"History of Enumeration Procedures, 1790-1940 by Diana L. Magnuson NOTE: Lengthy but VERY informative. This essay presents a short history of enumeration practices from 1790 to 1940. It aims to describe those aspects related to organization, personnel, and oversight that might have affected the outcome of the census as reflected in the manuscript returns. The essay does not cover the processing of the returns, only the elements that affected the manuscripts from which the modern census samples were created. The essay is divided into four parts: personnel recruitment and quality, training and oversight, public preparedness for the census, and mechanisms for correcting the final returns." ~ Minnesota Population Center

Swedish Genealogical Research

The Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies maintains an excellent web site that offers a multitude of information on researching Swedish ancestry. Some of the items of information include photos, provinces, emigration and birth and death records to name a few. There's even an English-Swedish dictionary to assist researchers. A site that is very much worth utilizing for anyone with ancestors from Sweden!

Hint: When you land on a page in the site that contains information in the Swedish language, be sure to hit the 'flag' button in the upper right hand corner of any page. This allows the viewer the ability to read the page in Swedish or English.

Viking Ancestry

There are more people living now that have Viking ancestry than realize the fact. A site that offers a short overview on Viking ancestry is the Land of Legend page. Another informational site is the Family Ancestry page. Also, DNA testing is now available to confirm a connection to a Viking. By performing a search through one of the many search engines online, DNA testing information and prices can be found.

French Family Research

For those seeking information on French ancestry, a site worth checking into is genealogie.com. Here can be found a tremendous amount of information in both descriptive manner through the Guide as well as actual records that one may Research.

One can maintain their family tree on the site as their research develops, learn about French surnames, heraldry, family chronicles and more. There is even a Forum area for posting research questions and reading others suggestions and research problems.

Joining is easy. Simply tap the blue button in the upper right-hand corner labeled 'Connectez-vous'. être joyeux (Enjoy).

Family History Centers

"FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Since 1894, FamilySearch has worked with archives, libraries, and churches in over 100 countries to facilitate economical access to records that help people find their ancestors.

There are now 4,600 local facilities in 126 countries where anyone can access genealogical records and receive personal assistance with their family history. These centers include the world-famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City, large regional facilities in places like Mesa, Arizona, and Los Angeles, California, and smaller centers that are usually found inside Latter-day Saint meetinghouses.

Family history centers are free and open to the public and staffed by knowledgeable volunteers. Each facility offers both novices and experienced family historians the tools and resources to learn about their ancestors.

These centers provide free access to subscription genealogical websites. For a small fee, patrons can also access the vast circulating collection of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which includes 2.5 million microfilms from over 100 countries.

Some public libraries and historical societies in the United States have also been designated as FamilySearch Affiliates, allowing patrons to access these same resources.

Please visit the FamilySearch website to find the family history center closest to you." - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newsroom

Norwegian Census Now Available FREE

The 1910 census of Norway is now available online. The database is searchable by person and residence which covers all 20 polling locations in the country. While the web site will load in the Norwegian language, visitors can easily switch to an English version. Other offerings include Genealogical Research, Real Estate Property, Personal Documentation, Maps/Drawings and Photographs. The database is a part of the National Archives of Norway.

Quaker Research

Swarthmore College – Friends Historical Library Swarthmore College, was founded in 1864 near Philadelphia, PA as an institution of higher learning for the Society of Friends. It has since then evolved to a general liberal arts college serving all denominations but maintaining the values and vision of its founders.

Because of its Quaker heritage, it has the Friends Historical Library, which is an “official depository of the records of the many North American yearly meetings of the Society of Friends.” They have 3,700 feet (2,500 reels of microfilm) of original records.

QuakerMeetings.com Finding Aid – Thomas C. Hill has compiled a database of more than 2,100 Quaker Monthly Meetings – not the archives – just the meetings. In it you can learn the former name, parent meeting, the date of inception and closure (if closed), location, what records are known to exist, and the record storage location. You can find his online database here.

Poland Archives

'Searching Polish archives How to find out what is available in Polish Archives How are archival holdings organized and arranged in Poland? A basic principle followed while acquiring archive materials, i. e. the principle of territorial pertinence devoted to respecting the relationship between archival fonds and the territory of their creation. Another principle is the principle of respecting historical holdings. The above observations imply that without any previous preparation users can hardly move around archival holdings searching for required documents.

A system of archival information has been developed to facilitate archival requirements. Printed search aids are an important part: guides to archive, publications of the holdings, mostly lists of fonds, archival inventories, and thematic guides. They are accompanied by some, limited in number though, archival finding aids of a higher level of specificity, such as catalogues, thematic inventories (PRADZIAD), or summaries. A lot of information on archival records in Poland is to be found in monographs and source publications, scientific periodicals, notably the above-mentioned, a bi-annual publication of the Polish State Archive Head Office. (The Bibliography of Polish Archival Studies Up Till 1970) is another valuable source.

