Complete Beginner's Guide Book Updates

Reunion: The Family Tree Software. For Macintosh users. Leister Productions, Inc., Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, 2004.

Chapter 4 Updates:

Page 4-20:

Citing Your Sources by Monterey Peninsula College http://www.mpcfaculty.net/library/citing.htm

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format by The Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html

MLA Writing Style: http://www.mla.org/style by The Modern Language Association: http://www.mla.org/

Citing Sources Electronically - http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/elecmla.html by The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Documentation.html

Chicago/Turabian Documentation by The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madisonhttp://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocChiWorksCited.html

Modern Language Association (MLA) Citation Guide by The Ohio State University http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/mlagd.html

Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide - http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/chicagogd.html by by The Ohio State University

Style Sheet for Citing Sources Electronically by University of California-Berkeley http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Style.html

Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper by Duke University Libraries
http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/cite/works_cited.htm
http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/

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Chapter 5 Updates:

5-3: Pedigree Charts:

Charts and reports differ by type and appearance depending upon the computer program you use. Some programs offer boxes around each individual name/date/location area, as well as around the charts themselves. Other programs provide the option of shading within the boxes that contain names, or other ways to make charts more attractive. PAF 5.2 has a supplemental program to enhance the appearance of printed charts and reports called PAF Companion, http://www.progenysoftware.com/PAF-Companion-charts.html

Chart 5-1 on Page 5-4: Comparisons of software programs

http://www.mumford.ca/reportcard/review.htm

http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/FTM2Legacy.asp

http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyVsPAF.asp

http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyVsFTW.asp

http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyVsFOW.asp

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Chapter 7 Updates:

Websites to compliment the Bibliography of U.S. Gazetteers on Page 7-28.

Websites for U.S. Gazetteers:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html

GNIS sites:

http://geonames.usgs.gov/redirect.html

http://geonames.usgs.gov/stategaz/index.html

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/mapsandmisc/a/topomaps.htm

Other U.S. sites:

http://www.library.mcgill.ca/refshelf/atlas.htm

http://library.osu.edu/sites/reference/resources/gazette.htm

http://docs.lib.duke.edu/maps/guides/names.html

http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepage/index.cfm?CFID=385885&CFTOKEN=10858645

http://www.maptech.com/onlinemaps/index.cfm?CFID=385885&CFTOKEN=10858645

U.S. Computer programs:

http://www.goldbug.com/store/page15.html

http://www.goldbug.com/store/page1.html

Websites for Foreign Gazetteers:

http://www.fallingrain.com/world/

http://www.nla.gov.au/map/worldgazetteers.html

http://explorer.altopix.com/maps/

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Chapter 8 Updates:

Page 8-20:

Web Sites:
Family Tree Maker’s FamilyFinder Index has changed to http://www.genealogy.com/cdhome.html

Immigration:
http://archives.gov/genealogy/
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/immigration/
http://archives.gov/genealogy/immigration/passenger arrival.html
http://archives.gov/publications/prologue/genealogy notes.html

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Chapter 9 Updates:

Page 9-6:
The CD, Vital Records, by GenRef that produces form letters and a correspondence catalog is no longer available.

Page 9-7: Illustration 9-2:
Updated April 17, 2006. States make changes in their laws and regulations over time in regards to obtaining or withholding vital records depending upon each state. The Internet site, www.ancestry.com has many state vital record or death indexes. Below are some changes with illustration 9-2. Some new additions are added. Check www.familysearch.org for additional updates under the state you are researching or under the Keyword search for vital records.

STATEWIDE VITAL RECORDS IN THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY COLLECTION
STATE	BIRTH INDEX	BIRTH RECS	DEATH INDEX	DEATH RECS
Alabama	1917-1919		1908-1959	1908-1974
Alaska	No Statewide
Arizona		1855-1926		1870-1951
Arkansas			1914-1948
California				1905-1990
Colorado	No Statewide
Connecticut				1949-1996
District of Columbia or Washington DC	1874-1897	1874-1897		1874-1931; Foreign death certificates are 1888-1965
Delaware	Index cards: ca. 1680 -- ca. 1934	1861-1923	Index cards: ca. 1680 -- ca. 1934	1855-1955
Florida			1877-1969	1877-1939
Georgia			1919-1999	1914, 1916-1927
Hawaii	1896-1949	1896-1925	1896-1949	1896-1925
Idaho			1911-1932	1911-1937
Illinois:		Illinois births, prior to act, excluding Chicago : 1842, 1849-1872		Illinois death certificates and stillbirths, including Chicago, 1946-1947
Chicago, Illinois		1896-1933	1916-1938	1916-1945
Cook County, Illinois	1871-1916		1871-1916	1878-1909, 1916-1922
Indiana			1882-1920, 62 out of 92 counties
Iowa	1880-1940	1870-1985	1880-1940	1921-1935
Kansas	No Statewide	Indian Records	Check U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Kentucky	1911-1995		1911-1995	1911-1952
Louisiana			1850-1875, 1900-1954	1850-1875, 1894-1954
Maine	Index to vital records prior to 1892, 80 towns 1892-1922		Index to vital records prior to 1892, 80 towns 1892-1922
Maryland	No Statewide
Massachusetts	1841-1910	1901-1905	1841-1971	1841-1905
Michigan		1867-1902	1867-1874	1867-1897
Minnesota				1900-1955
Mississippi	No Statewide
Missouri	St. Louis, Missouri 1910-1929	St. Louis, Missouri 1850-1910		1850-1909
Montana			pre 1954 and 1954-2002
Nebraska	No Statewide	Indian Records	Check U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Nevada	No Statewide
New Hampshire	Early to 1900		Early to 1900	1901-1947
New Jersey		1848-1900		1848-1900
New Mexico			1889-1940	1889-1942, 1927-1945
New York:	No Statewide	See some NYC listings below
New York City	1881-1965		1888-1965
Manhattan	1866-1897, 1898-1909	1866-1897, 1898-1909	1868-1890	1795-1949
Bronx				1898-1948
North Carolina			1906-1974, 1968-1994	Death certificates, 1906-1994
North Dakota	No Statewide	Indian Records	Check U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Ohio	1888-1980	1869-1879, 1888-1980	1888-1954, 1959-2002 CD ROM	1869-1879, 1888-2001
Oklahoma	No Statewide	Indian Records	Check U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Oregon			1903-2000
Pennsylvania	1852-1908	1852-1908	1890-1905	1890-1905
Rhode Island	1846-1950		1846-1950	1900-1943, 1946-1948, 1951-1953
South Carolina			1915-1944	1915-1944
South Dakota	No Statewide	Indian Records	Check U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Tennessee		1908-1912, 1925-1939	1914-1950	1908-1912, 1914-1953
Texas	1903-1953, Records before 1910 are by county and may not be complete	1903-1910, 1926-1929, Records before 1910 are by county and may not be complete	1941-1973	1890-1976, Records before 1910 are by county and may not be complete
Utah			1898-1905	1904-1951
Vermont	Early to 1870, 1871-1908	1909-1954	Early to 1870, 1871-1908	1909-1954
Virginia	1853-1950	1853-1941		1853-1906
Washington	1907-1954	1907-1948	1970-1979	1907-1960
Wisconsin	1952-1907		pre 1907, 1959-1997
West Virginia		1852-1930	1917-1991	1917-1973
Wyoming	No Statewide

Pages 9-17 and 9-30:
The Vital Records Assistant computer program is no longer available.

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Chapter 10 Updates:

The Family History Library has been remodeling and making changes to the library. You can find about the Family History Library new layout by going to www.familysearch.org and clicking on the library tab. On the left margin of the screen, you can click on the links to help you learn more about the library.

There is also a link that is called What’s New at the Family History Library. You can reach this site by clicking on the below.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Home/News/frameset_news.asp

Familylinknetwork.com has lessons on how to use a Family History Center. They provide valuable information and discuss effective research methods as well. You can access this site at www.familylinknetwork.com

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Chapter 11 Updates:

Lesson 11: Major Databases of the Family History Library
Currently, the Family History Library (FHL) does not encourage corrections to the Ancestral File because corrections can be made via the Pedigree Resource File. Therefore, ignore the comments on pages 11-9 to 11-16 for correcting the Ancestral File. If you wish to submit portions or all of your research to the Family History Library, follow the instructions below as taken from the FamilySearch Web site.

