UPDATE: The ability to access to AncestryLibrary has been extended again and will now be available until December 31, 2021.  You can reach ancestry at:
https://libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?db=ancestry

 We have some great news for local historians and genealogists!  Thanks to the generosity of the Alfred M. Senter Fund and an anonymous library donor, Curtis Library has started digitizing its collection of microfilms of the Times Record (in earlier versions called The Brunswick Record and The Brunswick Telegraph).  The newspaper is now digitized from 1853 through 1964.  We will soon be starting phase 2 of the project to continue digitizing up through 1977.

You can access the new database at: http://curtis.advantage-preservation.com/  You will know you are in the right place because it will say “Welcome to our community history archive”.

The database is free and accessible to all.  You can do a detailed search or browse by title or year.  The database will show you those “hits” that have the most iterations of your search terms (just keep in mind that the hits are not provided based on date like many databases).  When you find a hit that looks right, click on it and it will take you to the actual newspaper page.

The “Resources” tab at the top of the page is a great place to go for more information or call us at the library.

Thank you to the financial support from our donors that has made this project a possibility for our community!

If you uploaded your DNA testing to MyHeritage or took their DNA test, you might want to check out some new tools that they have added to their site.

The first resource that I found particularly useful was the Chromosome browser.  This tool allows you to compare your DNA test to others who have been identified as DNA matches to you.

The goal of mapping is to use known relationships and their DNA to identify unknown relationships.  So, I might map two cousins whose relationship to my family has been identified.  Then I can add other DNA relationships to see if they triangulate, meaning we all share common DNA.  This will then let me confirm from which branch of my family tree that individual is descended.  The next step would be to compare family trees and see if I can figure out the shared ancestor.  Several of the genealogy companies offer this service but I found this one particularly easy to use.

The second tool is called AutoClusters.  This is an automatic tool that bunches your DNA matches into “clusters” of individuals who are likely to have descended from a common ancestor.  In essence this tool does a lot of work for you in making matches.  You have to request that this be done and then the results are emailed to you.  I just did this and now I’m waiting so we’ll see how it goes.  I’ll report back if I discover anything fascinating.

Happy research!

For many years I’ve wanted to go to the RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City.  I am always interested in learning new genealogy research skills and I would love to see what I might discover at the Family History Library with its amazing compendium of genealogy resources.  Unfortunately, getting out of Maine at the end of February can be dicey because of winter storms so I haven’t made the trip yet.

However, I did just discover that now a great deal of the Conference can be viewed online so I can at least attend virtually!  If you go to https://www.rootstech.org/salt-lake/live-stream-schedule there is a schedule of programs that will be live-streamed so that you can view them for free on your computer as they are happening.  Check out the list and mark your calendar (and don’t forget the time difference).  A number of classes will also be recorded and made available on the RootsTech archives page after the event.

Finally, if you want more than the live-streamed programs, RootsTech is also offering a “virtual pass” for $129.  The pass will provide access to 18 online recorded sessions.  Here’s where you can find information about this option – https://www.rootstech.org/salt-lake/virtual-pass-2019

I will definitely be looking at the free live-stream sessions and may even splurge for the virtual pass.  I hope you have a chance to check some of this out.  It all sounds like a great learning opportunity.  Happy research!