Mr. MacEntee starts with general information about AI and gradually drills down to its application to genealogy. First, comes a discussion of different AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, which is capable of producing human-like text based on mere fragments of information. AI capabilities can also significantly enhance genealogical research by providing detailed and accurate family histories, streamlining the research processes, and improving the overall family history experience. Here are just a few AI applications for genealogy currently in use:

• Automated Record Matching: AI algorithms quickly analyze large volumes of historical records, identifying matches and connections that might be missed by human researchers.
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR): AI-powered OCR converts scanned documents, such as old handwritten records, into searchable and editable text, making historical data more accessible.
• DNA Analysis: AI analyzes DNA test results, identifies genetic matches, and infers ancestral origins.
• Recommendation Systems: AI suggests potential relatives, documents, or records based on user data and search history, making the research process more intuitive.

The balance of this guide discusses some of the cautionary issues associated with AI. Among them are matters of fair use, and proper source citation. The author then cites a number of pros and cons. On the positive side, AI can establish family connections far faster than humans, whether by translating, transcribing, analyzing, or assimilating it. Conversely, users of AI will may find it difficult to determine the source of AI-driven data, contend with bias, risk copyright infringement, violate other persons’ privacy, and fail to detect false information.

It concludes with a glossary of technical terms users will encounter when using this brave new technology.

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Family history is different. If you want others to learn about where you and they came from, you must command their attention. As Doug Tattershall states in the Introduction to his new book, “We work hard to discover our family tree. But what we [and the people we are writing for] really want to know is our family story.”

So, how does a genealogist transition to family history? You will find the answers here. In fewer than one hundred pages, Doug shows how to start and stay on track in transforming the skeletal outline of a genealogy into an engaging family story. Chapter One discusses the elements of a good story: strong characters, a good plot, and the theme or point of the story—all based on the facts uncovered by your research. Doug draws on his own and others’ family stories and images to make his points. Chapter Two, “The Stuff,” explains how to research with biographical detail in mind, gathering from interviews (oral history), personal letters and diaries, newspaper articles and obituaries, lawsuits, local histories, etc. Chapter Three, “Puzzle Pieces” emphasizes the importance of establishing a timeline to your story, while Chapter Four illustrates how things like paintings or photographs, geographic details, and mementos can add specificity and immediacy to it. In Chapter Five, “Format,” the author draws on his journalism experience and the experience of five other contemporary family storytellers to compare the merits of the various media you can choose from: written narrative, audio, video, blogs, and podcasts. The final chapters emphasize the importance of creating a storyteller’s outline to keep everything together, examples of “Good and True” storytelling, and a helpful family story worksheet.

As Doug Tattershall reminds us, “We research our family histories to satisfy our own curiosity about our past, but we quickly find that we want to share what we have found . . .Telling your family story deserves an effort that incorporates the best practices of the dedicated storyteller. . . Your family history is a story worth telling and, therefore, a story worth telling well.”

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These sources and many others are described in detail in this new Third Edition of Genealogical Research in Ohio, by noted genealogical scholar and former Brigham Young University family history professor Kip Sperry. This completely revised version of Sperry’s classic 2003 Second Edition examines the holdings of major Ohio archives and libraries and focuses on many resources available to researchers, covering everything from census records to church records, from periodicals to probates, from tax records to town records, from Internet resources to military records, from ethnic records to newspapers, from land and court records to vital records, and much more.  The book’s vast bibliography of Ohio books, moreover, is a comprehensive survey of Ohio printed genealogical sources, as well as an extensive list of public and other libraries in the state.

This new edition includes the following enhancements:

• New Ohio content regarding FamilySearch.org, including a listing of FamilySearch Centers and FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries in Ohio.
• Expanded and updated information for the Ohio Genealogical Society, including Library holdings, lineage organization guidelines, a list of chapters and their addresses.
• Revised information regarding major libraries in Ohio, including Ohio History Connection in Columbus, State Library of Ohio, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, and other public, historical, and university libraries.
• Enhanced listings of major genealogical resources, including birth and death, cemetery, ethnic, military, newspaper and periodical records, as well as new coverage of photographic records.
• Up-to-date genealogy websites for Ohio and other researchers.
• Almost 100 pages of expanded Bibliography.

In addition, the work contains addresses of repositories—both in and out of state—that house Ohio historical and genealogical records and oral histories. At the end of the book, researchers will find a collection of Ohio maps of historical and genealogical importance.

This Third Edition of Genealogical Research in Ohio supersedes the Second Edition and is a testament to Ohio genealogical scholarship. No collection of Ohioana is complete without it.

About the Author
Kip Sperry is an Accredited Genealogist_® (Midwestern States), Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, and Utah Genealogical Association.

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In four, laminated pages, this guide describes the waves of Ukrainian immigration to the Americas and various European countries; Ukrainian surnames and religions; vital records and censuses; Communist-era databases and Soviet-era persecution files; online resources; and much more. Sprinkled throughout are tips to help you locate your ancestor’s hometown and expand your search.

To assist Ukrainian genealogy researchers even further, Miller has included a “Quick Guide to the Ukrainian Alphabet” and pointers on understanding the culture of Ukraine.

