Before you search for genealogy DO THIS!

Video & Show Notes: When you pay for a genealogy website, you want to get the most for your money. Don’t randomly search hoping to find something about our family. Instead, follow these steps that will lead to finding more records about your ancestors, faster!

Length: 10 minutes
Year: 2024
Adjust video quality: click gear icon.  Fullscreen, CC and transcription search are also available. 

Show Notes

Google Search Operators:

  • Use quotation marks around a word or phrase to search for an exact match
  • Example: “John Smith”

Genealogy Website Search Operators:

  • Ancestry.com has its own unique wild cards and search operators
  • Example: Use ? as a wildcard to replace a single letter – Example: Smi?h to find Smith, Smyth, etc.

Website Search Help:

Each genealogy website has its own set of search operators. Save time and get better results by first learning what is supported by the particular website you will be searching.

  • Search with Google to find the website’s own search operator guide / help documentation. It’s faster than digging through the website’s menu and you’re likely to find more than one excellent resource. Use the following Google search queries:
    • [website] search help
    • [website] search operators
  • Save or print the search operator instructions as a personal “cheat sheet” for reference as you search. You can do this a number of ways:
    • Saving the page as a PDF
    • Printing the page using the “Custom Print” feature to target only the pages you need
    • Copy and paste the pertinent text into a document or note

Remember, search operators and techniques vary by website, so be sure to check each site’s help documentation.

Resources

Download the cheat sheet handout for this video. (Premium membership required)

Learn more about searching with Google:

 

Lisa Louise Cooke Coming to Canada: Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016

Lisa Louise Cooke will be a featured keynote presenter at the Ontario Genealogical Society conference 2016, June 3-5 in Toronto, Canada. 

The biggest genealogical event in Canada is coming–and Lisa Louise Cooke will be there! Members of all 34 branches and special interest groups of the Ontario Genealogical Society and other family historians from across North America and around the world will meet in Toronto from June 3-5, 2016 for inspiring lectures, workshops, displays, and other learning opportunities.

Here’s why people are excited about the Ontario conference:

As an internationally-renowned genealogy technology innovator, Lisa will deliver a plenary lecture relating to the conference’s theme, “On the Cutting Edge.” This Saturday morning keynote will be “Future Technology and Genealogy: 5 Strategies You Need.” The audience will be treated to a vision of genealogy research as technology speeds ahead into the future. Lisa will teach five key strategies to employ right now that will make the ride easier–and the results more exciting–than ever.

The Scoop

WHAT: Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016
WHEN: June 3-5, 2016
WHERE:  International Plaza Hotel, 655 Dixon Road, Toronto
REGISTER: Click here for full conference information

Attend Lisa’s Sessions

  • “Using Google to Enhance Your Genealogy Research,” a workshop outlining a “Google Search Methodology for Genealogy.” The  workshop features a variety of free Google tools that can help solve genealogical challenges. You’ll also discover advanced Google search strategies you may not be using but are “must-haves” for high-quality Google search results. You will walk away with a proven Google search methodology, and powerful tips and tricks you can use right away.
  • “How to Create and Leverage Your Own YouTube Channel for Genealogy.” Don’t let the video revolution pass you by! YouTube Mobile receives more than 100 million views a day and is the #2 search engine on the planet. It’s becoming the first place many people turn to for answers, including fellow genealogists. Video content on your own website can also drive more traffic to your site. This presentation shares Lisa’s tips and tricks for creating a robust YouTube channel that will power-boost your genealogical efforts.

Visit Lisa in the Exhibit HallLisa Louise Cooke signing books

Lisa will be in the exhibit hall at her booth (next to Shop the Hound) signing books, and answering questions. Lisa’s daughter Lacey will be there helping you at the booth. She will have special discounts and a money-saving conference bundle just for this conference.

You won’t want to miss the exhibit hall this year. OGS Conference 2016 will feature a spacious 10,000-square-foot Expo Hall, just steps away from the lecture rooms. There will be displays from genealogical and historical organizations, and commercial exhibitors. You’ll also have an opportunity to check in with all the various branches of OGS and see their specific publications.

About the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016

The entire conference offers something for everyone, and with its convenient location in Toronto, is an easy over-the-border jaunt for many U.S. residents, too. Thursday’s preconference activities include a boot camp for librarians and a session on business skills for genealogists. Friday’s events include off-site tours (World War I history or genetics interest) and workshops including Lisa’s. Saturday’s calendar leads with Lisa’s keynote and then explodes into 24 concurrent sessions and other exciting sponsored events.

Registration

This quick link will take you right to online registration. There are full and partial registration options.

Can’t Make It to the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016? Don’t Fret!

