Get Out and Vote!

This is a friendly reminder that Tuesday, November 2, is Election Day.

As a non-profit entity, SCGS does not endorse any particular candidate nor proposition. We simply encourage you to participate in the democratic process.

Find your voting place via the Google Election Application.

For more information on elections in your state go to this list of State Election Boards and Information.

While you are out on Election Day - why not stop by the SCGS Library? We have extended hours year-round on Tuesdays from 10 am to 9 pm.

SCGS Librarian Training a Success - October 30

This past Saturday, October 30, marked the completion of the annual SCGS Librarian Training Program. Linda Golovko, the SCGS Volunteer Coordinator, indicated that "approximately 80% of the SCGS librarians, or 30 attendees, over two days completed the multi-skill training sessions."

With expert real-time instruction on the use of the cash register and the credit card machine from Peggy Schulz, the SCGS Financial Secretary, as well as the completion of sample exercises created by Vieve Metcalfe, volunteers came away feeling more confident about executing various types of daily financial transactions. In the photo, Peggy (left) explains a keying sequence to a volunteer librarian.

The other major training focus was on the use of the Library's computing assets. From the use of the computers themselves, to the on-line database subscriptions as well as those SCGS has on compact disk, SCGS board member and IT Team Lead Jay Holladay (pictured below) explains the details to his intent listeners. One of the Library's newest assets is a microfilm and microfiche scanner that allows for easy digital manipulation of the images. The scanner provides the capability to both print the image and save it to electronic media (such as a flash drive).The SCGS Board sends out a big "thank you" to Linda and the SCGS Library Operations Team for organizing the training sessions.

SCGS needs you!

We are continually recruiting for new librarians. Duties range from shelving books, to assisting patrons in locating library materials and working in the SCGS Bookstore. Shifts and duties are negotiable depending on your interest and available time. A large librarian pool allows us to keep the library open to the public as many hours as possible. Please email SCGS Volunteer Engagement for more details.

SCGS 1890 Project Sleuth Spotted at 5th LA Archives Bazaar

It was a crisp Autumn day; the 'SC football team had a bye so parking was a breeze at Los Angeles' second oldest college (founded in 1880). The path from the garage to the Doheny Library led us across the National and California Register-eligible historic districts that encompass the three major periods of the University of Southern California's development, 1919: Beaux Arts, 1946: Modernism, and 1960s: Master Plan[1].

The sparkling exterior of the Library, with its Italian Romanesque architecture, announced the grandeur of the 5th Los Angeles Archives Bazaar in which we were about to partake. Built in just 12 months from 1930-1 as a memorial to their son, the oil tycoon Dohenys contributed the entire $1.1 million needed to build the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library and actively participated in the design and construction of the facility. Edward L. “Ned” Doheny Jr., who studied at USC and remained involved in the university after his graduation in 1916, was tragically murdered in 1929[2].

Inside the 1999 earthquake retro-fitted building, we entered the wonderful and rich world of Los Angeles-related archives. More than 70 exhibitors[3] were on-hand to offer descriptions and guidance about the particular resource in their charge. The author of this post attempted to learn about each and every archive - but of course got caught up in the lovely details at each table visited. Here are two exemplary archives available to the public.

The Emil Freed collection at the Southern California Library, the People's Library: Freed, another 1920s USC graduate, had the forethought to collect and protect "pamphlets, films, papers and other documents that people were disposing of to distance themselves from Communist involvement"[4]. "The Library {now} holds collections that span the breadth of social and political movements in Los Angeles--from labor, civil rights, education, and housing, to immigration, war and peace, and civil liberties. These collections include over 400 manuscript collections, as well as books, periodicals, subject files, pamphlets, posters, photographs, films, audiotapes, and more"[5]. If you have ancestors that participated in LA's Community Change, this is the archive for you. The collection is housed at Vermont and Gage and is open to the public Tue.-Sat., 11-6.

The Seaver Center for Western History Research: Located just across Exposition Blvd. from USC, the Seaver Center is a major component of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles' History department. This archive's focus is the trans-Mississippi American West. This collection includes items, dating back to before the founding of Los Angeles, such as books, maps, photographs, ephemeral materials, newspapers, and historic site surveys, primarily from Los Angeles County but other California counties are represented as well[6].

In between visits with the other exhibitors, Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) board members and volunteers staffed the joint SCGS - Genealogical Society of Hispanic America, Southern California (GSHA-SC) table. At one point, we spied the SCGS 1890 Project master sleuth, "Mr. Bill", on his hunt for new Los Angeles County archives that will help replace the burnt U.S. Census of 1890. One of the speakers from the 5th LA Archives Bazaar "Blogging L.A. panel," Nancy Mills, also stopped by. She is blogging about loft living in downtown LA (Tales of Downtown) and is the founder of the Spirited Woman Approach to Life. We agreed with her summation of the day "I can't believe all of this is right here in LA County!".

Note: Every Friday at the SCGS Library in Burbank, we invite volunteers to index and proof read materials in support of the SCGS 1890 Project.

