Tag Archives: IGS

Come to the annual meeting — tomorrow, Sunday the 11th, 2 pm

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Dear IGS Members,

Your presence is very much needed at the IGS Library, 1310 W. Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank (cross street = Griffith Park; park behind in spaces off the alley).  With all the disruptions in Ventura County, it may be hard for other members to reach the meeting — at which we vote for the incoming Board of Directors!!  So by coming, if you can, you help us reach our threshhold number of participants.

And, come early and stay late for research.  We will have computers available, and this weekend there is the option of free research on several pay sites.  That’s been advertised on several genealogical pages and blogs, but here is the information as passed along by the Germans in St. Louis group, thanks to Kathy Wurth (who summarized it well!):

“…this weekend has quite a few “free weekends” from some genealogy pay sites. They are:

“MyHeritage Miltary Records – Nov. 8 -12
https://bit.ly/2JPkKXM

“Find my Past Free Access – Nov. 9 -12
https://bit.ly/2zDbXDv

“Fold3 Native American Records – Nov 1 -15
https://bit.ly/2SYd8pZ

“NEHGS All Databases – Nov 6 – 13  American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) are granting free access to more than 1.4 billion names within its data-rich online records.   https://www.americanancestors.org/free-billion”

If you haven’t checked out Kathy’s group, and are a German genealogist, you owe it to yourself to visit the site, here.

The Long Silence

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To all, I apologize for the long silence.  It has been too difficult to keep up with everything else and also keep active with a blog.  But there are some new developments at the IGS Library that should be noted.

Those who come in might ask volunteer (and nominee to our Board) Janine Pizano about a project she and I are working on, and which was her idea, namely to build a database on our family histories and genealogies that goes beyond the catalog entry to specifically note information (such as major allied family names, time focus, major places of residence, etc.) that could assist researchers to learn about possible book resources they wouldn’t otherwise consult.  Databases, once constructed, are easily searchable.  And we want to see our books get more use and our researchers find more success.

A project of mine that now has received our Board’s approval, but which isn’t producing tangible results just yet, is to cull old research files and extract usable material (such as detailed request letters from lookup requestors, pedigree charts, document photocopies, etc.) to be filed according to major family in our surname files vertical file cabinets.  I found that — for the first 1,000 requests, dated from the late ‘80s — only 6% of requests had worthwhile material that should be saved to help others.  For the rest, we still have the volumes that were consulted to provide answers to the requests, so there’s really no need (this many years later) to save what we sent the requestors, as the search could be repeated easily if needed again.

Both of these projects are aimed at making what we have more available and useful to researchers.  Janine’s database project is partway into the letter “B,” and has covered exactly one shelf of books to date.  My filing project won’t immediately do anything beyond add to our IGS surname files, and there’s a lot of reorganizing of those files that also has to be done before they’ll be truly user-friendly.  And, at the moment, the papers selected for preservation have yet to be actually filed where they belong, so the project is only at the start.

But do come visit the Library.  New things are happening!

Re: Jamboree June 8 – 11

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Attention, all friends of IGS!

Are you thinking you’ll not attend Jamboree this year because you don’t have the time or money for a full day’s activities?

Why not just come over for an hour or two to visit the IGS table and the other exhibitors?  The Jamboree Exhibit Hall is free and open to the public all weekend.  If you’re within commuting distance, you can still participate without making a major commitment!

If you park in the lot of the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, you can expect to pay for parking.  But the Exhibit Hall alone — with all the displays, products, and connections-to-be-made — can be well worth it.

Don’t miss out, come on over!!

Astrid Adler’s 5/13 talk at the Library

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Thank you to all who came to hear her this afternoon, and welcome to those who plan to come on Tuesday evening to hear this engaging presentation.  Remember, May 16th at 1310 W. Magnolia Blvd. with informal reception at 6 pm and the talk beginning at 7 pm.  However, please plan on coming a bit earlier than you had planned, as we’ve received notice of filming that evening in the next block to our west — and parking could be at a premium.  [We have three lanes, for three cars each, behind our building off the alley.]

Now, here are photos from today’s talk….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you come to hear her Tuesday, be sure to sign in at the front desk.  Astrid will be selling copies of her books — which she will inscribe for buyers if they wish — so come prepared.  She has done a great job telling the story of emigration to America from her home region, and these two books will make great gifts to family members who may wonder why genealogy fascinates you so!!  The first explains what the journey was like, and why people chose to make it.  The second tells the specific stories of eight families from her home town, including how they managed to adjust to their new country.

Astrid Adler’s Tuesday talk at IGS

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This just in — there’s going to be filming activity in the next block of Magnolia Tuesday afternoon and evening.  What does that mean to us?  Simply that parking may be at a premium!

We received notice from TVM Productions, Inc. that filming will commence at 5 p.m. at 1420 W. Magnolia (Tyerman’s Automotive).  While we’ll be mostly unaffected, we learned that parking may well be restricted in front of our building, on Magnolia Blvd. all the way up to Mariposa Ave.  The West side of Griffith Park Drive, from Magnolia south to the alley, is also potentially “off limits.”

We’ve called to alert the company to our event, and it may be that part of the restricted spaces may be released for our use — but we won’t know for sure until Tuesday.  So, if you’re planning to come Tuesday evening (6 pm reception, 7 pm talk & book signing), do plan on coming early enough to secure parking.  Thanks!!

It’s happening!