Each state archive posseses a list of fonds, a card-index of fonds and archival inventories for the classified part of the holdings and various lists covering selected fonds. The state archives also gather information and copies (microfilms and photocopies) of all kinds of materials relating to Poland kept in foreign archives. Almost all archives have their own web sites. Databases on the National Archival Holdings, on-line SEZAM and Inventories.

The Department of Information of the State Archives Head Office keeps a central card-index of archival fonds preserved in the state archives. It also collects the copies of archival inventories transferred from the state archives. The Centre's Library contains Polish and foreign periodicals dealing with archive science, printed archival manuals and other publications on archival holdings in Poland and abroad.

The basic information on addresses of archives, opening hours and conditions of accessibility to archival material in Polish archives as well as in institutions of Polish communities abroad is contained in our address book "Archiwa w Polsce. Informator adresowy" (Archives in Poland. The archival directory). The newest version of this publication was published in 2004. You can find current information concerning the Polish state archives at the State Archives section.' - The Head Office of the State Archives (Poland)

Information on collections of the Polish state archives and the Polish communities abroad preserving archival materials can be obtained from the:

Archival Information Centre 2D Rakowiecka Street, 02-517 Warszawa, fax. +48 (22) 565 46 14; e-mail: ndap@archiwa.gov.pl

National Archives of the Netherlands

"The history of the National Archives dates back to 1802. As the national memory institution, the National Archives is custodian not only for the archives of the national government but also the archives of some social organizations and individuals of national importance. Furthermore, the National Archives also has a large collection of photographs and historical maps.

The National Archives comprises a physical archive and a digital archive.The national heritage is stored safely and expertly on traditional carriers (paper, parchment, celluloid, etc.). In the electronic National Archives, information is safely and expertly stored in digital form, and fast access is provided to the original archives." - National Archives of the Netherlands

ARLINGTON, VA; MAY 9, 2013 – PBS announced today that it will add the new series GENEALOGY ROADSHOW to its fall lineup. Part detective story, part emotional journey, GENEALOGY ROADSHOW will combine history and science to uncover the fascinating stories of diverse Americans. Each individual’s past will link to a larger COMMUNITY history, revealing the rich cultural tapestry of America. GENEALOGY ROADSHOW will air Mondays, September 23-October 14, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET.

Same Floor, Bigger Department

While not in the way of a cosmetic change, there has been an improvement made in the department. Upon arriving on 3rd floor of the Main Library now, patrons are now entering what is called 'Special Collections' Department. The merge occurred as of the first of December and your blog host is now the Manager. This combined the old departments of Archives and Heritage Room which includes local history, genealogy and archives.

We're excited about the change and are moving forward to bring more and improved services to our patrons. If you've never been to the 3rd floor of the Main Library, we invite you to visit and see what we have available in our Special Collections. For those that just haven't been in a while, we invite you back and be sure to tell your friends about us. The Main Library is located at 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL. Our operating hours are Monday thru Thursday 9 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM.

British Columbia Releases About 700,000 Birth, Death, and Marriage Documents Online

Full digital images of the original records of births, deaths and marriages in British Columbia are now available for FREE OF CHARGE through the Royal B.C. Museum and B.C. Archives websites. The move is a result of a partnership involving the British Columbia Archives, the Vital Statistics Agency, and FamilySearch International. Indexes previously accessible could provide only the brides' and grooms' names, along with the dates and places of marriage. The new release offers full images of the original documents that can provide extra information. For example, the original record of a marriage reveals names of the bride and groom, their ages and occupations, and parents' names. Even the witnesses are listed. About 700,000 images have been scanned, including births from 1854 to 1903, deaths from 1872 to 1991, and marriages from 1872 to 1936. Phase 2, scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, will add more images and information, including pre-1872 records and deaths overseas during the Second World War. You can read more in an article by Richard Watts in the Victoria Sun at http://goo.gl/iLdR5.