Sources:
[1] USC Master Plan Jeopardizes Modern Resources
[2] Doheny Memorial Library
[3] LA as Subject
[4] Emil Freed, from Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia
[5] The Southern California Library index
[6] Seaver Center collections

Accidental Archivist - Free Webinar October 29

Free Practical Archivist Web Chat – October 29, 2010

The Practical Archivist Is Offering a Complimentary Q&A Web Chat Just For “Accidental Archivists”  An Accidental Archivist is someone who inherits a large family photo collection and is unsure what to do next.

The Practical Archivist announced a new Q&A web chat happening on Friday, October 29, 2010 from Noon-1pm Central Time (10am-11am Pacific Time). The chat will be hosted on Sally’s Practical Archivist blog, http://practicalarchivist.com/accidentalarchivist2010. There is no charge to participate, no pre-registration required, and no software to download.

Keepers of ancestor photos are encouraged to bring questions about how to organize, preserve and scan these treasures. Not sure what kind of box to use? Wondering whether slip-in sleeves are a good idea? Skeptical about whether an ink pen is the right tool to mark the back of a photo? Confused about the difference between ppi and dpi? Sally can help.

“I’m offering this no-cost session to celebrate Family History Month and Archives Month while educating Family Archivists and encouraging them to do the best job they can,” explains Sally J. (The Practical Archivist).

“Early in my career as an archivist, I realized the vast majority of historical documents would never be cared for by a professionally trained archivist. I took it as a personal challenge to reach out to family historians and help become better family archivists.”

If you have a pressing questions, please ask it as soon as possible when you join the webinar. Sally will answer questions one at a time, as they come in. If you don't have a specific question, feel free to just say "hello" as you join. If you miss the live webchat, the link above will have an archive of the chat so you can see all the questions and the answers.

   

Sally Jacobs has a Master’s in Library Science with a Specialization in Archives Management, and has worked at the Library of Congress Prints and Photos Division, the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, and American Girl. Her online CV is here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyjacobs.

Area Event: The 100th Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, November 2010

We are passing along this notice for our friends at the The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County:

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Consulado General de Mexico en Los Angeles will observe the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution with a week-long series of events.

Nov. 3: Film Screening - El Compadre Mendoza (1933) (7 pm)

Nov. 4: Panel Discussion - The Mexican Revolution, 1910-2010: The Cause, the People, the Legacy (7-9:30 pm)

Nov. 7: Family Day at the Museum - Celebrating Mexican Culture (10 am - 4 pm)

The museum is located at 900 Exposition Blvd. in downtown Los Angeles and all events are FREE with paid Museum admission. See the NHM Mexican Festival website for details.

Area Event: Gena Philibert Ortega, Ventura, November 20

Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 1 pm, at the LDS Family History Center, 3501 Loma Vista Rd. at Mills Rd, Ventura, Gena Philibert Ortega, professional genealogical lecturer, teacher & researcher, will speak on the topic:

"I Love Libraries!:  Using the Library for your Genealogy"

Gena is the Genealogy Community Director for FamilyLink.  In this position she works as the newsletter editor for World Vital Records and manages GenealogyWise.  She is the author of over 100 published articles and numerous books.

For directions and further information visit  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cavcgs/Meetings.htm

SCGS Needs Your Help - Clean-Up Days Oct 24-25

Sunday and Monday, October 24 and 25, mark our annual Clean-Up the Library Days. Can you help? From 10am to 4pm, both days, we'll be clearing out the cobwebs, pitching un-essential items and generally making the library sparkle. It is a great chance to meet other SCGS members while having an immediate impact on the library. Any level of skill/mobility welcome. No RSVP necessary.

SCGS at the 5th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar

"L.A. History. All Day, All in One Place"

Are you planning to attend the LA as Suject at the Doheny Library on the USC campus, Saturday, October 23? If so, don't forget to pass by the SCGS table to say "hi". We can even use some help to get the word out about our mission and programming. The event is from 9am to 5pm.

Area Event: British Isles Family History Society

We are passing this information along from our friends at the British Isles Family History Society:


The next general meeting of British Isles Family History Society - U.S.A. will be Sunday, 24 October at the Los Angeles Family History Library, 10741 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90025.  The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m.

Miriam Fitch, a BIFHS-USA member, had a very unusual experience during her life. She and her family left the United Kingdom for the United States in October 1939 aboard the USS President Harding. Miriam is not able to remember the event, but her brother, Loring Bunyan, has vivid recollections of the trip. Movietone News provided newsreels to movie theaters during that era. The crossing of the ship and its arrival at New York City was the subject of such a newsreel. Loring purchased a DVD copy of the newsreel and gave it to his sister, Miriam. We will see the newsreel, and Loring will speak about the trip and the times.  Do you remember seeing Movietone newsreels in theaters?

There will be open research after the general meeting. Bring your family group sheets! The library will be open until 5:00 p.m.

Lydia Jeffrey
president@bifhsusa.org

Genealogy Education: Free Online Webinars from Legacy Family Tree

Geoff Rasmussen of Legacy Family Tree has begun offering a series of excellent free webinars. You can watch the previous sessions online and register for upcoming sessions. Many of the sessions are offered early in the day Pacific time, but you can catch an archived session later if it's just too early before your morning coffee.

