Ancestry Insider Ketchup: 20 November 2014

Lot’s of things to write about. No time to do it. Time to ketchup…

The MyHeritage Library Edition is now available for free at family history centers. See the announcement on the FamilySearch blog.

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I love the full color records Ancestry.com has started publishing on their website. Look at this example. I see nine different colors of penciling or ink on it. They can give lots of hints about how a record was processed. These are absolutely beautiful. Ancestry.com, you’re awesome.

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For Veteran’s Day, Ancestry.com republished a great infographic from Fold3. The posting said:

With Veteran’s Day approaching, it is a good time to take a look at your tree and identify those who served. Our infographic from Fold3 gives you a handy guide to for possible birth years of veterans and what wars they might have served in.

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Last week, Ancestry.com told me that they were releasing something new this week for AncestryDNA. Unfortunately, this week’s articles had to go “to press” before they released the information. Next week I’ll have to let you know what they said. Or check the DNA articles on the Ancestry.com Blog.

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Have you heard yet about the “Global Family Reunion” scheduled for 6 June 2015 in New York City? The founder, A. J. Jacobs, is coming to Salt Lake City as a keynote speaker at RootsTech and FGS 2015 conferences. Jacobs is a best-selling author, Esquire magazine editor, and an intelligent, laugh-out loud speaker. See the RootsTech website for more information.

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I don’t generally deviate from my editorial focus of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. But I am drawn to free stuff. To see the latest free databases from the New England Historical and Genealogical Society (AmericanAncestors.org), visit http://www.americanancestors.org/free-databases/. Included in the usual list are several databases available for free only temporarily:

• Rhode Island Vital Records 1636-1850
• Connecticut Vital Records to 1870 (Barbour Collection)
• Early Families of New England
• Western Massachusetts Families in 1790

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FamilySearch has been making some significant changes at the Family History Library. Reference desks have been removed. In their place is a comfortable welcome area and space for consultation stations. FamilySearch will give those buzzer/pager thingies to users awaiting consultations. This allows users to continue their research while waiting for help. FamilySearch has also added Discovery Areas containing scanners, recording booths, and children's’ area (where you’re not supposed to leave your children :-).

For more information, see “Exciting New Changes at the Family History Library” on the FamilySearch blog.

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I’m out of time… Stay tuned…