GRIP Day 5: Back to Reality

My brain was pretty done after 12 hours of lectures and talking and learning yesterday.  It is amazing how much information I have learned in such a short time.  Today (Friday) I woke up ready to take in as much as possible on my last day here, which was a good thing, as the records discussed today should lead to much genealogical success. 

Our first lesson today was on the German records held at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland.  These records, the Rasse und Siedlungs Hauptamt (RuSHA), were created in Germany by the SS in the 1930s and are full of Ahnentafel charts and other genealogical information.  These charts can go back to the 1600s in some cases, but always until ancestors born by 1800.  If you can find an ancestor or collateral relative, they will be tremendously useful to you.

I do not normally quote syllabus materials, as they are under copyright and one of the ways genealogists are able to make a living, but I feel that the following sentence about the SS records is important enough to break this rule; it is copyright of John T. Humphrey.  “These records, the activities associated with these records and the reasons for their creation demonstrate the role of genealogy in establishing racist policies during a tragic era in Germany and they serve as a warning for generations in other countries yet to be born.” 

I like to think that genealogists are less racist than others, as they see firsthand that everyone is connected/related, but as we can see, this is not always the case.  These records are useful for many genealogists, but when searching for them, remember why they were made and have a moment of silence for the victims of the policies that created them.

Our second lesson was on researching Germans in American repositories and libraries, particularly the Library of Congress.  The LoC has one of the largest German collections outside Germany.  By searching their catalog, you can find lineage books, information created by state societies and other books of interest to German genealogy, such as Marion Dexter Learned’s “Manuscript Materials Relating to American History in German State Archives.”  It is important to use both English and German spellings of items in order to see their full holdings.  In addition to the LoC, it is important to check the Family History Library, university libraries and public libraries.

Our day ended with certificates, goodbyes and long trips home.  Since one can never have to much genealogy, I am planning to stop in Eden, Erie, NY on my way to Buffalo to see what I can find on Joseph and Caroline Gress.

The Loomis Family of Sangerfield, NY

I attended a presentation at the DeWitt Community Library on the Loomis Gang of Sangerfield, NY.  It was presented by Sue Greenhagen and Darothy DeAngelo, who are sisters, genealogists and historians, and whom I have heard before at their Oakwood Cemetery walks.
Although I tend to think I haven’t been in the central NY area for long, it has actually been about a third of my life.  In all that time, I had never heard of the family gang that lived in nearby Sangerfield.
In 1638 John Loomis and Mary White left England and settled in Windsor, CT.  They had 8 children and all were pillars of the community for many years.  Their fifth son Deacon John had a son named Sargent Daniel, who had a son Daniel, who had a son Daniel, who had a son Lieutenant Daniel, who in 1779 had a son, George Washington Loomis.  George was not such a model citizen and eventually moved to Sangerfield to escape the police.  Here he met Rhoda Mallett and had a large family.
The family was known for crimes such as stealing (mainly horses), passing counterfeit money, murder, arson, and general corruption.  My favorite story told today was how they would steel horses, sell them to the Union army, then steal them from the army to re-sell them to back to army.
In 1866 the end of the Loomis family came, with the family spreading throughout central NY.
It was interesting to learn more about the history of the area and to see the stories that can be told from genealogy research.  The genealogy of the Loomis family is available at Archive.org.  Apparently there is also a documentary on The Loomis Gang and a book by George W. Walter.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?: Banned Book Edition

Sheila at the Book Journey started the meme "It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?" that I am going to start participating in.



In honor of banned books week, some of my favorite banned books to read:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry: One of my top 3 favorite books of all time, this is a dystopian novel following a young boy as he is chosen to become the next Receiver of Memories.  As he learns more and more about his "perfect" world, we see that everyone being the same is not such a good thing, after all.  I cannot possibly describe how amazing I felt this novel was as a child and I find it even more brilliant and relevant as an adult.


• The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: I doubt anyone has not heard of the story of a boy who goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  I consider any book that is hundreds of pages long and children still want to read a good one!  (I think these are a fun read, too).


• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: I find it difficult to understand how one can feel compelled to ban a book written by a girl the age of the people reading it.  As a young teen, Anne wrote about her life in hiding in Nazi Germany.  A true story of a time that should never be forgotten.

Want more information on Banned Books Week, check out the ALA website.  Then go to your local library and pick up a banned book or two to read this week!

Library Advocacy Day

Yesterday I was able to attend library advocacy day in Albany with CLRC.  CLRC sponsors a bus for librarians and library school student to lobby legislatures as part of NYLA's Library Advocacy Day.  As a student, the price is kept low to allow us to see and learn the process and network with librarians.

The day started early, with the bus leaving at 6am from Syracuse.  We arrived in Albany just before 9am, after stopping in Utica to pick up additional attendees.  After going through security it was up many flights of stairs to our first meeting.

Important lesson #1: Tuesday is Lobby Day in Albany.  You will be standing and walking quite a bit, particularly while waiting in line at security.  Additionally, there is a long wait for elevators.  Stairs are easier.  Wear comfortable shoes and be ready for some exercise.

We met with three legislatures and one legislature's aide in the first half of the day.  It was not at all what I was expecting.  We discussed the legislative priorities and other talking points; we listened to children and parents on why the library was important to them; we listed to some legislatures lobby us about Medicaid reform (random, I know); we thanked them for their prior support and asked for them to continue to do help us.

Important lesson #2: Every year the same general things get said.  They know what is coming and so do we.  So why continue to go?  If you do not, they will forget about your cause and cut your funding even further.

Then came lunch.  Not normally something I would discuss, except for what happened afterwards.  We left the security zone to go to the cafe just outside it for our hour long break.  When we went to go back into the Legislative offices, the AFSCME members had arrived to lobby.  These are Union members and their numbers were impressive.  It was an hour and a half wait to get back through security, meaning we would miss all of our afternoon appointments.

Important lesson #3: Bring a lunch and stay inside the security zone.  You never know what will occur.

As such, we went to the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception and the New York State Museum for an hour and a half, then went to find the bus.  And so we waited for the bus.  Due to the congestion for lobby day, we finally were able to get on the bus an hour later than planned.  In that time, I was able to talk with librarians and library trustees from the area, who had wonderful advice for a soon-to-be graduate.

Important lesson #4: As in all other parts of life, go with the flow and change directions as needed.  Opportunities present themselves if you look for them.

We made it home around 6:30pm and then I did homework until I crashed.  I really enjoyed the opportunity and have to thank CLRC for allowing MLIS students to attend at such an amazingly discounted price.  I look forward to attending in the future and, hopefully, going through leader training so that I can help others in talking with our elected officials.  Remember, support your libraries!

MSLIS Monday: New York State Library

Last week, I went to the New York State Library in Albany with a bunch of classmates.  When I lived in Oneonta, I went to Albany often and always meant to go to this library, but never made it.

We were incredibly lucky to not only visit, but a full-day experience with speakers and tours of the building.  As a library student, it was fascinating to hear from librarians who worked there and see places not normally open to the public.

The library has a few different parts.  There is the Research Library, the Division of Library Development and the Talking Book and Braille Library.  Also in the building is the New York State Museum, which, unfortunately, we were only able to take a quick run through.  I will definitely be going back to view the museum displays and get a more in depth look at the genealogy collection.

Over the next few days I will discuss each part of the library in its own blog posting.  Please stay tuned.

MSLIS Monday: My Last Semester

Can you believe I am in my second week of my last semester in graduate school?  I sure can't.  The past year and a half went so much faster than I ever imagined.

I am taking some awesome classes this semester, which is definitely the right way to finish.

• Library Planning, Marketing and Assessment: I think this will be the most important class I take in my collegiate career.


• Information Resources: Organization & Access: An overview on metadata, indexing and the like.


• Museum Development: This is for my CAS, but the skills are for all non-profits and the professor will allow me to use libraries as examples in the projects.  This will really help with my goal to become a library director one day.


• Internship: 2 credits worth.  I think I found a cool one and will give more information when it is firmed up:-)

So here I go again.  One more semester left of school, then I receive my Master's degree and get hooded.  How awesome is that?

NYLA Workshop: Creative Programming for the Frugal Librarian

Last Friday I was able to attend one day of the New York State Library Association's Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York.  One of the workshops I attended was Creative Programming for the Frugal Librarian by Lisa Forrest of Buffalo State.

In the times of cut budgets, this workshop was particularly important to librarians, as was seen by participants outnumbering the chairs in the room.  Lisa started the session by discussing how librarians need to change the perception of libraries just being a building full of books to "a lively space for engaged learners."  It is our job as librarians to engage our patrons in their quest for knowledge.  We are all educations, teaching information literacy daily.

One of the best ways to engage patrons is through programming.  There are many programs that can be run for free or on a slight budget, such as book clubs, workshops, discussions and collaborations with other groups in the area.  Lisa focused most of her examples on the Rooftop Poetry Club at Buff State.  It is a tremendous example of what can be done with a small budget, a passion for the subject and collaboration with other groups.  Not only does this group attract college students, but members from the community of Buffalo.  It makes me wish I still lived in the area.

I highly encourage you to look around the site.  All of the programming has been archived and is available on various social networks.  Lisa said that this program has given her a personal connection with her patrons.  They now know she is a person, with a name, who is there to help them, not just a scary librarian they do not want to bother or are afraid of.

The overall theme of using your passions to drive programming is very exciting to me.  After taking an older adult programming class at Syracuse University, it really made me want to be in charge of programming after graduation.  Whether in a public library setting or a historical society, the idea of being able to use programs to advance patrons knowledge and my own on a wide array of topics is now one of my goals, which this workshop has further solidified.

Lisa has created the blog Nothing to Lose: Frugal Ideas for the Creative Librarian, for librarians to share frugal programming ideas.

SU ALA Student-Chapter Office, 2010-2011

I have just received word that I am one SUs ALA Student-Chapter officers for 2010-2011!  I was really excited when they put out the calls for officers and hoped I would get one of the few positions open.  The other 2 officers are Claire and Rose, two of my favorite classmates and I can guarantee with the three of us the programming will ROCK next year!  Field trips, speakers, workshops... so many ideas and so little time!  If you are an iSchool student, be sure to let me know what YOU want to do next year so we can make sure to include it!

Libraries: A Thriving Community Value

Created by CLRC after the libraries here got their budgets cut for the FOURTH time in TWO years.  This was shown at the legislature breakfast they held.  

February is Library Lovers' Month!

February is well-known as a month of love with Valentine's day right in the middle of it.  And of all the things I love, Libraries is near the top of the list, along with reading and books.  Apparently I am not alone, as February is Library Lovers' Month.

One of the best websites for information and activities for Library Lovers' Month is from Friends and Foundations of CA Libraries.  They have fundraisers, free bookmarks and web images, educator and event planning pages and even a list of movies that feature librarians.  Stop by their site and then head over to your local library to let them know how much you love them!

Graphic courtesy of http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/loveclip.html

IFLA Adopt a Student!

I am officially "adopted" as a student member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.  IFLA, according to their website, "is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession."  Their new Adopt a Student! program allows professionals in the field to sponsor a one year membership of a student and act as a mentor.  The student just needs one letter of recommendation and to fill out a (very simple) form.  I am the newest student adopted and am very excited and grateful for this opportunity.

Part 5 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

To get to the beginning of this series, go here:-)


Laura Prescott, APG President, spoke on Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective.  I had not realized the importance in using timelines for your research and plan on using them in the future much more often.


By using timelines, you can see important events that happened in your ancestors lives, which may have influenced their decisions and movements.  You can also use them to migration and settlement patterns, look at military and career paths and track your ancestors through the census, among other things.


Many genealogy programs have timeline options, but there are multiple other places to create them.  The most interesting one is Google Maps.  I have often used this for directions, but was unaware of their My Maps feature.  By adding addresses, you can create a timeline of your ancestors movements, homes or cemetery cites.  You can even add photos, videos or text and then embed the map into a blog post or email it to others.


After Laura, Drew Smith, librarian, author and half of the Genealogy Guys was the last speaker of the day.  His presentation, Using Web 2.0 Tools with a 101 Knowledge Base, was an explanation of using Web 2.0 tools in the library.  I have been reading his book, Social Networking for Genealogists and recommend checking that out for a more thorough explanation of his program than I can give.


It was amazing to hear a presentation by someone who's podcast I listen to on a regular basis.  Using Web 2.0 tools to educate patrons, as well as to provide access to resources and services, is something I have become very interested in for school and future employment situations.  This workshop was a basic overview of these topics for librarians who have been out of school for awhile and need to learn the basics of Web 2.0.


This was a wonderful workshop and I am looking forward to continuing my education in this matter.  Workshops are held four times a year, before the two ALA conferences, before the NGS conference and before the FGS conference.  If you ever have the option to attend, I recommend it highly.

The 11th Hour

When I was approximately ten years old, I created my first environmental awareness club.  I recruited my sister and two of my cousins and convinced my grandmother to sponsor a trip to the Discovery Store, where she bought us two books full of activities.  Ever since that time, I have been very environmentally conscious, going so far as to save all of my cans, bottles and papers at school to bring home when I went, as my college town did not recycle.  As such, I am very excited by the Sustainable Libraries class I am currently taking and look forward to learning about green building, LEED certification and creating sustainable processes and activities within a library.

Our goal this semester is to come up with our own definition of sustainability.  To help us with that, our first assignment was to watch the documentary The 11th Hour.  I highly recommend viewing this movie, particularly the last half hour, which gives both macro and micro things you can do to help.  They also have a Facebook group and webpage if you wish to get further involved.

Library Day in the Life

Round 4 of Library Day in the Life is today.  Begun by Bobbi Newman 2008, it allows anyone working in a library to post, either to their blog or on twitter, about what they do all day.  For library school students such as myself or people who are thinking about going to library school, this allows us to see what different types of librarians there are and what they do.

Syracuse University MSLIS students are lucky in that our first required course has two or three alumni speakers each week, discussing what they with their library degree.  It shows us the multitude of options available and gives us recommendations for internships and courses to take.  Reading items like Library Day in the Life and the book A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science by Richard Murray and Priscilla K. Shontz also give this type of assistance.  I look forward to participating in a future round once I work in a library.

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week #2

Amy Coffin at the We Tree blog is challenging bloggers to become better genealogists, with a new prompt each week through her 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy:

Go to your local public library branch again. Examine the local history, archives and/or special collections section. Ask a librarian if you don’t know if your library has special collections or where they are located. Be sure to check the reference section, too, as many of the newer and more valuable books are held in that area. If you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s local history and special collections.


Slightly late, but better than never;-)


At the Onondaga County Public Library Central Branch, the Local History/Genealogy room is amazing.  It is on the 6th floor and contains a tremendously large amount of books and microfims.  Some of the items I have used in the past or need to check out that are useful to my searching are:

	Marriages from Buffalo church records 1825-1900, volume 1 : transcribed from microfilm of English-speaking Protestant church records and compared with marriage license records in Erie County Hall
	by Zintz, June P. (June Partridge) Index of marriages from Buffalo newspapers, 1811-1884 : from a file in the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, supplemented with additional information from Erie County Hall by Zintz, June P. (June Partridge) 20 years worth of Buffalo City Directories on microfilm A catalogue of books, pamphlets, engravings, etc., relating largely to Niagara Falls by Porter, Peter A. (Peter Augustus), 1853-1925. The cradle of the queen city: a history of Buffalo to the incorporation of the city by Bingham, Robert W. (Robert Warwick), b. 1880.

Part 4 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

To get to the beginning of this series, go here:-)

The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute had lunch sponsored by ProQuest.  As such, they did a presentation on some of their library services, such as HeritageQuest and Ancestry Library Edition, both of which I use on a regular basis.

They also told us about their new library product: ProQuest Digital Microfilm.  ProQuest will go into libraries and digitize their microfilmed newspaper holdings so that users can have access to it remotely.  It will also be searchable, users can crop and save the articles they want and enhance brightness and contrast.  According to ProQuest, this will "reduce film damage and loss as will as the need to use and maintain microfilm readers/printers."  ProQuest will also help they libraries with getting the rights due to copyright.  It will be interesting to see how many libraries take this on.  I know it would help me out as I do not get to Buffalo nearly enough to go through newspapers there.

The next session was on timelines by Laura Prescott, which I will post tomorrow.

Part 3 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

For Part 1 and Part 2 of the series:-)

The third session was titled "My Family is Boring, May I Borrow Yours?: Integrating Historical Research into Historical Inquiry" by Christine Baron.  Christine discussed her work in searching for a way to make the famous Old North Church of Boston into a cite for learning by visitors.

This was one of the most fascinating and useful parts of the day, as Christine and her staff are not genealogists, do not want to be genealogists, but see the value in genealogical interpretations.  Their goal was to "put the people back in the pews," and genealogists at the NEHGS helped them get beyond names and dates, connecting families while using primary and secondary sources.

Although many people have preconceptions about historians versus genealogists, Gex Xers (and Y as well) just want expertise.  These are the people genealogists can reach to expand their users.  What kind of projct would benefit from a genealogist?  Questions about social inter-relationships within a communitty, research involving individuals with common names and technocratic teams without deep idealogical divides.

With the help of genealogists, Christine came up with OldNorth.com and the online program Tories, Timid or True Blue?  This shows students why history is fun, namely the spirit of inquiry and intellectual risk - which is also why genealogy is fun!  Students get to look at primary documents to solve mysteries and learn important things such as "you can't trust everything you see."  I highly recommend looking at the program and using it as a way to get children interested in history and genealogy.

Programs such as these are the future of digitizing information and documents.  The field of digital humanities is fast growing, as people no longer want to know what is being put online, but what one is going to do with it once it's there.

After this session came a presentation by lunch sponsor by ProQuest, which I will discuss tomorrow!

Part 2 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

Please see part 1 of this series.

The second session of the Genealogy Reference Desk Institute was "An Overview of American Colonial Records" by David Dearborn, staff genealogist at the NEHGS and Fellow, American Society of Genealogists.

David began the presentation by telling us the cardinal rule, "Colonial records were not created for the benefit of 21st century genealogists."  A rule that needs to be remembered for all records, in my opinion, not just those of the colonial time period.

What I learned most about these records is that it is important to learn about the area one is researching, as every area is different and borders changed drastically over time.  Towns were invented in the colonies.  Prior to this, there were ecclesiastical parishes, manors, et cetera, in England, but not a governmental area without a religious basis.

The earlier back your ancestry is in the colonies, the easier it is to find information for a few reasons.  First, there were few people here, so it is relatively easy to follow them.  Second, land records were very well kept and most people owned land.

My ancestors did not immigrate until long after the colonial period, but it was interesting to hear about research strategies.  David also handed out a reading list with many books and articles I will be seeking out.

I will be discussing the third session tomorrow and it was a fantastic one!

How to Make the Most of Your First ALA Midwinter

I attended my first ALA official conference other the weekend in Boston.  I had an amazing time, attending meetings, manning the SU booth, looking at exhibits and hanging out with my fellow students.  Overall, the conference was a stunning success for me and I have a few tips on what one should do for their first conference.

First, try to attend a workshop on Friday if you are interested in any of the topics.  They are of very low cost to the students and you are able to meet librarians in the field you are interested in.  Additionally, you get training that is not offered in school.  I attended the Genealogy Reference Desk Institute and my discussion of it is on my other blog, A Tale of Two Ancestors.

Second, make sure you plan what you want to attend in the way of meetings and exhibits.  The Event Planner is located on the conference page and, while slightly difficult to use at first, allows you to print out your schedule, which is much easier than trying to figure it out when you arrive with the huge book you receive.

Third, try to join a committee.  It is important to remember committee appointments are for 2 years and you are expected to attend all ALA conferences in that time.  I joined the membership committee of the International Relations Round Table.  This allows me to meet librarians in one of the fields I am interested in, help to build my resume and learn more about the inner workings of ALA.

Forth, work at the SU booth if possible and spend time with your fellow students.  The SU booth gives you opportunities to meet SU alumni and network.  Hanging out with your fellow students allows you to learn more about the people who you take classes with and will be your network in the future.

Fifth, walk around to all the exhibits.  There are free books and swag, author signings and all sorts of things you have not yet thought about in your classes, such as insurance and ways to furnish your library.

Sixth, read Cognotes every day.  It is the newsletter of ALA conferences and is published daily.  It tells about events, author signings and any changes in the schedule.

Last, but not least, remember that Midwinter is business meetings, not workshops.  It is not as "exciting" as Annual is, but if you are interested in how ALA committees run and to network, it is a fantastic event!

The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

On Friday, 15 January, I attended the American Library Association's "The Genealogy Reference Desk: Where Everyone Knows Your Name" at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The NEHGS is located in the historic Back Bay area of Boston in a gorgeous old bank.

The first session was "Sustainability in Genealogical Collections" by D. Brenton Simons, president of the NEHGS. He began by discussing the the Society, which was formed in 1845. They currently have a reference librarian whose entire purpose is to be online to "spread the intellectual capital." I had never realized how much information they have on areas outside of New England, which is shown in their online catalog and portals such as their new AficanAmericanAncestors.org (coming February 3rd). They are even changing their journal name to "American Ancestors" and we were the first outside of staff to get a sneak preview at the cover.

He went on to discuss the importance of a service culture in libraries, quick tips for libraries during economic downturns and strategic planning information. My favorite tip he gave was that your goal should always be "aim to thrive, not just survive." This is what has helped them to thrive during the poor economy when so many others have not.

I will continue my report on the Institute tomorrow, when I will discuss "An Overview of American Colonial Records" by David Dearborn.