Upcoming Sessions:
Evidence Analysis - October 23
New Family History Technology - October 27
Organize, Share, and Publish Your Digital Photos with Heritage Collector Suite - November 3

Past Sessions
Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE
Sharing Genealogy Electronically
Helping Unlock the World’s Records – An Insider’s Perspective on FamilySearch IndexingMapping Software for Genealogists

Field Trip to LA Public Library Saturday, October 30

Join Charlotte Bocage, the SCGS Education Chair, on a field trip to the Genealogy and History Department of the Los Angeles Public Library.

When - Saturday, October 30, 2010

Where - LA Public Library, 630 W 5th Street,  Los Angeles
Tour starts promptly at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Level 4 Reference Desk at the History and Genealogy Department 213-228-7000

Directions:  Public transportation - Metro Red line or Purple Line at 7th and Figueroa
If driving, park in the ramp under the library and bring your LAPL card for discounted parking.
Get Directions Here

Bring your family group sheets and pedigree charts, along with your research goals.

For further information, contact Charlotte Bocage at rubymoon01@yahoo.com.

Genealogy on Good Morning America Wednesday morning

Thanks to Randy Seaver for publishing this note on his blog.

Leslie Albrecht Huber, who spoke at the SCGS German Interest Group meeting a couple of months ago, will appear on Good Morning, America (ABC) on Wednesday at approximately 7:45 a.m.  Leslie is author of The Journey Takers, which recounts her ancestors' journeys to America and her pursuit of those ancestors.

You can read Randy's review of Leslie's book in Book Review: The Journey Takers, by Leslie Albrecht Huber.

You can see an online video of Leslie describing her book here on the FamilySearch Beta site.

Area Event: Ventura County Seminar October 16

We are passing along this notice for our friends at the Ventura County Genealogical Society:

The Ventura County Genealogical Society will host their annual seminar on Saturday, October 16 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the LDS Church, 3501 Loma Vista Rd, Ventura.

The main presenter will be Barbara Renick, professional genealogist, writer, lecturer and teacher.  She will talk on the following topics:  

1. "What's New in Genealogy?"
2. "Eleven Layers of Online Searches"
   
3. "Techniques for Searching Library Catalogs Online"
4. "The Perils of Pursuing Pedigrees"

Registration is $35 for members, $40 for non-members.  Price includes lunch and snacks.  There will also be door prizes and genealogy book sales.

See the website:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cavcgs/Seminar10.html for registration form, directions and details.

Re-Opening of LA Family History Library

Here is the long-awaited news on the reopening of the Los Angeles Family History Library on October 25. The information comes from Mr. Richard McBride, Director of the Los Angeles Family History Library.

The Los Angeles Family History Library will open October 25, 2010 to serve you.  

Library hours:     
            Monday,  Friday,  Saturday   9 am - 5 pm
            Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday   9 am - 9 pm                                          
OPEN HOUSE
            November 6    9 am  - 9 pm     Saturday
            November 7    3 pm  - 9 pm     Sunday

During the Open House twenty minute Mini-classes will be taught.  Check our website for the Mini-class schedule.   The Library will not be available for research during the Open House.

Come to the Open House and let us introduce you to our newly renovated library with:
• State-of-the-art technology: High speed Internet, computers and virtual teaching classrooms facilitate genealogical research that cannot be accessed at smaller family history centers. 
• Large collection of resources: Microfilms/fiches, books and free use of fee-based websites such as Ancestry.com.
• Video Conferencing: The computer laboratory is uniquely designed to support video conferencing technology.  As a result, classes can be received from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or the Riverton Family Search Library and taught real time at the Los Angeles facility. Conversely, programming may originate from Los Angeles and be distributed to distant libraries. 
• Classroom Facilities: Two large new classrooms will be used for training and for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history courses that teach the most current family history research methods. 
  
Richard D. McBride
Director
Los Angeles Family History Library

Note that it's no longer referred to as a "Family History Center" or "FamilySearch Center."  The Library services have been expanded to to extent that it is now designated a Library ... just like the Salt Lake Family History Library.  We are so lucky to have this resource close by!

Lunch 'n' Learn Saturday October 9

Lunch and Learn

Saturday, October 9, 2010

“The Courthouse Burned: Alternate Approaches and Treasures”

by Wendy Bebout Elliott 

1:00 p.m.

SCGS Library - 417 Irving Drive, Burbank

Come to our Saturday meeting and hear Wendy tell us how to learn more about our ancestors who lived in a county where the courthouse burned.

We meet at noon for lunch (brown bag or buy at a local eatery) and conversation about genealogy. The program starts at 1:00 PM

 

Wendy Bebout Elliott is a nationally-known author and speaker and has presented programs at Jamboree as well as at both the NGS and FGS national conferences. She is co-editor of The Library: A Guide to the LDS Family History Library and contributed several chapters to Ancestry’s Red Book and Printed Sources. Professionally she is a history professor at California State University, Fullerton, where she teaches courses in U.S., California, oral, and public history.

Thanks to Jay Holladay for publishing this announcement while Paula was on vacation