Humidity and Your Family Archive: Why It Matters
Archivists tell us to store precious documents and photos in conditions with stable temperature and humidity. This time-lapse video shows why! Many of us save old books, documents and photos, especially those with sentimental or family history value. But we don't...
Chilling Historical Video Footage Found in Online Archive
A determined graduate student found some chilling historical video footage of a ship that capsized in Chicago. It was in an online archive--but he still had to dig deep for it! Recently Gems fan Kathy sent us a story about an amazing video footage find. The subject...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
Every Friday, we blog about new genealogy records online. Do any collections below relate to your family history? Please share with genealogy buddies or societies that might be interested! AUSTRALIAN CONVICTS. A variety of convict records for New South Wales and...
“My Name is Jane:” Heritage Scrapbook Celebrates Family Tradition
This mini heritage scrapbook celebrates a family name--Jane--which has been passed down through several generations. Author Sunny Morton shares a beautiful keepsake that she has treasured, and that you can make too.My daughter's middle name is Jane.And so...
Update Now! RootsMagic Update for FamilySearch Compatibility
If you use RootsMagic to work with FamilySearch Family Tree, you must install a RootsMagic update (version 7.0.6.0) to continue working with it after July 30, 2015! FamilySearch will be making changes to its own site on July 30, 2015. These changes require RootsMagic...
Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 125: Research at the Public Library
These three quick tips and a new podcast episode can help you research your family history at the public library, which is both free and convenient! In Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 125, now available to Premium members in the members-only section of our...
Old Artifacts Become New Again: Jewelry with Found Objects
What old family artifacts do you have that would make a great piece of jewelry? Recently I heard again from Gems follower Jen McGraw, whose question inspired a recent blog post on researching in state capitals. "I make necklaces with vintage postage stamps (from the...
How to Reconstruct Your Early Childhood Memories and Stories
Most of us don't recall our early years well. How can we tell our life's story if we don't remember the first chapter? I've learned to use whatever scraps the past gives me. That's what I did in a scrapbook I put together a few years ago that reconstructs my early...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
Every Friday, we blog about new genealogy records online. Do any collections below relate to your family history? Please share with genealogy buddies or societies that might be interested! This week: BRITISH NEWSPAPERS. Over 800,000 new articles have been added to the...
NEW! Try this now! U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index
Do your fellow genealogists a favor and share this important post! Ancestry Publishes U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 The new U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index 1936 - 2007 is a critical update to our ability to access...
HeritageQuest Online Gets Better With Ancestry’s Support
HeritageQuest Online is now even more worth the trip to your local library to access for free, now that its new interface is powered by Ancestry. For the past few months, library patrons have been getting used to a new version of HeritageQuest Online. This online...
How 75-Year Old WPA Records May Help You Find an Ancestor
Got a research brick wall? A "national temp agency" created resources that may help you find your family history in obscure historical records. During the Great Depression, so many Americans were out of work that the federal government launched the Works Progress...
Evernote for Genealogy: Should Evernote Be My Digital Archive?
"If I put a PDF copy of a newspaper article or a jpeg photo into Evernote, can I get a copy back? I am putting them there for safe keeping and an easy way to archive them but I want to be able to use them in other places in the future." Recently Pam sent me the...
Join the Family History Relay Race: FamilySearch Worldwide Indexing Event
The FamilySearch Worldwide Indexing Event: It's like a big, happy relay race for family historians: a display of skill with record-setting accomplishments and the coming together of a community for a cause. Last year, 66,511 FamilySearch indexers helped set a new...
Use Forensic Genealogy Tools: Technology Sheds New Light On History
The forensic investigator pulls up to the crime scene and snaps a fresh set of rubber gloves. She props open the trunk of the car and carefully, slowly, sweeps a tube of florescent light back and forth inside the trunk, watching with an eagle eye for the glimmer of...
She was a “Rounder?” Use Google Search Operators to Define Old or Unfamiliar Words
Get quick definitions of old and unfamiliar words with the Google "define" search operator. Recently, Shelly wrote to us about some correspondence she didn't understand from an older relative. One mysterious phrase particularly stuck out: "She has mentioned several...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
Every Friday, we blog about new genealogy records online. Do any collections below relate to your family history? Please share with genealogy buddies or societies that might be interested! This week: Midwestern U.S. newspapers (Cleveland, OH and Chicago, IL) and...
Want to Help Index De-Classified CIA Records?
By now, many of us have tried our hand at volunteer indexing and transcribing projects. We can index censuses, civil and church vital records, gravestone images, and more with FamilySearch, BillionGraves, Ancestry's World Archives Project and even with individual...