Kudos to LAC Communications

It seems like every second day LAC announces a new topical set of historic images becoming available on Flickr. On Wednesday it was 30 images from D Day.

For a $100 million organization 30 images is pretty thin gruel. As one tweet during the Canadian Library Association conference put it, they should be dealing in terabytes, not a few tens of images.

However, hats off to the communications group for making the best of a sad effort.

Speculation on Ancestry.com future

Bloomberg.com has a speculative article quoting an unnamed source that  Ancestry.com is looking for a buyer, possibly Google or Facebook.

Ancestry, with a market capitalization of $964.4M, would be an easier and more rational acquisition for Google ($186.0B) than Facebook ($55.3B). It's doubtful an acquisition by Brightsolid, even if financially viable, would be allowed by regulators.

Organize It - systematic, safe, accessible

Jane Down is a compulsive organizer. She told me in an interview that nothing calms her like putting things in order. She is also a conservation professional working for the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Now Jane shares her methods in a four page laminated document "Organize It - systematic, safe, accessible: organization tips for genealogists"
Information is presented under the headings: Overview of the organizational system; Notebooks; To do lists; Binder organization; Travel and binders/file folders; Correspondence; Oversized historical documents; Transcribing documents and audio tapes/files; Heirlooms; Preservation advice; Photo organization system; Fire protection; Care and storage of photos and negatives; Genealogy books, magazines and newsletter organization; Storing genealogy data/files and digital photos; Organize your collection's future; Final tips,  Some suppliers; Bibliography; Websites for organization.
This handy reference lists for $8.95 and will be available through Global Genealogy shortly.

A Genealogical Day in Ireland

Offered by the Quebec Family History Society

Date:         Saturday, June 9, 2010
Time:         10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location:     Quebec Family History Society Library and Heritage Centre
Address:     173 Cartier, Pointe Claire, Quebec
Telephone:   514-695-1502
Fee:          $30.00 (Pre-registration required)

QFHS President, Gary Schroder and member Lorraine Gosselin will explain how to find your Irish Ancestors in Quebec and in Ireland.

For more information on this seminar and other upcoming events, please consult
 www.qfhs.ca

Ontario Civil Registration

Announced at the closing session of the OGS conference was the release, within the next two months, of the 2012 annual update to Ontario civil registration records.

For the first time the release will be online in digitized and indexed form, free on the Archives of Ontario website.  The years will be 1915 for births, 1930 for marriages and 1940 for deaths.

The future of Interlibrary loan in Canada

The following is based on a brief conversation with Fabien Langelle, Director General, Service Branch of Library and Archives Canada

The interlibrary loan service from LAC costs the tax-base $40 per loan, which is unsustainable in new budget conditions.

Demand for the service is decreasing, from 180K requests/yr to $32K requests/yr

Options for a replacement functionality, such as digitization, user pay, and other options will be explored with the community next fall


Nothing will change until February 15, 2013.

Comment: In this as with all other national genealogical issues the community is handicapped in having its voice heard by having no national organization to speak for it, and no appetite by the Ontario Genealogical Society, Canada's largest, to participate in one.

Family History Show: Episode 7

The latest episode of The Family History Show was filmed at WDYTYA Live and features three interviews with leading genealogists Chris Paton, Dick Eastman and Peter Christian. They discuss the future of family history with Nick Barrett.

BIFHSGO member Brenda Turner is interviewed about her great uncle who received the honourary Freedom of the City of London. And there's more.

View from http://www.familyhistoryshow.net/the-vodcasts/episode-7

OGS Conference 2012: Newspapers

A quick word of thanks to the folks who came to my presentation on newspapers at the OGS conference in Kingston. The large room, half the gymnasium, was comfortably crowded and there was participation and several questions.

Many will remember:  My ancestor must be in a witness protection program

OGS members recognized

Announced on Friday evening at the opening session of the Ontario Genealogical Society conference was the award of the The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal to OGS members Edward Kipp and Don Hinchley. Congratulations.

