What To Buy Your Favorite Genealogist This Holiday Season!

The holidays are upon us once again! Are you having trouble finding that perfect gift for your favorite genealogist? Or are you considering beginning your own research and want to give your friends and family members some gift ideas? Well, I have done a little research and found a few items you might want to purchase.

DNA tests!

The topic of the nightly news and so many commercials! I received a DNA test last year for Christmas and I have to say, it was pretty cool. This time of year many of the companies are selling the tests at a lowered holiday price. However, beware there are some subtle differences in the tests offered, so make sure you do a little research.
You can check out the website, Smarter Hobby. They did some tests and here are their results:


If you do not know the difference between YDNA and mtDNA or know the meaning of "autosomal", you might want to visit the Smarter Hobby site: https://www.smarterhobby.com/genealogy/best-dna-test/  It does a good job defining these terms and giving a more in depth report on each of the company's tests. 

Books

Here are some great books which will either help a person get started or help with ongoing research:







Tips & for the Family Historian – by Elizabeth Shown Mills (this book is recommended by Kathy)

"Whether you are a researcher in need of inspiration, or a speaker or writer in search of a zinger to punctuate your thoughts."

  

The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy 4th Edition  – by Val D Greenwood 

 It teaches the basics of doing genealogy research and where to find the necessary records. This is helpful for a new genealogists, because it shows not all records are available online.

The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide: How to Find, Record, and Preserve Your Ancestors' Graves by Joy Neighbors

The title is self-explanatory. It is a great addition to a genealogists library. Sometimes it is the only resource for birth and death dates.

Evidence Explained:  Citing History Sources from Cyberspace 3rd Edition Revised – by Elizabeth Shown Mills

This is an exceptional gift and any genealogist would love to get it! This book helps cite all different types of sources, which is necessary to validate research. 

Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher  - by Drew Smith

Does your researcher (or you) have piles of paper and research everywhere!? This book will help organize all of the information collected and show you different ways to keep the resources and data safe and easily accessible.

   

The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook by Thomas MacEntee

This book is for someone who has been researching and collecting information for a few years and has hit a "brick wall".  The author has an outline you can follow which helps you organize and rethink the resources you have already found. It will help in jump starting your research. 

  Software 

Many genealogist would like a software program to help them organize research and resources.  I  found a website which gives a Top Ten Review of the different software programs available. I like this site because you can also visit the software company's website to view and explore the different programs. The site is called "Top Ten Reviews" and it reviews all types of technology and software. You can check it out with this link: http://www.toptenreviews.com/software/home/best-genealogy-software/

Scanners

Scanners are for the genealogist who travels to courthouses and archives, but doesn't want to spend an arm and a leg on copies or their phone doesn't take very good photographs. 

Epson WorkForce DS-30 Portable Document & Image Scanner

The above scanner or a scanner similar to this, is a little pricey. Somewhere around $120. This device will scan larger documents (8 1/2 x 14) and photos.  Once the item is scanned it can be sent to an email or online cloud service. It has correction tools that can edit the images, auto-size documents, enhance text quality and correct image skew. It is lightweight and can be taken anywhere.

VuPoint Magic Wand Wireless Portable Scanner

The VuPoint Magic Wand scanner (or one like it) is also handy to have. You slide the "wand" over the document or page you want to scan. It saves the image on a memory card and then you can download the image to your computer or device. It is small and light and easy to take with you anywhere. I have one and I take it so I can scan documents and resources without damaging them. I do recommend practicing before you use it for research. You want your images to be clear and if you don't slide the wand just right, the images can be blurry.

  

Family History Kit

This is a good DIY project which you can make more personal. Buy a fun bag and fill it with items that will help a person do research. Here are a few ideas:

Notebooks

• Pens & Pencils
• Sticky notes
• Paperclips or binder clips (you can buy these in multiple colors)
• Binders with page dividers
• Magnifying glass (one with a light is cool)
• Couple of candy bars or nutritious granola bars - sometimes we lose track of time and miss lunch.

Just For Fun

If you want to buy a whimsical gift, you will find some at the Café Express website, http://www.cafepress.com/+genealogy+gifts


Here are a few ideas:

 

Mouse Pad



I could have listed hundreds of ideas, since I have a long list of my own, but I tried to show you some good, basic items. Have fun shopping! Happy Holidays!

A Big Thanks to Kathy Petras for allowing me to once again be a guest blogger on her wonderful blog! - Lisa Rienerth