______________________________________________________________________________

WHY SHARE MY GENEALOGY?
Permanently preserve your genealogy
Sharing your genealogy allows you to preserve your family history in the Pedigree Resource File and share it with others around the world. A copy of the genealogy files (GEDCOM format) that you submit will be preserved in the Granite Mountain Records Vault located near Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, your genealogy may be made conveniently available to others either on compact disc or on the Internet.

WHAT IS DONE WITH MY GENEALOGY?
Check, correct and preserve your records
Several things are done to ensure your records are properly preserved:

First, your submitted GEDCOM file will be checked for file format errors. If errors are found, you will be notified by e_mail that your file could not be used. You will then have the opportunity to correct any errors and then re_submit your GEDCOM file.

Second, a copy of your GEDCOM file will be placed in the Granite Mountain Records Vault for preservation.

Third, a copy of your GEDCOM file may be published. Currently, the submitted files are being compiled and published in a CD_ROM product called Pedigree Resource File, which may be purchased for a nominal fee. It may also be available for use at a Family History Center in your neighborhood free of charge. Submitted GEDCOM files may also be included in other FamilySearch products, such as Ancestral File and even made available on the Internet.

Fourth, an index of the current Pedigree Resource File may be made available for searching on the FamilySearch Web site. The full content of the GEDCOM files (pedigrees, sources, notes and so on) is not available on FamilySearch at this time.

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY GENEALOGY
Submitting your genealogy is easy
You can quickly and easily submit your genealogy:

First, obtain permission from any living persons mentioned in your genealogy to submit their information to FamilySearch. Remember, notes and sources attached to an entry for a deceased person may also include information about a living person. For privacy reasons, you must remove any information about living persons if you do not have their permission to submit it.

Second, review your notes and sources to make sure they don't contain any offensive or inappropriate statements about another person. If found, remove such information.

Third, save your genealogy in a GEDCOM file format on your personal computer. Many genealogy software programs provide the capability to save your records in a GEDCOM file format (where the file is named with a .ged extension __ for example: eastleyhistory.ged). Please see the instructions provided with your software for more information. You can also download the free PAF (Personal Ancestral File) software to do this and other family history activities.

Fourth, submit the GEDCOM file that you have created to FamilySearch. You will need to agree to the conditions for submitting your genealogy before submitting the file. (Note: To send GEDCOM files to FamilySearch, your web browser must be Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator 2.0 or higher.)

Logging into FamilySearch.org to Submit Your Family History
To submit your family history information at FamilySearch.org:

• Go to www.familysearch.org
• Click on the Share tab.
• If you don’t have sign-on user name and password, you will need to set one up. If you already have a user name and password, you need to sign on to the system.
• On the left hand side, there are some links to help you with your submission. They are as follows:

Why share my genealogy?
What is done with my genealogy?
How do I submit my genealogy?
Submit my genealogy.
Check the status of my submission.

Below are the current directions that you will find on FamilySearch.org (4/19/2006).

SUBMIT MY GENEALOGY
When you are ready to submit your family history file, you must consent to the following agreement (copied from the FamilySearch site.)
Submit your genealogy (GEDCOM files)
Please read and agree to the following conditions:

You have received permission from all living persons named in your submission to send their information to FamilySearch.
You give us permission to publish your name and address as the contributor of the information you submitted. This helps others to coordinate research with you.
You give us permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute any of the information included in your submission without compensation and in any form we feel appropriate. You also give us permission to use information from your submission to create new databases.
You affirm that you have the right to give us permission to use the information in your submission, as described in these conditions.
You accept legal responsibility for any permitted use made of the information you provide.
You agree that we are not responsible for any alteration, loss, damage, or corruption to your submission.
You agree that once you submit your genealogy to us, it becomes our property and cannot be retracted or returned. However, this does not limit your right to publish, sell, or give the information you submit to others.
Note: If you are under 18, you must get permission from your parents before you send any information about yourself or others.

CHECK THE STATUS OF MY SUBMISSION
You can sign on and go back to the share site to find out the status of your submission.

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Chapter 12 Updates:

GUIDE TO THE FAMILY HISTORY CENTER

Surname Searching_________________________________________________ Date________________________

The family you are searching is thought to have lived in these countries or states:

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _______________________

(Records are usually recorded by county name except in New England, where records are maintained by town and probate districts. Locate the county if you know the city or town by using a gazetteer).