The obverse depicts a crowned image of the Sovereign, in whose name the medal is bestowed. The reverse marks the sixtieth, or diamond, anniversary of the accession to the Throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The anniversary is expressed by the central diamond shape, by the background composed of a pattern of diamonds, and by the two dates. The Royal Cypher consists of the Royal Crown above the letters EIIR (i.e., Elizabeth II Regina, the latter word meaning Queen in Latin). The maple leaves refer to Canada, while the motto VIVAT REGINA means “Long live The Queen!”
The ribbon uses a new arrangement of the blue, red and white colours found in the 1953 Coronation Medal, the 1977 Silver Jubilee Medal, and the 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal.

Book announcement: Seven Pillars of Wisdom: The Art of One-Name Studies

The following is an announcement from the Guild of One Name Studies.

In April 2012 the Guild of One-Name Studies published "Seven Pillars of Wisdom: The Art of One-Name Studies" as a guide to the running of a one-name study. The book is a collection of helpful advice and information gathered from the Guild Wiki, and was published immediately before the Guild’s 2012 Conference in order to complement its "Seven Pillars" theme. Copies of this book are now available via the Guild website www.one-name.org/sales.html, with payment via PayPal or credit card online, or by cheque through the post.
This book aims to give its readers help, advice, and encouragement on the various aspects of a one-name study:
• Data collection
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Publicising the study
• Responding to enquiries
• Publication of results
• Preserving the study
The Guild feels that it is impossible to prescribe the "right" way to carry out a one-name study. Much depends on the size of the study, the researcher's objectives in performing such a study, and also of course their resources in terms of time, skills, and equipment.
However, those members of the Guild of One-Name Studies who are indeed carrying out one-name studies themselves represent a fount of knowledge and experience. Many of them regularly and freely share their expertise with other members of the Guild, at Seminars, Conferences, on the Guild’s mailing list, and - especially - via the Wiki. The Wiki was set up to provide a repository for this combined wisdom, and with currently well over 150 pages contributed it is clear that it is meeting its objectives admirably.
This book attempts to bring together in a printed format the advice, information, and expertise contributed by these members to the Guild Wiki. In accordance with its printed format, it aims to present primarily the general advice given in the Wiki, rather than the very many Wiki pages giving links to sources, etc., which are not only more suited to an online format but also much more liable to frequent change.
Details of the Guild’s facilities can be found at: www.one-name.org/guildsvces.html - where you can find:
• more about undertaking a one-name study
• the benefits of joining the Guild of One-Name Studies, and the assistance members of the Guild can provide to anyone researching their family history on any of the 8,000 plus names currently being researched
Anne Shankland, the Editor of the Guild Wiki book, said today
"For some time Guild members have been asking for a book on how to do a one-name study. And what better than a book on one-name studies that knowledgeable Guild members have written themselves! My thanks to all the contributors to the Wiki, and I trust the book will be useful to those either running, or thinking of starting, a one-name study."
Website:​ ​www.one-name.org

Important information for those who took a DNA test with SMGF

If you tested with the Sorensen Molecular Genealogy Foundation there is important news in a post Status of the Sorenson Molecular, SMGF,genetic genealogy DNA Databases and GeneTree which may help you preserved information for the future.

The link is http://jgg-online.blogspot.ca/2012/06/status-of-sorenson-molecular.html

120,000 more Scottish memorial transcriptions added to Deceased Online

The following is from Deceased Online

Additional records for approximately 120,000 Scottish burials, mostly in rural burial grounds and cemeteries, are now available on www.deceasedonline.com
This set of records comprises headstone and memorial photographs and transcriptions from 99 cemeteries and burial grounds from Argyll to the Scottish Borders including Banffshire (Moray), Clackmannanshire, Edinburgh, Fife, The Lothians, Lanarkshire and North Ayrshire
The oldest records date back to 1526.
Memorial inscriptions can be searched on surname, forenames and date in the same way as register records; but access can also be purchased to a whole cemetery/churchyard collection for browsing, or just the subset of headstone images with inscriptions containing a specific surname.  These inscriptions can then be searched for any combination of names, words and dates (i.e. farmer, drowned, killed).
The records have been supplied by Scottish Memorial Inscriptions (SMI) who have photographed and transcribed the inscriptions from the memorials and headstones. New indexes have been prepared by Deceased Online to assist with searching.
There are now records for over 250 Scottish cemeteries, burial grounds and crematoria on Deceased Online and we will upload records for 150 more in the next few months.
For full details, see the Database Coverage section at www.deceasedonline.com
There are approximately 920,000 Scottish burial and cremation records now on Deceased Online.

