Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Everyone from novice genealogists to hobbyists to people interested in becoming professional researchers will find something of value at the Illinois State Genealogical Society’s (ISGS) 2012 Fall Conference scheduled for Oct. 19 and 20 at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center in Rockford. “There’s something for everyone,” says Stephanie Carbonetti, ISGS Fall Conference Co-Chair. “We want to provide a conference for all levels of interest, whether it’s someone who hasn’t started researching their ancestors yet and doesn’t know where to begin, to people just wanting to hone up on their research skills. There’s so much to choose from!” This year’s conference, entitled “Family History in Profile,” is being co-hosted by the Winnebago & Boone Counties Genealogical Society and will feature nine nationally and regionally known genealogy research experts who will lead more than 15 workshops on such topics as “Breaking Through Brick Walls,” “Facebook for Genealo

Within the last few weeks, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign submitted digital versions of several books about Abraham Lincoln to Internet Archive .  Through Internet Archive, you can access a variety of media that are archived in a digital format.  Books are often available to read online from the website and many have the option to download a PDF version. Below are some of the Lincoln titles that were recently added. History of the Lincoln Family: An Account of the Descendants of Samuel Lincoln, of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1637-1920 Lincoln’s Springfield, A Guide Book & Brief History The Trial of Mary Todd Lincoln The Life of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 1 The Life of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2 Abraham Lincoln in Decatur The Philosophy of Abraham Lincoln in His Own Words The Lincoln Story Lincoln and Springfield The Story of Lincoln’s Tomb and Its Three Constructions The Tragic Career of Mary Todd Lincoln Abraham Lincoln in Peoria Abraham Lincoln’s Speeches and

On Tuesday, May 8, at 8 PM Central, Timothy Pinnick will present, Some Great, Seldom-Used, Resources: A Genealogical Potpourri , where you will learn about unique resources Timothy has come across that may help you break through some of your brick walls. To attend this webinar, register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/542750318 . Last week's webinar, Going Digital: Organizing Your Research Files Electronically , presented by D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, is now available to ISGS members in the Members Section of the ISGS website ( http://ilgensoc.org/members.php ). Upcoming Webinars May 8 – Some Great, Seldom-Used, Resources: A Genealogical Potpourri with Timothy Pinnick Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/542750318 June 12 – The War of 1812 – America’s “Forgotten” War with Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/361887982 July 10 – Clue to Clue: Tracking a Family Over Time and Miles with Jean Wilcox-Hibbe

Yesterday we posted that the 1940 census images for the state of Illinois are ready to be indexed through FamilySearch.  We encouraged you to select Illinois State Genealogical Society as your affiliated when setting up your indexing account.  But how do you change the group when you already have an existing FamilySearch account?  Follow these simple steps below to change your affiliated group. Open and log in to the FamilySearch Indexing software. Select Options from the Tools menu. Click on the Personal Info tab. Click on the link Change My Information .  This will launch the FamilySearch website login. Enter your login information. Under Additional Indexing Information , confirm that Group says Illinois State Genealogical Society .  If it does not, click the Edit button. Choose Illinois State Genealogical Society from the drop-down menu to select a Group . Click the Save button. That’s it!  Now, not only will you receive credit for indexing the 1940 census, so

Did you know that at this very moment, members of the Illinois State Genealogical Society are busy indexing the 1940 Census images which were released to the public on April 2, 2012? You can join in this volunteer effort to produce a searchable index which will be freely accessible to the genealogical community and the public.  Here's how: Visit the 1940 Census Community Project site here to download the indexing software, create a FamilySearch account and then get started with your first batch of Illinois images. Learn more at this recent ISGS blog post . FamilySearch has produced a series of training videos at  https://the1940census.com/video-training/  to help you understand how indexing works. PLEASE make sure that when you set up the indexing software you select Illinois State Genealogical Society as your affiliated group.  FamilySearch has set up incentives and prizes for genealogy societies who index the most images - so make sure your indexing efforts get credited to

Currently, the ISGS office is not fully-staffed while we seek to fill the Office Secretary position. Please call us at (217) 789-1968 before making a visit to our office! © 2012, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Just in time for National Organize Your Files Week (third week in April), don't miss our upcoming webinar, Going Digital: Organizing Your Research Files Electronically , presented by D. Joshua Taylor. Date : Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 8:00 pm Central Description : Thinking of going digital? Organizing your research files electronically can speed up processing time, save space, and help anyone become a better genealogist. Learn how to take your paper research notes, logs, and documents and convert them into your own personal “digital archives.” Presenter : D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS D. Joshua Taylor "Josh" is a nationally known and recognized genealogical author, lecturer, and researcher. Currently Joshua is a Business Development Manager for brightsolid online publishing, the creator of FindMyPast.com. A frequent speaker at genealogical societies, libraries, and other organizations, his previous speaking engagements include RootsTech, the Federation of Genealogical

ISGS Supports 1940 Census Indexing with FamilySearch.org We are excited to announce that ISGS has joined the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to help index the 1940 U.S. Federal Census! By indexing records from Illinois, we will be an essential part of this monumental grass-roots effort that will put one of the richest genealogical data sets in the world online - complete and free of charge forever. Go to www.the1940census.com/society and register to participate with ISGS: When you open the software, a sign-in screen will appear: If you already have an account with FamilySearch , just input your name and password and click OK; if not, click Register for a New Account to set one up. When creating your account, remember to select Illinois State Genealogical Society from the dropdown box for Group on the profile screen. Every person indexing with our society gets us closer to milestones that qualify us for incentives provided by the sponsors of the project, so sign up tod