Family Search discontinuing microfilm loans; Canada celebrates 150th

By Lynda Rego
Posted 8/14/17

I don’t get much genealogy research done in the dog days of summer. My computer nook is under the eaves at home and it gets pretty warm up there, especially during the 90-degree, humid days …

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Family Search discontinuing microfilm loans; Canada celebrates 150th

Posted

I don’t get much genealogy research done in the dog days of summer. My computer nook is under the eaves at home and it gets pretty warm up there, especially during the 90-degree, humid days we’ve had so far. But, I’m keeping up with the news and making lists of things to accomplish come September.
• The big news is that Family Search is doing away with their microfilm loan services (they have 1.5 billion images on microfilm) as of Sept. 1. As they continue to digitize all of their extensive materials and put them online, microfilm is becoming obsolete.
The last chance to order a microfilm at one of the Family History Centers or online is on Aug. 21. They will continue to offer premium discount services and digital content, including items not available on their website, at the Family History Centers. Each center has the option to keep microfilm collections already at the centers; so, if you have a favorite microfilm you use locally, check with the center to see if they will retain it. And, of course, their website is free.
• There’s nothing I like more than getting details on what it was like when my ancestors lived. For a view at what New Englanders encountered from the 1600s forward, take a look at the “American Centuries: A View from New England” exhibit at Memorial Hall Museum online at www.memorialhall.mass.edu. There are so many categories, photos and videos, it’s a little overwhelming, but a great place to spend a rainy day. And, maybe you’ll find an ancestor!
• Another great peek at the past is a video of what a woman of means wore in the 1700s. Think getting ready for the day in the morning is onerous because you have to blow dry your hair, shave or put on makeup? Take a look at this video created by the National Museums Liverpool and Pauline Rushton, its costume curator, of a woman donning her clothes. And, although there are endless layers, they didn’t wear underwear (or knickers, as they put it)!
See the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpnwWP3fOSA. Once you’re on You Tube, check out the other videos of Edwardian, Elizabethan and Regency ladies dressing and how to use the loo while wearing gowns and bustles (not as hard as you’d think).
• Canadians celebrated the 150th anniversary of their country’s confederation as a nation on July 1. Wikipedia has a great listing (“150th anniversary of Canada”) with projects from each region and a roundup of cultural initiatives. And, check out the digital content projects, which include stories, images, videos, essays and more on Canada’s history.
• Great news for Mayflower descendants. The New England Historic Genealogical Society is partnering with the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to add genealogical resources to the NEHGS website. They are digitizing the Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies (the “silver books”), which include five generations of descendants for 25 of the passengers and also will add 50 years of Mayflower Quarterly issues. So far, the first release contains Chilton, More, Eaton, Fuller (Edward and Samuel), Howland, Priest and Winslow.
Lynda Rego has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lynda.rego where she shares tips on genealogy and other topics. Stop by, click on Like and share any interests you have for upcoming columns.

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