LAC developments

Following his disappointing appearance at the annual conference of the Canadian Library Association in Ottawa Daniel Caron spoke on Friday at l'Association des archivistes du Québec meeting in Levis.

Caron was scheduled to speak at the Association of Canadian Archivists conference, June 7 to June 9, in Whitehorse.  He backed out on the afternoon of May 30 to be replaced by Cecilia Muir, Chief Operating Officer at LAC.

Subsequently the following letter withdrawing ACA support for an LAC initiative was sent to LAC

I am writing to inform you that the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) intends to withdraw its participation from Library and Archives Canada’s Pan Canadian Documentary Heritage Network  (PCDHN) forums.
The Library and Archives of Canada Act obliges Library and Archives Canada to “7(f) to support the development of the library and archival communities”. The Act also compels the Librarian and Archivist of Canada to “8 (i) provide professional, technical and financial support to those involved in the preservation and promotion of the documentary heritage and in providing access to it.” For the past 26 years, the LAC has fulfilled this mandate economically and successfully through the National Archival Development Program (NADP), a program that LAC eliminated with no consultation with or notice to the archival community.
In the absence of any written communications from the LAC, it is the ACA’s understanding that the LAC believes that it can satisfy its mandate through the Pan-Canadian Documentary Heritage Network (PCDHN). The ACA, having participated in the PCDHN forums from their very beginnings, does not believe that the PDCHN in its current state can possibly address the diverse needs and interests of archives across Canada. PCDHN forums meet sporadically and have controlled agendas. The NADP is the most efficient, transparent, and representative means of supporting the development of the Canadian archival community.
Until we can have a meaningful dialogue with you about the LAC’s intentions and plans to support the Canadian archival community, the ACA will withdraw from the PCDHN forums.

Ian Wilson expresses concerns on Library and Archives

National Archivist and Librarian Emeritus. Ian E Wilson presented the Richard J Houston Memorial Lecture to the opening plenary of the Ontario Genealogical Society Annual conference in Kingston, Ontario, on Friday evening.

In the bulk of his talk he reviewed the productive relationship between archivists, librarians and genealogists using illustrations from his long career, which started in Kingston.

At the end he turned to list cuts to archival programs stating that the business plan for LAC is far from clear at this point. What is clear is that the librarian, archivist, genealogist alliance based on mutual respect and shared commitments is more needed than ever before.


One thing we haven`t done well over the years is raising public awareness of the role of archives in society. The Department of Canadian Heritage does not understand LAC and the Minister is misinformed.


It`s time for a national discussion on library and archival services, knowledge services for the 21st century. We need an open and active discussion. We need some research on best practices elsewhere. We need to explore the possibilities of increased work with the private sector, and even a new business model.


The vision is very clear in the preamble to the Library and Archives Canada Act of 2004.

WHEREAS it is necessary that:
a. the documentary heritage of Canada be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations;
b. Canada be served by an institution that is a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society;
b. that institution facilitate in Canada cooperation among the communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge; and
d. that institution serve as the continuing memory of the government of Canada and its institutions;

I`ll be trying to find a link to the complete talk transcript.

