Friday, October 30, 2009

Daylight Savings Time Ends November 1, 2009

Just a reminder that Daylight Savings Time ends at 02:00 on Sunday November 1, 2009. If you are still up at that time turn your clock back to 01:00.

If you aren't up at that time of the morning make sure you set your alarm clock before going to bed on Saturday night. Only if you have to be somewhere early Sunday Morning.

An easy mnemonic for setting the clock is: Spring ahead, Fall back.

Don't forget to change the battery in your smoke alarm.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

14 November Ancestry.com Seminar

There are only 16 days until the Ancestry.com Seminar. This is an excellent opportunity to learn the best strategies for doing research at Ancestry.com. The event is a full day of presentations by representatives from the company.

The event is at the Handlery Hotel and Resort at 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego. Presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 3:00 p.m. Registration forms are available at the SDGS Website. Cost is $30 per person for SDGS members, $35 per person for non-members. A box lunch is provided with admission.

The seminar is divided into 4 sessions:

1. The best strategies for getting the most out of Ancestry.com
2. Tapping into the Ancestry.com and Rootsweb community
3. The Ancestry World Archives Project
4. Publishing and printing using "My Canvas"

There is an added benefit for SDGS Members! The Ancestry.com personnel, along with SDGS volunteers will provide document/photograph scanning services for free. There will be two high speed scanners available. All kinds of photographs can be scanned including old tintypes. If the document is relatively new and in good condition a scanner will be used. If the document is in a frame or fragile a digital photo will be taken. It's recommended that you bring a flash drive of your own, but usb flash drives will be available at the event.

Scanning services will be assigned in 15 minute increments and scheduled at the start of the event. The 15 minute period generally allows for the scanning of about 50 images. The images scanned are NOT retained by Ancestry.com.

The Handlery Hotel & Resort charges $3 for all day parking so make sure you have 3 bucks when you arrive.

Get your registration form and check in now.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

New Bookshelf


The new library is having more bookshelves installed today, this is an additional 432 feet of bookshelf. We will now have over 1512 linear feet of bookshelf at our library at 7343 Ronson Rd. Suite O.

This additional bookshelf puts our bookshelf length to over 1/4 mile if laid end to end.

The library has 11,000 books, over 1,000 periodical titles and a large collection of various data cd's. We have 16 four drawer filing cabinets with various items. There are 9 cabinets of cataloged material, 5 cabinets of researchers raw notes and 2 cabinets with Society members pedigree charts. These pedigree charts go back to our original membership in 1946.

A wealth of research material.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Members Open House Event

Our new library will have a grand opening for Society Members on Sunday 15 November. The event will be officially announced at the Ancestry.com seminar on 14 November.

All members are invited to come to 7343 Ronson Rd, Suite O between 1 and 4 p.m. Check out the new "digs" and improvements. We now have wireless internet connections available if you bring your laptop.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Public Open House

The San Diego Genealogical Society has moved to our new library at 7343 Ronson Rd, Ste. O, San Diego.

There will be a Public Open House on Saturday, November 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Of course all of our members are welcome to come too.

Anybody who is interested in researching their family history and roots are invited to come visit our library. There is a flyer and directions to the library on the SDGS Website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casdgs/

Our New Address

It has come to our attention that the complete address must be used on our mail. That means the suite letter has to be used with the street address. Unfortunately one of our correspondents had a letter returned and he had to call us.

The proper address for all Society mail is:

San Diego Genealogical Society
7343 Ronson Rd, Suite O
San Diego, CA 92111-1430

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

FamilyTreeMaker Users Group

The monthly FamilyTreeMaker User Group will meet at the library, 7343 Ronson Rd, Suite O, on Saturday 7 November from 10 a.m. to Noon.

The link below has directions

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casdgs/directions.shtml

Monthly Computer Basics Class

Don't forget the monthly computer basics class. Even with the societies move to our new library the computer class will be held in November.

The class will meet on Wednesday, November, 11, 2009 from 10:00 to 12:00 at 7343 Ronson Rd, Suite O in San Diego.

If you haven't been to the new library, the link below has directions and links to a map.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casdgs/directions.shtml

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Moving and Volunteerism

Here's a note that was sent to us.

The last couple of weeks or so I observed something interesting!

Maybe you will get some thoughts from it also!

Being involved in Genealogy research and finding many interesting stories of how our forefathers lived, suffered, and fought for existence and in many cases died just to be able to pass on something better to later generations, I belong to some Genealogical societies where I get help and resources to find these long ago interesting enlightening events!

Members of these genealogy organizations go out of their way to help others find things from the past and pass on the knowledge they have gained during years of research to newcomers, free of charge and with enthusiasm! 

One of these organizations, the San Diego Genealogical Society I belong to, operates out of a small commercial location and in addition to doing the things described above, they have a library consisting of donated books (history, statistical informational, biographical), periodicals, digital media, etc.

Well as time passes and space and other things dictate the need for it, they are moving to an other location!

I just mentioned books didn't I? Would you believe somewhere between 11 and 15 thousand items?

Like most small organizations, there is a budget, the present economy to consider,and many many restrictions and decisions to make things happen. In this case great leadership and planning certainly was an asset and it showed, but what could be a great help to get things done at least cost?

This is where I observed that" something interesting" I mentioned!

                     VOLUNTEERS!

Seeing some young, many middle aged and elderly individuals load 41 special carts with books from shelves and from carts back to shelves later after pushing-pulling these carts weighing many hundreds of pounds around to line them up for professional movers, it made me realize what a relative small group of people can accomplish!

Just think, put those electronic gadgets that are being stared at all day aside for a bit and do something like these many ladies (and men) did..., help someone to accomplish something that otherwise would be difficult, and do so as a volunteer!

