Saturday Serendipity (October 15, 2016)

Here are a few recommended reads for this weekend . . .

1.  The Weekly Genealogist of NEHGS  posted a piece with important news for anyone with ancestors and relatives from New York. The organization known as Reclaim The Records won the first public access to the marriage records for marriages between 1930 and 1995 in New York City. This opens up more than 3 million records. Read the details here.       

2.  Sticking with NYC genealogy tools, UpFront With NGS brought to our attention this week that the New York Public Library is digitizing its collection of New York City Directories -- which could be quite useful to those looking for ancestors or relatives that are known to have lived in NYC or are thought to have lived there. The directories will cover the years 1786 through 1922/23. There are also links provided for other locales that have directories available. Read the details and get the links here. 
  
3.  Love maps? So does Diane L. Richard at UpFront With NGS.  Yesterday's blog post about digitized maps can be seen here and you can get links to previous UpFront posts about maps. Yesterday's post informs us of the current Library of Congress exhibition on maps called "Mapping a Growing Nation From Independence to Statehood." There is also an online exhibition related to the new exhibit AND the current edition of LOC Magazine is devoted to maps!  Both can be accessed online for free!  Read the post and get the links here.   

4.  I have always been fascinated by the Shakers and their religious beliefs and building/furniture style. Barbara Poole -- and her camera -- have been busy this week documenting the Shakers of Canterbury, NH, but she also has documented the "Venice of America" (otherwise known as her town of Lowell, Massachusetts).  Have a read and especially a look here, here, and here.  

5.  Veteran's Day is approaching fast and so this means another opportunity to participate in Heather Rojo's wonderful Honor Roll Project. The project invites folks to find, photograph and transcribe the various war memorials all over the U.S. and to link to your posts so that they can be compiled into a giant searchable database of veterans. Read more and get links here. This is the 6th year of the project! 

6.  Judy Russell has a post worth reading at The Legal Genealogist. She takes on the question of continuing education for genealogists and why one should recertify periodically. Read the post here.     

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Copyright 2016, John D. Tew

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