Royal household records at findmypast.co.uk

The following is from Find My Past

ROYAL HOUSEHOLD STAFF RECORDS GO ONLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME
Discover who served Britain’s Kings and Queens from King Charles II to King George V, at  findmypast.co.uk
‘Chocolate Maker to the Queen’, ‘Keeper of the Lions in the Tower’ and ‘Moletaker’ among some of the most extraordinary roles
 Have you ever wondered who works in a Royal Household, or whether you might have a connection to someone who served the Royal Family? In celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, family history website findmypast.co.uk, in association with the Royal Archives, has today launched the Royal Household Staff Lists, a detailed collection made available online for the first time.
Previously only accessible at Windsor Castle by appointment, these rarely viewed records cover royal residences across the UK including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and St. James’ Palace, and include 50,000 staff records from the reign of King Charles II to King George V between 1660 and 1924. With details such as name, occupation, age, length of service and salary, the records paint a vivid picture of life in a Royal court, revealing what it takes to run a Royal Household and the wide range of duties involved in serving the British Monarchy.
 Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk, commented: “To be able to view these records online for the first time is incredibly exciting - not only for people worldwide with an interest in the British Monarchy, but also for anyone wanting to confirm family rumours about connections to those who worked for the Royal Household! With such a broad range of trades and occupations spanning four centuries of Royal Household history, almost anyone could find they’re connected to those who served the Crown!”

Pages, physicians and the ‘Chocolate Maker to the Queen'
A reigning monarch typically had 1000 staff in the Royal Household. The biggest department was the Lord Chamberlain’s Department, which had on average 700 staff and was responsible for the ceremonial and social life of the Court. Traditionally, employees in this department included the ‘above stairs’ servants such as pages, craftsmen, chaplains, physicians, musicians, watermen and Yeomen of the Guard. There are also a number of most unusual occupations listed among the Royal Household staff:

Extraordinary Job Titles in the Royal Household*
Chocolate Maker to the Queen
Yeoman of the Mouth to Her Majesty Queen Mary in the Pantry
Necessary Woman to the Corridor and Entrance Hall
Keeper of the Lions in the Tower
Moletaker
Master of the Game of Cock Fighting
Groom of the Removing Wardrobe
Groom of the Stole
Strewer of Herbs
Laundress of the Body Linen

The records reveal charming details of life in the Royal Household. Queen Anne, for example, had such a penchant for barley cream and posset, according to records from 1702, that she engaged two women of the Bedchamber to make them and other ‘spoon meats’ for £60 per annum. Examples like this provide a fascinating snapshot into royal tastes centuries ago.

Inside the Royal Kitchen
In the run up to The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, it is also interesting to compare how the Royal Household prepared for previous Jubilee celebrations, including that of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 115 years ago.

According to the records, Gabriel Tschumi was Master Chef to three monarchs: Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V, having joined the Royal Household as a cook’s apprentice at the age of 16. For Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee banquet in 1897, 24 additional chefs were brought over from Paris to help with the cooking. What’s more, the younger apprentices in the kitchens attempted to grow their moustaches to resemble those of their French superiors!

The Royal Family and their guests, including several crowned heads of Europe, dined on a banquet of Normandy sole, lamb chops, roast beef, quail and tongue, with pineapple fritters and meringue for dessert.

Professor Robert Bucholz, renowned expert on officials of the Royal Household and Professor of History at Loyola University of Chicago, commented: “The court at Whitehall, St. James’s and Buckingham Palace was not just the seat of the most powerful government in the world; it was the political, social and cultural centre of the nation. Thus the records of Royal Household staff, preserved in the Royal Archives at Windsor and now made available online through findmypast.co.uk, are the record of their service to the British crown.

Bucholz continued: “Professional historians have long had access to these records, but now ordinary citizens from around the world have the opportunity to track down ancestors here.  Indeed, even I – an American of German and Mexican descent – found a namesake: one George Buckholtz, livery pony boy, undoubtedly part of the German contingent serving at the later Hanoverian court.”

Debra Chatfield concluded: “People across the globe continue to be fascinated by the British Royal Family, as well as the relationship between ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ life. In the year of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, this is the perfect opportunity to explore your family history and discover whether you have an ancestor who worked for the Royal Household.”