On weekends everybody seemed to want to help young and old, male and female but on this week-work day I witnessed 15 to 20 Ladies accomplish an impossible job that had to be finished so the 41 carts could be returned that day!  They all looked very tired but with satisfied smiles on their face!

Just think, what  several million people could accomplish, doing something for somebody else for a few hours?

Jack Van Wingerden

A First Timers Trip to Salt Lake City

A FIRST TIMERS TRIP TO SALT LAKE by Diane McClure-Lott

Salt Lake City Trip to Family History Library? You gotta go in 2010!

The September 2009 Salt Lake City Family History Library Trip was my FIRST trip to Salt Lake City and the FHLibrary.  I had so many unanswered questions.  Although Pam and Phyllis answered many questions I still didn’t know what to expect and was apprehensive.  It’s like your first time jumping into a pool or first time behind the wheel of a car. It’s that first step.

I was very lucky to meet up with Donna Swink and Nancy Nichols.  I called them my big sisters.  I met them at the airport and one of the first things I said was “This was my first trip and I didn’t know where to go or what to do.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll show you,” they said. And they did.  But not only were Nancy and Donna helpful, so were many other members and Family History Library staff. Really !! Just ask.

The following are some suggestions:

    ** Get a member to team up with you.  I will be your partner/guide if you would like because I am going again.  If you have questions call/email me anytime.  Diane Lott 619-263-5394 or jefflott01@cox.net.

1.Narrow your search to something specific but bring lots of files/data. ( I was researching my grandmother and surname Bender but needed her half sister’s information and my husband had to FED EX it to me $$$)
2.Allow for “weight” of these files in your luggage.
3.Wear your badge. And wear your badge that Chris will make for you. Convenient for carrying things like copy card and hotel room card.
4.Pack light. Depending on the weather wear layers.  On some floors of the library the air conditioning really works, others not so much.
5.The request from researchers is to submit a brief statement.  What I sent wasn’t enough for my researcher.  Send a small paragraph but send only facts (dates, places, names) no “I believes….”
6.Bring some other files so you have some other research in case you hit a dead end on your main search. 
7.If you have a laptop bring it. I brought mine but did not use it.  Bring a memory card for saving data.  I did and didn’t use it.
8.Arrive on an early flight, early enough to take the tour if you can. It gives you a great orientation to the city and the Salt Lake. When leaving Salt Lake City, book a “noonish” flight.
9.Attend the library orientation the first day and listen carefully.
10.Start your research with the first floor in the books of surnames.
11.Next, use the library computers.  Ask at any desk or any library volunteer wandering around wearing a badge.  Ask to see all the new things on the computers and in the library.
12.If you bring a backpack or computer case keep it about the size of your computer as the lockers will not hold larger computer backpack on wheels. You WILL WANT to use the lockers as you leave the library for lunch. A small, wheeled computer briefcase is a good idea. Files get heavy and cumbersome. The lockers use dimes.
13.LEAVE THE LIBRARY for lunch at the cafeteria or Nauvoo Café or other Temple Square restaurant.
14.Take time to smell the roses.  Actually I didn’t see roses but you will see the most beautiful array of flowers and plants you will ever want to see. You will see a team of gardeners getting the trees ready with Christmas lights. You will see brides and grooms and wedding parties.  So stand and watch and take pictures.
15.If it is nice weather take an evening stroll after dinner on the Temple grounds or around the area of the hotel. It is clean and safe. The trolley is free within a certain number of blocks.
16.Speaking of food JB’s restaurant is close but the only “deal” is the buffet breakfast.
17.The day you arrive, the hotel shuttle will take you to the Albertson’s market if you ask. You have a refrigerator and microwave in your room so buy breakfast (cereal, fruit, milk and juice) and have it with hotel coffee in your room.
18.All other meals eat out if you can.
19.When you first go to the library go to the main desk and get a restaurant card (free). Eat in the cafeteria.  Good $ deal on meals
20.Second thing to do is get a copy card. Someone will help you. You will need one-dollar bills. It is a bit tricky but you will get the hang of it. As you pay for lunch or dinner get one-dollar bills in change if you can.
21.See the gift shop in the Family History Museum next door to the library. It is expensive and aimed toward the Mormon religion but I bought wooden toys for my great nieces and nephews.
22.See the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Thursday evening and on Sunday morning (9:00 am). Each day is a different program. Get there early and sit upstairs in the middle looking straight at the choir.
23.Ask. Ask anyone in the library or hotel or members.
24.As you enter Temple Square there are tour guide who will try to engage you in conversation for tours. Just smile and walk on.
25.No smoking or alcohol on Temple grounds but off Temple grounds you can get a great meal and a nice glass of wine or mixed drink.

    Things I will do next trip:
1.Bring more and different files
2.Buy a small, wheeled computer case
3.Buy/bring a magnifying glass
4.Ask more questions about recent technology
5.Eat evening meals in great Salt Lake City restaurants
6.Pack lighter as airlines charge per suitcase and for overweight
7.Leave Salt Lake for home earlier in the day

For the 2010 Salt Lake City Family History Library Trip, if it helps I will hold a “First Timer’s Meeting” prior to our trip in October. Consider going on the Trip. You gotta go.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Ancestry.com Seminar

The San Diego Genealogical Society is sponsoring Ancestry.com for an all day seminar on 14 Nov 2009.The seminar is being held at the Handlery Hotel, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego.

There are 4 sessions scheduled from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The sessions are:

  • The best strategies for getting the most out of Ancestry.com
  • Tapping into the Ancestry.com and Rootsweb community
  • The Ancestry World Archives Project
  • Publishing and printing using ‘My Canvas’
The cost is $30 for SDGS members or $35 for non-members. Attendance is limited so register today!

Seminar Registration Form