ScanPro800

Big News in the Heritage Room and Archives Patrons now have access to a new micro form machine for their research pursuits. Through a LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant administered by the Alabama Public Library Service, there is a modern ScanPro800 micro form machine to handle processing of microfilm or fiche copies. From the web site ~ 'Built for public use applications. Easy to use software. Combination carriers for all microform applications. Optical/Digital zoom range 7x to 54x. Works with all microfilm types. Scan to print, scan to a flash drive or hard drive in less than a second. Tool tips and on-screen help for all controls.' - E-ImageData No longer will hard copies (paper) be necessary with the added feature of downloading to a flash drive! Come by when/if you're in the area and 'test drive' the new model! Another recent accomplishment came with the help of A Special Projects Grant from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). This grant was awarded to the Huntsville Library Foundation for the digitization of selected local history records in the Huntsville Madison County Public Library. The grant was matched by a $4,000 contribution from the local Hunt’s Spring DAR Chapter as part of a generous bequest received from a member who was a long-time volunteer at a branch of the Library. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library is grateful to the Hunt’s Spring chapter of the NSDAR for their contribution in helping make these historical records available to the public on the HMCPL Digital Archives. Researchers can now take advantage of these newest additions to the library's services by either visiting the Heritage Room on the 3rd floor of the Main Library, or, go online to: (http://digitalarchives.hmcpl.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16458coll2/id/1/rec/31) to view the newly created digital images.

Ship Research

A new web site is now online that allows research on vessels with over 142,000 current entries in the free area and over 2 million in the pay-to-view area. From their 'About Us' page is this brief description of the collection ~

'ShipIndex.org is a site created to make researching a vessel easier and more effective than it has ever been. We find valuable resources that serve as quality reference material for ships and put every mention of a vessel in that resource into our database.

Search hundreds of resources at once
Over a million ship citations indexed
Once you know where your vessel is mentioned, we'll help you find that resource
Purchase access just for yourself, or gain access for your institution'

We have indexes from books, journals, websites and other resources included in our database. One search here and you are searching all those resources for your vessel, all at once. And when you find citations for the vessel you are looking for, we will help you find the resource they are mentioned in — either though a library or by locating it in stores.'

Norway's Digital Archives

"The National Archives Central Office in Oslo is responsible for the records created by the government's central administration, i.e. ministries and directorates, etc., as well as the archives of the Supreme Court. Important archives left by individuals and private enterprises, such as companies and organisations, are also found in the National Archives in Oslo.". ~ National Archives of Norway

"The Digital Archives offers online access to digital archive material.
Here you can search databases/tables, read transcripts and browse digital images as well as listen to digitised sound from the archives.

Everyone is welcome to use this government service for free." ~ Digital Archives

Hudson's Bay Company Archives

"The Hudson's Bay Company Archives (HBCA), a division of the Archives of Manitoba, is home to one of Canada's national treasures— the records of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC).

"The Hudson's Bay Company's records document the history of the HBC since its inception in 1670 following the history of the fur trade, North American exploration, the development of Canada as a country and the growth of HBC's Canadian retail empire.

The HBCA is dedicated to making our records available and accessible to clients locally, nationally and internationally. Whether you are tracing your family tree, working on a school project, looking for a map or photograph or doing in-depth historical research, we'll do our best to help you find what you need."

You can also contact them by regular mail or email:

HBCA
130-200 Vaughan St.
Winnipeg, MB
Email: hbca@gov.mb.ca

1890 Great Register of Voters

The Sonoma County (CA) Genealogical Society maintains a web site which "contains 8,344 records of males 21 years of age and older who came forward to establish their qualifications to vote. Also contains age, place of birth, occupation, residence, and naturalization date and place where applicable." Column headings: Surname, Given Name and Age. The database is compiled from the list for 1890.

Newfoundland's Grand Banks

The website boasts to contain the “largest storehouse of original resource material on the Internet, relating to Newfoundland,” and “enjoys the largest number of visitors of any site providing genealogical information for the province of Newfoundland.” Found on the site are such genealogy jewels as historical articles, cemetery transcriptions, will transcriptions, obituaries, headstone photos, directories, passengers and immigrants lists from Newfoundland, Canada and the United States, newspaper clippings, census records. The Newfoundland's Grand Banks website is operated completely on the generosity of its volunteers. To help support the growth of the website, you can help identify a photo, submit an historic photograph, transcribe original records, transcribe a cemetery or make a monetary donation. ~ Diane Tibert's Family Attic

South Australian History

'Adelaide Cooperative History publishes articles and databases to enhance the understanding of South Australian history, especially in the early days of the colony's life.

For example, search the database of land purchases on credit, and then read the associated article to learn more about the credit selection scheme. Or search the naturalizations database and find out more from its companion article.

Our databases and articles are especially useful to family historians, assisting them to expand their genealogies or family trees into detailed family histories'.~ Adelaide Cooperative History

North Carolina Bible Records

The State Archives and State Library of North Carolina is continuing to grow its online collection of family Bible records. Since 1967, the archives have been collecting Bible records from people in the 96 counties across North Carolina. Nearly 1,500 of the roughly 2,200 family Bible records are now available online. It is rare to see a collection of family Bible records online and they can provide a unique and valuable source of information. You can browse the collection by family name. Access is free.