The Royal Household Staff records can be searched for free at http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/other-records/british-royal-archives/. Transcripts and scanned images of the original documents can be viewed with PayAsYouGo credits or a Full subscription,

Daniel Caron keynote at CLA

Illness kept me from going to the Canadian Library Association meeting in Ottawa. The following tweets are on LAC head honcho Daniel Caron's keynote presentation. Here is a representative selection.

Keynote starting ... let the games begin. Daniel Caron, may the odds be EVER in your favour...

This is less offensive than it is incomprehensible.

I feel as though I'm listening to a glossary of Library 2.0 terms from 2006.

"The rules of the game have changed." I submit that it's not a game

$10 million in cuts to LAC, which Caron leads, and he has not made one statement on it. He has not stood up for LAC.

I think Caron does not understand his audience. We are already way beyond this.
Caron's talk would be interesting if this was 1997.

Good God. I haven't heard this much jargon outside of a project management meeting

I've moved into feeling bad for him because this is so bad. It is so much worse than I thought. Good God.

Oh dear. Caron just bragged that the LAC twitter account has 600 followers.

"Dig in our heels and wrap ourselves in the Canadian flag to maintain the status quo" How insulting.

I hate it when 'evidence-based' is used in such a political manner, as if it justifies stupidity. #claott2012

 the situation at LAC sounds absolutely dire. Canada's heritage is at stake.

reading the tweets on Caron's keynote at #claott2012. Doesn't appear to have gone well.

I am now ready to go out and confront the challenges of 1999.

reading the tweets from #claott12 . my kingdom for someone with libraryland experience at the head of LAC.

Caron at #CLAOTT2012 very theoretical. Think everyone would have liked more on practical impacts of LAC cuts, concretely staying relevant.

If the hum in the room after Caron's keynote is any indication, the Q&A this afternoon will be lively

Just got out of Daniel Caron's opening keynote. Yikes! It was a rabble-rouser. I can't wait for the Q&A this afternoon.

wrap yourself in the canadian flag? wrap yourself in armor and fight for LAC, since it's obvious this guy isn't.

Anyone feel the need for a primal scream? 

I am now MORE worried about the state of libraries today than I was before.

"Modernization initiative"...sounds more like "catch-up initiative"

According to Caron, LAC is doing its part to balance the federal budget. That's one way to put it.

The obvious contempt that he has for his audience is deeply unsettling.

Keynote is... Interesting... Dear lord 

Oh no! Caron brought in evidence-based practice in his speech. Ask Regina public how that is going? 

Agreed. We need to address fundamental question of LAC's role; evolving service delvry model to allow all Cdns access

Daniel Caron says LAC's twitter acct. now has 600 followers; evidently this justifies massive federal library service cuts

LAC has decided against "indiscriminate digization" of its collection.

Caron is talking about digitization efforts in terms of 1000's of images when he should be talking in terms of terabytes.

Fighting urge to laugh out loud...

Caron's speech = massive snooze!

Keynote speech: On my one side a woman scribbles "digitization/=digital"; on the other, a woman texts "this guy is an a******."

Benchmarks update

Here are some benchmarks as of 31 May 2012. Comparable figures a month ago are shown in brackets. The higher the Alexa ranking the more popular the site.

Familysearch.org has 1.164 (1,139) record collections: census & lists 102 (100); birth, marriage, & death 744 (733); probate & court  88 (85); military 94 (93); migration & naturalization 52 (52); other  83 (76). It has Alexa rank 4,504 (4,597).

Ancestry.com has Alexa rank of 634 (657); ancestry.co.uk ranks 8,144 (8,561) and ancestry.ca ranks 26.474. There are 30,687 datasets in the collections including 1,927 for Canada, 1,218 for the UK and, 24,942 for the USA.

Findmypast.co.uk has an Alexa rank of 35,935 (25,940)

Family Tree DNA has 376,924 (372,245) records in its database. It ranks 39,183 (39,341) on Alexa.

Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk claims 5,136,747 (5,024,276) pages digitized, for the second month well below the 8,000/day target. Alexa rank 175,186 (176,252).