CHECK OFF WHEN ACCOMPLISHED:

1. I have organized family information onto a pedigree chart..................................................................______
2. I have organized family information onto family group records..........................................................______

PERFORM A PRELIMINARY SURVEY BY SEARCHING:

3. The IGI by county, state, surname (FamilySearch Program) ( )
4. Ancestral File on Computer (FamilySearch Program) ( )
5. The Pedigree Resource File (FamilySearch Program) ( )
6. The FHLC Surname File on Computer (FamilySearch Program) ( )
7. Printed Family Histories in this center (Blue bordered cards, books & FHCC in CA) ( )
8. Surname Indexes to Periodicals (PERSI) ( )
9. Other Library Surname Card Catalogs on microform (Lib of Congress, or Sutro, for example) ( )

PERFORM ORIGINAL RESEARCH BY:

10. Social Security Death Index (abt. 1937-2006 by surname FamilySearch & Ancestry) ( )
11. The federal census records at www.ancestry.com for every 10 year period 1790-1930 ( )
12. Vital Record CDs ( )
13. The Locality file of the FHLC for Vital records ( )
14. The Locality file of nearby libraries ( )
15. The Locality file FHC Card Catalog containing local holdings in the file ( )
16. Area Research Guides for specific help on localities/subjects located at www.familysearch.org ( )
17. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 or AniMap Computer Program ( )
18. Research Papers by Experts in Genealogy Worldwide ( )
19. World Conference on Records or other conference syllabus ( )
20. Category/Surname/Title References in the FHC Card Catalog ( )
21. Loose Files for maps, miscellaneous information, pedigree charts (ProQuest Heritage Quest) ( )
22. PERSI, periodical index at ProQuest or on microfiche or book format ( )

OTHER WAYS THE FHC CAN HELP YOU:

23. Information on computerizing your genealogy through the PAF or Legacy programs, etc. ( )
24. Seminars and workshops on your personal area of interest ( )
25. Loan Books of a general genealogical nature ( )
26. Forms, charts, photocopies of books, $0.25/microfilm & fiche, images to CD ( )
27. Library of Congress Indexes, www.loc.gov ( )
28. Film Register Books on military records ( )
29. Information on creating a GEDCOM to submit family data to FamilySearch ( )

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Chapter 13 Updates:

