Thursday, November 2, 2017

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Copyright - 20th Century Fox


… Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.
Bright copper kettles & warm woolen mittens.
Brown paper packages tied up with strings.
These are a few of my favorite things…



Here are a few of my favorite genealogy things.

Today, one of my favorite newsletters, Genealogy Gems, arrived in my inbox. I always look forward to reading it and learning more about how the "experts" tackle various genealogical tasks. So, today, I will share with you some of my favorite online genealogical resources. Sources besides major databases such as Ancestry Library Edition, FamilySearch.org, Fold3, Heritage Quest, etc. The lesser known, but still vitally important resources.


One of the hallmarks of a dedicated genealogist is the willingness and the recognition of the need to constantly learn new techniques, skills and resources. These are a few of my favorites. Just follow the BLUE links to see if they could become your favorites.

Newsletters: these arrive in my inbox on a regular basis. I look forward to receiving, and learning from them.

  • Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library - as one of the premiere genealogy libraries in the country, they always have interesting articles on technique and new acquisitions.
  • Past Pursuits - from the Special Collections Department of Akron Summit County Public Library
  • Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - It posts multiple small articles each day about NEW or updated genealogy sources. While it is called a newsletter, it acts more like a blog. Dick Eastman is well known and respected in genealogy circles.

Most blogs are hosted on sites such
as blogger or Wordpress


Blogs: Like this blog, you have the option of getting email notifications when a new posting is available, or finding it via a search engine. These are often shared on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Here are some of my favorties:

Judy Russell, aka "The Legal Genealogist" - Judy is a frequent, and excellent, speaker at genealogy conferences. From her blog title you know that she specializes in legal records for genealogy purposes. For me this is a weak spot in my skill set, so I always learn from her posts. On Sundays, she posts about DNA testing in genealogy. I quote her often when working with library patrons.

The Accidental Genealogist by Lisa Alzo - Lisa is a genealogy author and speaker and her blog features her insights into eastern European genealogy research.

The Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) blog - they don't post often, but it is a quick way to stay in touch with the largest state genealogical society's happenings. 

There are blogs on DNA testing and any topic you can imagine. Just use your favorite search engine and have fun!





Facebook Pages: We all love FB, but are you using it to help with your research? Here are some of my favorite FB pages for genealogy:

Roadside History Of Medina is where residents of Medina County share their memories of life in Medina. I've lived & worked in Medina for 30 years and I am always learning something new on this page. I use the knowledge to help library members.
Medina County Ohio History and Genealogy - this page could use more activity. But is a great place to share what you have learned.
Medina County Ohio Genealogical Society for those researching families in Medina.
Ohio Genealogy! Just Ask! As the name implies, this is where you can ask questions about Ohio genealogy and get answers!

Besides FB pages that focus on localities, you should also look for pages for your family surnames. I found one that focuses on the TAGG family of southern Ohio and am now sharing photos and research with new cousins!



Twitter Accounts:  I do not use Twitter in the traditional manner. I do not follow the Kardashians or President Trump. I do not constantly tweet every thought that comes into my head. What I do, is follow the Twitter accounts of well known genealogy experts. And boy, do I learn a lot from them. Here are my favorites:
David Allen Lambert - The Chief Genealogists at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Besides all the genealogical tweets about Conferences, and resources, he tweets about archaelogical finds and odd things like "At funeral Directors Convention, 'Going Green' is the New Trend", an article from a Boston TV station.
Amy Johnson Crow is an Ohio genealogist and speaker that is often at the OGS conferences. Her blog often features interviews with other famous genealogists.
Judy Russell -see the entry under "Blogs" above.
D. Joshua Taylor - Host of the Genealogy Roadshow and president of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
Amie Bowser Tennant - this is another speaker from the OGS who is an expert on using social media and mobile devices for genealogical research.

I don't follow these tweets as they are being posted throughout the day. Rather, I view them when I have a chunk of time to read through and follow the links imbedded in the tweets. It's like taking mini-classes on a wide range of genealogical topics.


Mailing Lists: When the Internet and Genealogy came together back in the 90's, mailing lists were the way to go to network with other genealogy geeks that shared an interest in a location, a surname, or an ethnic group. I still belong to many, but most of them don't post regularly. The one I still get weekly, if not daily emails from is the GeneaLib list for librarians who work with genealogy members. To see what mailing lists are available, visit Rootsweb.

Do you have any favorites to share with me?

2 comments:

Pat Morgan said...

I recommend Genealogy Tip of The Day which I see you have in your blog list. Sometimes we just need a quick reminder about something we may have overlooked or forgotten and Michael's blog always seems to come to the rescue!

Lisa said...

I liked this. I already signed up for a few of your favorite things!