Free Records!

The New England Genealogical Society has launched their new web site, featuring free records from the state of Massachusetts. The two free databases specific to that state are the Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 and Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910. These databases feature birth, marriage and death information for all of the state. This was previously a subscription database and there are still some databases that are considered premium, but it is a gold mine for Massachusetts research. Simply type in a name and a county, or city if you know it, and your matches will pop up. With a click of the mouse, you can knock through that brick wall that’s been holding you back.
The New England Genealogical Society is one of the oldest Genealogy libraries in the country, having been established in 1845. In 1898, females were allowed access to the collection. Today there are more than 20,000 members nation wide. If you can’t make the trip to Boston, I would strongly encourage you to check out their web site and explore! You never know who you might be related to!!

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Italian Genealogy

Many Italians did not immigrate to America until the turn of the century. By 1920 four million Italians called America home, nearly 10% of the population. My great grandmother arrived in America, via Ellis Island, in 1924. She often spoke about her home in Genoa and the family she left behind. I have always wondered about these relatives and where they are now. She only returned to Italy once, in 1930. Today I can find out where my relatives are by using an Italian dictionary. One such site is http://www.gens.labo.net. By typing in a surname (or cognome) you can find out where those people are located. This is great if you are planning a trip to Italy or if you aren’t sure which part of the country to start researching in. You can also look up the origin of first names under Dizionario dei nomi italiani (Dictionary of Italian Names). The site is in Italian so you might need your handy English-Italian Dictionary (Dewey number 452.21 at your local library!). So check it out and start learning (apprendimento) today! Ciao

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German Record Searches

If you are like me, you probably have Germanic heritage. It can be difficult to get German records if you don’t speak German or know how to read it. Joe Beine has come up with a great beginners web site. While some of his suggestions cost money, many are free and online. It might be worth it even if you think you have exhausted your search. Joe’s web site, German Roots, is a great reference for beginners and professionals alike.

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A new way to search for passenger records

The national archives has released the passenger records for over 5.2 million immigrants who arrived during the second half of the nineteenth century at the following ports: Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia. This expands the search, which was previously limited to Ellis Island. The records were transcribed from original ship manifests into electronic databases by Temple University’s Center for Immigration Research at The Balch Institute. The Center donated the digital records to the National Archives. The records are known as Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Germans to the United States, 1850-1897; Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Italians to the United States, 1855-1900; and Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Russians to the United States, 1834-1897. To get searching follow the link to the AAD (Access to Archival Database)!

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Looking for a 2008 death? Beginning January 1, the library has been indexing the obituaries in the Spokesman Review. It used to be that you could check for an obituary in the Proquest database; however, since Proquest does not index the classified sections and because the Spokesman no longer prints the deaths in the Today section, the database is no longer a useful resource for newer obituaries. You can try the Spokesman Review online, but there is no documentation to go along with the obituary. To make things easier, the library is in the process of creating a web page for accessing obituaries and it will be searchable to all people with Internet access. Although you will need to come in and use the microfilm once you have a date, you should be able to get exact dates and pages before you even enter the building, saving time and hassle. And parking fees! Look for the release date in future blogs.

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Washington State Resources

  If you are a genealogist in Washington State you are one of the luckiest people in the world.  Created for you, by the state of Washington, is a database so full of information that it could take days to find it all.  From birth records to death records, frontier justice to land records, a bonanza awaits you at http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov.  I am often asked if other states have such a powerful database available.  The answer is unequivocally, no.  So roll up your sleeves and set aside a day to bask in all the glory that Washington state has to offer you, oh lucky ones~ your SPL Genealogist

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Welcome to the Genealogy Blog

With a new year and a new web site we are also trying a new format, the blog. A blog is a posting with commentary about a specific issue, in this case, genealogy. I will be posting information about new resources, new web sites, and any new information about genealogy. Feel free to respond and tell me what you’d like to see or hear about. Looking forward to your responses! Genealogy Librarian

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