free, and keep your info on social networking sites safe and secure? Then have a look at Kim Komando’s Top Privacy Tips for 2010:

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TELEKAST

If you give lots of talks, but either don’t like working with PowerPoint or are doing a presentation that just doesn’t lend itself well to visual representation, you can use this free app to make your laptop or netbook work like a teleprompter:

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ANCESTRY.COM NEWSLETTERS

On this site you can subscribe or unsubscribe to Ancestry’s weekly newsletter and/or the Rootsweb Review. You can also read a a 12-year archive of back issues of these publications (1998-present):

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BLACKSHEEP-L

Have an ancestor who did time in the hoosegow (or was executed for his or her transgression)? This RootsWeb mailing list may prove helpful:

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NOTE: They have a thirty year backlog (1980-present) of previous posts you can check out.