Wednesday, April 21, 2010

OGS Conference 2010 is Nigh

Hello again,

It's been over a month since I have posted on the blog.

I feel bad about this, but the work demands on my time have been great since December, which didn't leave much time for the blog.

My time was taken up with doing the May issue of the Ontario Genealogical Society's print newsletter, NewsLeaf (this is the big issue, complete with reports), three issues of the electronic e-NewsLeaf, ten magazine articles, two conferences, and so on and so forth ... phew!

But I am back now, just in time for Conference 2010 in Toronto next month.

This week, I received this press release from the organizers of the conference, and I thought I would pass it along to you in case you are still deciding...

Elizabeth
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Let's spread the word outside our usual circles ...

We need your help to make sure news of these special Conference 2010 programs gets to the people who need to know.

Do you know anyone who is?
· of Dutch descent
· of Italian heritage
· wanting the scoop on how "libraries" can help people trace their roots

Our information-packed Conference has it!

Dutch Ancestry Stream (Saturday, May 15) - three expert speakers on finding your Dutch Ancestors, researching European records & strategies, and a case study on how it's done - perfect for anyone you know with Dutch ancestry

Italian Ancestry Stream (Saturday, May 15) - four lectures on Italian family history research, finding Italian records & how to get started and a fascinating case history of Italian immigrants finding their way to Canada - help spread the news to your Italian friends and neighbours

Libraries & Genealogy (Thursday, May 13) - Ontario Library Association is presenting a full-day workshop designed for people looking for local family information and for novice and experienced providers of family history and genealogy services - make sure your local librarians are aware of this opportunity.

Just a few weeks away ...

OGS Conference 2010 will be held May 14-16 at the Doubletree by Hilton-Toronto Airport.

There's still time for new registrants. Complete details of program, speakers and registration can be found on the conference website.

Pass this on to anyone you think might be interested! In fact, please "tell two people, and so on, and so on". We appreciate your help!
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Ontario Genealogical Society | 40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 102 | Toronto | ON | M4R 1B9 | Canada

Friday, March 5, 2010

Quinte Branch - Online Finding Aid

The following is an announcement regarding an update made by the Quinte Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) to its online finding aid.

It was sent in by Bob Dawes, the IT Coordinator of Quinte Branch.

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The Quinte Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society has expanded its online Names Index Database finding aid by adding a self-help document.

Even though the finding aid's primary purpose is to find a reference in the group's research library, there is a lot of information that can be extracted from the search tool by itself. For example, there are newspaper birth, marriage and death notices where the page reference identifies the publication date which would be close to the event date.

In other cases, just being able to decode the library reference code of a family genealogy to its actual title by cross-referencing the search results with the online Library Catalogue means you can look for it in other libraries or online. Using this new self-help tool will enable researchers, at a distance, to do their own initial investigative work without having to contact a branch volunteer to do it for them. The document is supplied in PDF format so it can be downloaded and printed for local use.

With over one million surname references, this database is a significant resource for genealogists researching ancestors in the Bay of Quinte region of Ontario, Canada. The new self-help guide can be found under "Using the Names Index Database Finding Aid" on the Quinte Branch homepage at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs.