DearMYRTLE: 21st Century Research Tools

Providing practical, down-to-earth advice for family historians since 1995, online since 1985.

21st Century Research Tools

DearREADERS,
Sometime this past month I attended a meeting where someone spoke of sponsoring a research trip to Salt Lake City. That sponsor reported he/she had given up Ancestry.com and other such memberships LONG AGO. <Aaack!> Yet, this individual was presenting him/herself as a resource for struggling genealogists to rely upon in preparation for this trip. Further, this "guide" explained a benefit of joining his/her group would be to attend brick-wall strategy meetings back at the hotel rooms at night.

The concept from the EVERTON'S GENEALOGICAL HELPER masthead subtitle surely comes to mind in this instance: "Uniting a Tradition of Excellence with 21st Century Research Technology"

We simply MUST combine top-quality tried-and-true research techniques with a growing understanding of the use of modern digital resources to effectively climb our family trees.

While no one person can expect to know it all, I rather follow Family Chronicle Magazine publisher Halvor Moorshead's suggestion. In the Feb 2005 issue, he stated "The Internet is the Way to Start. There; I've finally said it. I know it is heresy to tell new genealogists that they can conduct most of their research using the Internet but I've come to believe it." See: http://www.dearmyrtle.com/05/0114.htm

For this "research tour guide" to completely discount the most valuable census images online completely floored me. We're not even talking about the other online indices that lead us to the microfilm of original documents mentioning our ancestors.

For this "research tour guide" to refer to the printed FHL Research outlines (rather than the more up-to-date online versions) places blinders on family historians. By this inaccurate, out-dated recommendation her "followers" would never know about the new resources recommended by the FHL These outlines now list some of the online resources available for the locality in question. View these online at: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/frameset_rhelps.asp

For a week's trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I'd spend about 40-60 hours of preparation time. I would do all I could online in advance. I would identify about 50-75 specific microfilm, fiche, book and maps I would need to view once I got to the Family History Library. I simply would NOT waste my time looking at census microfilm. It's quite simply easier to view the census (even if page by page) online.

I am still so entirely amazed by the short-sighted attitude of this "research tour guide" that I can hardly type!

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
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