Page 13-1: The Regional Records Services Facilities

Updated information has been added to the NARA Regional Records Services Facilities. The updated list of NARA Regional Facilities is listed below or you can link to this site http://www.archives.gov/locations/states.html#AK to find new facilities or information about each of these facilities and the types of records they store. If you e-mail any of these facilities, be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Archive	Address	Phone Number	e-mail
The National Archives in Washington, D.C.	National Archives and Records Administration 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20408_0001
Office of the Federal Register: College Park, MD	Office of the Federal Register (NF) The National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740_6001
Library of Congress: Prints and Photographs Division: Washington, D.C.	Prints and Photographs Division James Madison Building, Room 339 The Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540	(202)707-6399 (General Reference)	http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ awhhtml/awpnp6/habshaer.html
NARA Affiliated Archives	go the web site: http://www.archives.gov/locations/ affiliated_archives.html#library_of_congress
The National Archives at College Park, Maryland	National Archives at College Park 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740_6001	General reference information: (301)837-2000	inquire@nara.gov
The Washington National Records Center (WNRC) in Suitland, Maryland	Washington National Records Center 4205 Suitland Road, Suitland, MD 20746_8001
Pacific Alaska Region: Anchorage, AK	National Archives Pacific Alaska Region 654 West Third Avenue Anchorage, Alaska 99501_2145	(907)261-7820	alaska.archives@nara.gov
Pacific Alaska Region: Seattle, WA	The National Archives Pacific Atlantic Region 6125 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, Washington 98115_7999	General Assistance: (206)336-5115	seattle.archives@nara.gov
Pacific Region: Laguna Niguel, CA	National Archives Pacific Region: Laguna Niguel 24000 Avila Road 1st Floor, East Entrance Laguna Niguel, California 92677_3497	(949) 360-2641	laguna.archives@nara.gov
Pacific Region: Riverside, CA	National Archives Pacific Region : Riverside 23123 Cajalco Road Perris, CA 92570_7298	(951)956-2000	Please note: There are no genealogical or historical research facilities available at this location.
Pacific Region: San Francisco, CA	National Archives Pacific Region : San Francisco 1000 Commodore Drive San Bruno, California 94066_2350
Rocky Mountain Region: Denver, CO	National Archives Rocky Mountain Region P.O. Box 25307 Denver, Colorado 80225	(303) 407-5740	denver.archives@nara.gov
Southeast Region: Atlanta, GA	The National Archives Southeast Region 5780 Jonesboro Road Morrow, Georgia 30260	(770)968-2100	atlanta.archives@nara.gov
Great Lakes Region: Chicago, IL	The National Archives Great Lakes Region 7358 South Pulaski Road Chicago, Illinois 60629_5898		chicago.archives@nara.gov
Northeast Region: Pittsfield, MA	The National Archives Northeast Region: Pittsfield 10 Conte Drive Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201_8230	(413)236-3600	pittsfield.archives@nara.gov
Northeast Region: Boston, MA	The National Archives: Northeast Region: Boston Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center 380 Trapelo Road Waltham, Massachusetts 02452_6399	(781)663-0130	waltham.archives@nara.gov
Central Plains Region: Kansas City, MO	The National Archives Central Plains Region: Kansas City 2312 East Bannister Road Kansas City, Missouri 64131_3011	(816)268-8000	kansascity.archives@nara.gov
Central Plains Region: Lee’s Summit, MO	The National Archives Central Plains Region: Lee’s Summit 200 Space Center Drive Lee's Summit, Missouri 64064_1182	Reference services: (816)268-8150	leessummit.reference@nara.gov
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRCL) St. Louis, MO	NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) 111 Winnebago Street St. Louis, Missouri 63118_4126	(314)801-9250	cpr.center@nara.gov
Northeast Region: New York City, NY	The National Archives Northeast Region: NYC 201 Varick Street 12th Floor New York, NY 10014	Toll Free: (866)840-1752, or (212)401-1620	newyork.archives@nara.gov
Great Lakes Region: Dayton, OH	The National Archives Great Lakes Region 3150 Springboro Road Dayton, Ohio 45439_1883
Mid Atlantic Region: Center City Philadelphia, PA	The National Archives Mid Atlantic Region: Center City Philadelphia 900 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107_4292	(215)606-0100	philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Southwest Region: Fort Worth, Texas	The National Archives Southwest Region P.O. 6216 Fort Worth, Texas 76115_0216		ftworth.archives@nara.gov

Page 13-9:
Some helpful websites are as follows:

1. Civil War Sailors and Soldiers System, http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
2. Revolutionary War Pensions, http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pensions/revwar/
3. HeritageQuestOnline Revolutionary War Pensions. Website: www.heritagequestonline.com This is a paid service website that can usually be accessed through college or local libraries.
4. Military Records, http://www.accessgenealogy.com/military/
5. Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows Electronic Card Index at the Library of Virginia, http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/collections/CW.html
6. Library of Congress (LOC), http://www.loc.gov/index.html
7. The National Archives (NARA), http://www.archives.gov/ (See chart on regional offices above.)
8. Ancestry.com, www.ancestry.com (Paid service website)
9. Genealogy.com, www.genealogy.com (Paid service website)
10. FamilySearch.org, www.familysearch.org (LDS genealogical website)
11. Cyndislist, http://www.cyndislist.com/ (Site to aid in locating other genealogical sites)
12. Lycos.com, www.lycos.com (Search engine to aid in locating information, similar to google)
13. Altavista.com, www.altavista.com (Search engine to aid in locating information, similar to google)

Google Searches at www.google.com
If you cannot access some of these sites or if these sites are outdated, search Google to locate the information you are seeking at www.google.com

Google.com has a help center to aid you in learning how to use Google’s search features at
http://www.google.com/support

Some helpful hints from Google. “How do I find what I'm looking for with a Google search?”

First, choose your keywords wisely. Select descriptive, specific words. For example, [2004 football statistics] rather than [football] or [Vancouver 2010 Olympics] instead of [Olympics].

If you're looking for an exact match, try a phrase search. When you enclose your search query in quotation marks, you'll only get results for the exact terms you entered in the order you entered them. For example, ["friendly robot"] rather than [friendly robot].