Cyndislist.com claims 316,423 (311,431) total links in 189 (188) categories, with 3,903 (4,486) uncategorized. Alexa rank 85,481 (86,566).

FreeBMD has 216,370,356 (215,273,933) distinct records, Alexa rank 76,556 (82,334).

UKBMD provides 2,229 (2,214) links to web sites that offer on-line transcriptions of UK births, marriages, deaths and censuses. Alexa rank 263,202 (255,726).

CanadianHeadstones.com has over 404,000 (396,000) gravestone photo records from across Canada. It scores   636,820 (690,896) in Alexa traffic rank.

bifhsgo.ca ranks 922,353, qfhs.ca ranks 1,768,883, and ogs.on.ca ranks 243,028.

And in case you're curious: Anglo-Celtic Connections has 3,603 (3,511) posts and has further slipped in Alexa rank to 167,049 (130,495).

Did I miss something significant? If so please post a comment with statistics.

Chateau Laurier hotel centennial

Today, 1 June 2012, marks the centennial of the opening of Ottawa's landmark hotel, the Chateau Laurier, when Sir Wilfred Laurier signed the register to begin operations. The planned earlier opening ceremony had been marred by the death on the Titanic of Charles Melville Hayes, the President of the Grand Trunk Rail Road.

Ancestry links to additional Canadian databases

When Ancestry can't secure the rights to a database they work out an arrangement to incorporate an index to the material on their site and link to the original record at the partner, usually pay, site. Ancestry and their clients benefit from having easier access, the partner benefits from having a new larger doorway opened up to for sales. 

Newly available are:

Web: Saskatchewan, Death Index, 1889-1916  39807 records
Web: Montréal, Québec, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery Index, 1849-2011 (in French)  67835 records
Web: Québec City Area, Marriage Contract Index, 1761-1940 (in French)
74915 records
Web: Manitoba, Marriage Index, 1879-1931  329265 records
Web: Manitoba, Death Index, 1881-1941 233454 records

Five, and five more things you need to know before visiting LAC

The Library and Archives Canada blog have posted "The Top Five Things You Need to Know Before You Visit."  They are useful but not complete. Here they are with extra information. 

1. All researchers need a user card.

You can register for a user card in two ways, either in person at the registration desk or online by submitting the User Card Registration Form. Present your photo ID at the registration desk to retrieve your user card.

You must read and agree to the terms and conditions in the User Agreement before you can obtain the user card.

Online registration is strongly recommended. Try and avoid the time when the registration desks opens when there can be quite a line-up.

2. There is a difference between service hours and opening hours.

Our service points, including the registration desk, are only open during service hours when staff is on site and ready to help you. The building is accessible during opening hours, but staff is unavailable. These hours are posted on the Visit Us section of our website and in the building.

By service hours LAC means administrative services, retrieval of materials ordered and placing of orders. With the decrease in the number of experienced staff you will be fortunate to find someone available who understands about records in depth.

3. Order your research material in advance.
At least five business days before your visit, order up to ten items of archival material by using our online Request for Retrieval of Documents Form.
You may order up to five items of published materials the same way as above, or place your order by telephone by selecting option 8 in the automated menu.

With the limitation in the number of items that can be ordered in advance you might want to plan on making several trips. Don't expect to receive any confirmation before you arrive that the material has been retrieved. Don't be surprised to find when you arrive that the wrong material has been delivered and it will taken several days to retrieve the correct material. 

4. Book your reference appointment, if necessary.
We are applying a new approach to service delivery. This means that no appointment is necessary for basic orientation and genealogy services, which are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. However, you must book an appointment if you need to consult our reference experts or genealogy specialists.

You may be fortunate to find there someone on staff knowledgeable about the records, but don't count on it.

5. Where to start your online search.
There are a variety of databases to choose from, so we encourage you to watch this 90-second video tutorial to help you determine “How to Begin your Search Online.”

Despite LAC's talk about digitization expect to find a very small proportion of records available online. If you are accustomed online available of historic commercial newspapers from other nations libraries and archives be aware that LAC isn't even in the game.