How to use Google for GenealogyWish you could catch Lisa’s Google search methodology workshop? Don’t worry–it’s fully described in her book, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. This 2nd edition was completed revised and updated for 2015, with thorough, step-by-step instructions on Google search techniques and new chapters on searching for common surnames, Google Scholar and Google Patents (yes, you can use these for genealogy!). Screenshots and detailed explanations will lead you through Google Alerts, Gmail, Google Books, Google Translate, YouTube and Google Earth (multiple chapters on THIS powerful 3D map).

File Search Trick, and Prepping for an Archive Visit

Podcast Listener Joan wrote me recently:  “I get to spend a day at the National Archives. What should I do to prepare to take full advantage of the visit? I checked their website, but it was not as helpful as I hoped. Any suggestions?”

While this first resource is from the National Archives in the UK, it’s applicable to archives in other countries as well.  Check out their video series called Quick Animated Guide.

Another good approach is to search for presentations on archive visits using Google.  By conducting a ‘file type search’ in Google you can uncover presentations posted on the Web that are geared to doing research at the National Archives.

I conducted the following search in Google: .ppt national archives research and came up with a Powerpoint presentation called Beginning Your Genealogical Research at the National Archives which comes from the US National Archives website. When you click the link above you’ll be prompted to RUN the presentation, and I found that it detected Powerpoint on my computer and opened the presentation in my Powerpoint program.

This little genealogy search gem can come in quite handy. Sometimes you know exactly what kind of file or document you are looking for online. By searching for the keywords of the subject and then adding .ppt (the file extension for Powerpoint presentations) Google will pull up only Powerpoint presentations that include those keywords.

You may not be able to get out to genealogy conferences very often, but some creative searching may bring up presentations that cover topics that interest you right from your home computer. That’s a little gem you need to add to your search toolbox for sure!  For more search gems check out my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. 
 
The Genealogist's Google Toolbox Third edition Lisa Louise Cooke

Available in the Genealogy Gems Store

 
And finally, when it comes to preparing for and making a trip to an archive or library Margery Bell of the Family History Centers offered some great ideas for preparing for a research trip, regardless of whether it is to the National Archives or the Family History Library. The interviews are episode 17, 18 & 19 in the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast.

Great question Joan and have a wonderful time! Happy hunting everyone!

New Free Historical Records Recently Added to FamilySearch

FamilySearch.org added new, free, historical records this week from Benin, Brazil, England, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Africa and the United States including 2 million North Carolina birth, marriage, and death records (1800 to 2000). 

Search these new genealogical records and images by clicking on the collection links below.

familysearch genealogy records

Brazil

Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Civil Registration, 1829-2012

Indexed Records: 739,447

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

England

England Wales Genealogy Records

England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957

Indexed Records: 49,830

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

England, Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1997

Indexed Records: 159,775

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

France

France, Haute-Garonne, Toulouse, Church Records, 1539-1793

Indexed Records: 4,686

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Ireland

Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913

Indexed Records: 2,673

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Ireland, Thom’s Irish Who’s Who, 1923

Indexed Records: 2,356

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

Netherlands

Free Netherlands genealogy records Pinterest

Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Vital Records

Indexed Records: 113,686

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Vital Records

Indexed Records: 3,097

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645-1969

Indexed Records: 45,832

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

South Africa

South Africa, Transvaal, Civil Death, 1869-1954

Indexed Records: 97,711

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

United States

Alabama

Alabama, Jefferson County Circuit Court Papers, 1870-1916

Indexed Records: 41,089

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Alaska

Alaska Genealogical Records

Alaska Naturalization Records, 1884-1991

Indexed Records: 4,822

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

Arkansas

Arkansas, Sevier County, Record of Voters, 1868-1966

Indexed Records: 212,716

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

California

California, County Marriages, 1850-1952

Indexed Records: 48,368

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Florida

Florida Genealogy Records

Florida, County Voter Registration Records, 1867-1905

Indexed Records: 25,453

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

Georgia

Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990

Indexed Records: 7

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

Hawaii

Hawaii, Death Records and Death Registers, 1841-1925

Indexed Records: 33,593

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

New Jersey

New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970

Indexed Records: 0

Digital Images: 413,237

Added images to an existing collection

North Carolina

north carolina history and genealogy records

North Carolina, Department of Archives and History, Index to Vital Records, 1800-2000

Indexed Records: 2,509,434

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

North Carolina, Voter Registration Records, 1868-1898

Indexed Records: 15,059

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, Register of Military Volunteers, 1861-1865

Indexed Records: 12,386

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

Pennsylvania, Wayne County, Court of Common Pleas, Naturalization Records, 1799-1906

Indexed Records: 13,963

Digital Images: 0

New indexed records collection

United States

United States, Recruits for the Polish Army in France, 1917-1919

Indexed Records: 4,321

Digital Images: 0

Added indexed records to an existing collection

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

What Did You Find in the New Online Records?

We’ve got our fingers crossed that you are able to unearth some new genealogy gems from these new updates. If you do, please leave a comment and let us know, and then share this post with your friends. 

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