If you're looking for something specific like flight status, local businesses, or the answer to a mathematical problem, you can learn more about our features at http://www.google.com/help/features.html

For additional tips, please see http://www.google.com/help/refinesearch.html or check out http://www.google.com/help/operators.html. If you'd like a little guidance, try searching from our Advanced Search page: http://www.google.com/advanced_search

If you've exhausted our tips and you're still having trouble, you might be interested in Google Answers. This program puts your question in the hands of a professional web researcher for a fee that you set yourself. You can learn more at http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html

Helpful suggestions from Google. “Does Google support wildcard searches?”

A wildcard in a Google search query can be indicated by an asterisk and will match one or more entire words of text so that the query matches a contiguous sequence of words. For example, a search for [cooking * classes] will match the phrases "cooking school classes" and "cooking and wine tasting classes." One common use of the asterisk is to fill in the blanks for a query that corresponds to a question: [the parachute was invented by *]. Also, more than one asterisk can be used, such as [vitamin * is good for *].

Currently, Google doesn't support searches in which an asterisk indicates a fraction or extension of a word: [flower * classes] will not match "flowerful classes." However, we do use stemming technology. When appropriate, Google will search not only for your search terms, but also for words that are similar to some or all of those terms. If you search for [pet lemur dietary needs], Google will also search for [pet lemur diet needs] and other related variations of your terms.

To learn more about refining your search technique, please visit http://www.google.com/help/basics.html and http://www.google.com/help/refinesearch.html

Other Search Tips
The University at Albany State of New York has some helps and hints in how to choose a search engine at http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html#logic

Yahoo.com has some search tips at http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/ysearch/basics/basics_04.html

A good website to help you search several different search engines, such as AltaVista, Excite, WebCrawler, Lycos, Opentext, Infoseek, Yahoo, NlighteN, Internet Sleuth, and Magellan, is at http://daphne.palomar.edu/TGSEARCH/ This site has a comparison chart to aid in evaluating the various search engines.

Yahoo’s index to searching the web is located at http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/internet/world_wide_web/searching_the_web/

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Chapter 14 Updates:

Census Records

The Complete Beginners Guide to Genealogy, the Internet, and Your Genealogy Computer Program was written before the 1930 census was released. Therefore a copy of the 1930 census extraction form is posted in PDF format.

As more and more census records are placed on the internet by various companies such as Ancestry.com and Pro-Quest--HeritageQuest, the way to search census records has taken a different approach. However, tools and tips to search indexes still apply. Rather than seeking to find variant spellings of a surname on the census index or records in printed sources, a person should strive to find as many ways as possible to spell the surname phonetically.

Ancestry.com is compiling every name indexes for each extant census. Their website should be checked at various times to see what new types of indexing has been added. Pro-Quest--HeritageQuest can usually be accessed by various libraries. It markets to libraries. Often it is good practice to access both websites if you are having difficulty in locating a particular person in the census. Each company has a different search engine and indexing method.

See http://www.familylinknetwork.com/scripts/fllc.script.php to locate a presentation at FamilyLinkNetwork on “Finding Your Family on the 1930 Federal Census in a Family History Center,” and other presentations by Karen Clifford, AG. These are simple tutorials packed with experienced techniques for using the collection. The 1930 census might contain people that you personally remember. By starting with this firm foundation of relationships, your history can build on the knowledge found.

Acquaint yourself with Ancestry.com, free at a Family History Center, and partially available at public libraries, but learn to use it properly. Learn how to use city directories between those census records in big cities to see where your ancestors might have moved each year. Boost your results by using search engines properly, and find out how to analyze and set new goals based on your research results. It's convenient, its nearly instantaneous from index to image, and it’s a thrill when you first see someone you recognize! At Family History Centers where it is free, you can also obtain help from volunteers.

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Help:

Use the following keystrokes to put the updates into a word processing document for printing, or simply go to 'File' then 'Print' to print out this webpage the way it is.

Ctrl + 'v' to paste
Ctrl + 'x' to cut
Ctrl + 'c' to copy
Ctrl + 'b' to bold
Ctrl + 'u' to underline
Ctrl + 'i' to italicize
Ctrl + 's' to save
Ctrl + 'p' to print

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