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Following the format of the other publications in our “At a Glance” series, this guide—in only four, laminated pages—gives you all the information you will need to begin tracing these Ontario, Canada, ancestors. Topics covered include immigration and settlement history; ships’ passenger lists; naturalization records; Loyalists; and census, vital, church, and land records. Throughout the guide are informative tips and numerous online and print resources that will help further your research.

In short, Genealogy at a Glance: Ontario, Canada, Genealogy Research highlights all the basic elements of Ontario family history research in an easy-to-use format, allowing you to grasp the fundamentals of Ontario genealogy “at a glance.”

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With an emphasis on publications, manuscript sources, and archival records, Dr. Dobson highlights ways to trace Scottish ancestors using alternative sources, primarily those covering the years between 1550 and 1850. For each research topic—including statutory registers, church records, tax records, sasines and land registers, court records, military and maritime sources, burgh and estate records, emigration records, and much more—Dr. Dobson has compiled an extensive list of the publications and archival records that will enable family historians to advance their research. It would take years for any individual to compile such a far-reaching bibliography and compilation of relevant records in Scottish archives.

Another unique feature of this guidebook is the inclusion of numerous excerpts from publications and archival records, which will help lead researchers to the sources most applicable to their research. All surnames that appear in these examples are listed in the surname index at the back of the book.

About the Author

Dr. David Dobson was born in 1940 in Carnoustie, Scotland, and was educated at Dundee College of Technology (now University of Abertay) and the University of St. Andrews, and finally at the University of Aberdeen. Most of his working life was spent at Madras College, St. Andrews. He has been an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh, and at present, at the University of St. Andrews. Since 1983 he has been researching the Scottish Diaspora in archives and libraries throughout Scotland, London, Ireland, Copenhagen, the Netherlands, Madeira, Canada, the United States, and the West Indies. He is the author of more than 200 books, including Scottish Emigration to Colonial America, 1607-1785, Scottish Trade with Colonial Charleston, 1683-1783, and numerous historical and genealogical source books, plus he has contributed to many other publications, such as An Atlas of Scottish History to 1707, Scottish Communities Abroad in the Early Modern Period, and Scotland and the Flemish People. He now lives in Dundee and is working on further source books.

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That’s where Genealogy at a Glance: Russian Genealogy Research, by Vera Ivanova Miller, comes in. In just four, laminated pages, Miller gives you all the information you’ll need to get started on the search for your Russian ancestors. Topics covered include Russian names and religions; how to locate Russian ancestral places; researching in Russian archives, censuses, parish registers, and consular records; and where to go online to access databases and other helpful information.

To assist Russian genealogy researchers even further, Miller has included a “Quick Guide to the Russian Alphabet” and a sprinkling of helpful tips throughout the piece.

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The vast majority of War of 1812 records consist of (1) pension records, (2) compiled military service records, and (3) bounty-land warrant application files. There are other records, of course, but these are the three main entry points in genealogical research. The purpose of this guide is to show you where these records are located, what they contain, and whether they are indexed, microfilmed, digitized, or found online. Regular army and navy records, prisoner of war records, lineage societies, state records, and published sources are also highlighted here.

With an updated and expanded list of online resources and record sources, and a handy checklist for finding militiamen, this updated edition of Genealogy at a Glance: War of 1812 Research is the best, and most current, guide for those wishing to trace their War of 1812 ancestors.

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It begins with a discussion of Hispanic naming traditions and how they offer valuable clues for your family history research. Then, after a brief jurisdictional history of Mexico, the major record sources are described—civil registration records, Catholic parish records, census records, and immigration records. Some useful supplementary record sources, language aides, and a list of online resources are also included.

In other words, Genealogy at a Glance: Mexican Genealogy Research lays out all the basic elements of Mexican family history research in an easy-to-use format, allowing researchers to grasp the fundamentals of Mexican genealogy at a glance.

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Every family has its own stories—stories that define who you are, that help you touch the past and make your ancestors come to life. This book helps children of all ages find those stories, using many stories of the author’s own family as examples.

In the process, children will also examine their ancestors’ nationalities, their family’s food traditions, and the origin of their surnames and given names. They will pick up skills essential to genealogy research: how to ask questions, construct timelines, create family group sheets, and organize information.

Each beautifully illustrated chapter ends with an activity related to the subject of that chapter. Younger children will have fun doing these activities with their parents, while older children can work on them on their own.

Roots for Kids: Finding Your Family Stories celebrates all the wonderful stories and family traditions that make you who you are and that tie your family, past and present, together.

For children who want to learn even more about their families, and who are ready to research in documents, the author has written a companion volume, Roots for Kids: A Genealogy Guide for Young People. 3rd Edition.

“Beller encourages curiosity and individuality, giving readers ideas plus hands-on tools to start on the road to discovering and documenting family history . . . . The cover and illustrations by Kate Boyer beautifully complement the text and really enhance the reading experience. Do take a look at this book if you want to get the younger generation interested in family history!”–Marian B. Wood, Climbing My Family Tree, Sept. 21, 2020.

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