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Don’t forget to come hear Astrid Adler at the IGS Library!

This Saturday, May 13th, with an informal reception at Noon, her talk about her new books at 1 pm, and a book signing afterwards (and another opportunity to ask questions or chat).  And again on Tuesday, May 16th, with reception at 6 pm, talk at 7 pm, and the book signing and questions/chat afterwards.

There will be food trays at the receptions.  Parking can be either in the lanes behind our building, or on the neighborhood streets.

And a reminder — we’re closed this Sunday, as it’s Mother’s Day….

Astrid Adler Presents: “Emigration from the German Perspective”

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During the 19th century, nearly six million Germans left their homes for other lands, and most would never see Germany again.  Ms. Adler writes about this historical migration in her new books, “Our Ancestors Were German” and “Goodbye Forever,” and has spoken previously on this topic on two occasions in Ventura County.

In “Our Ancestors Were German,” Ms. Adler discusses local emigration history from the Grand Duchy Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach region during the 19th century.  German descendants will learn about the reasons for their ancestors’ emigration.  Stories are told about the individuals and families who left Germany based on the historical evidence from passenger lists, census data, family letters, and family trees.  “Goodbye, Forever” tells about emigration history over a period of sixty years in the village of Tiefenort.  Meeting reports of the village council and weather records from the region were also analyzed, giving a unique impression about daily life in a typical German village during the 19th century.

Ms. Adler grew up and still lives in the village of Tiefenort in the former East Germany.  For the past ten years she has specialized in genealogy, especially emigration to America from the Grand Duchy Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach region during the 19th century.  She was honored by the State of Thuringia for her first research exhibition, and is also building an extensive private emigrant database for the South Thuringia area.

Two dates are available to hear her at the IGS Library in Burbank in May.  She will speak on Saturday, May 13th at 1 pm, and again on the evening of Tuesday, May 16th, at 7 pm.  Both talks will be preceded by informal receptions (Noon on the 13th, and 6 pm on the 16th), and will be followed by a further opportunity to meet and converse with our speaker.  Signed books will be available for purchase.  [Idea:  Plan to see our Thuringia resources (on the shelf, or in our vertical files) while at the Library, and bring anything you may have on this interesting area of Germany to share with others.]

Our Library is located at 1310 W. Magnolia Blvd., between Mariposa and Griffith Park cross-streets.  Limited parking is available behind the Library, and may be accessed via the alley.  Other parking is available on Magnolia Blvd. or on the residential streets close by the Library.

Give-aways at the Library

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It’s Spring Cleaning time at the IGS Library, and there are some free items for those of you who can come in.  Of particular note are: some old world atlases that are not as useful as the ones we’re keeping, and some Ohio Gen. Soc. (OGS) Reporters from years ago that are duplicate issues.  But there are other items as well that could be of help to you.  The free items mentioned are in boxes on the tables closest to our rear door (to the parking behind the library).

Other free items are now on a cart that we’re placing outside our front door, for passersby to peruse.  These are things like folded maps, old genealogical directories and guides, and various U.S. items that might catch the eye.  We hope these items might cause people to stop in and chat with us.  But we have a lot of items we simply don’t need.  And we need to clear space, and so….

Still other items often duplicate our holdings, but are of greater value.  Many of these were Betty Sharp’s home office reference copies, often of items we’ve had on the shelves for years.  Betty’s daughter Jackie donated the home library to us about a year ago, and included were many other books and periodicals we did NOT have on our shelves, but quite a few that we did.

These latter items are in a separate grouping behind the computer we have for patron use, as one enters from the front door.  For these we’re requesting a donation; suggested amounts are listed on stickers, but we’re mostly interested in finding these duplicates “good homes” where they’ll be used (so, just ask, if the “price” isn’t right).  Proceeds will help us with new book purchases, such as Roger Minert’s continuing “German immigrants in American church records” series.

And then there were Fourteen

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Yes, fourteen members of the Immigrant Genealogical Society &/or the IGS Pommern group will be attending the International Germanic Genealogy Conference in Minnesota in July 2017 — along with one spouse.  But most of us have multiple memberships in partner organizations, so it took a little sleuthing to come up with the current number of attendees.  Here’s a breakdown by principal genealogical partner organization:

IGS — 5 (plus the spouse); our IGS Pommern group — 4; the host society, GGS — 3; and the San Diego Gen. Soc. German Interest Group — 2.

And here’s the breakdown by state:  California, 9+1; Arizona, 1; Minnesota, 1; Nevada, 1; Pennsylvania, 1; Virginia, 1.  Of course more are welcome!!  Visit the IGGP website for information….

June 24, 2017 Save the Date!!

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The full arrangements are still to be made.  But the Immigrant Genealogical Society is proud to announce that it will hold an all-day workshop featuring Fritz Juengling, Ph.D., AG®.  This IGS workshop will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at the Los Angeles FamilySearch Library.  They have a classroom that will accommodate the audience we hope to attract.  The workshop will have four lectures, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, as follows:

  • Some Tips for Genealogical Research
  • Historical Events that Affect German Genealogical Research
  • Using Meyer’s Gazetteer
  • Beyond the Obvious Reasons:  Practical and Social Decisions for Emigration to America.

You’ll want to reserve this date on your calendar NOW, while you’re thinking about it!!

March 2017 newsletter

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The March newsletter will arrive late this month.  There has been simply too much going on for it to be produced according to the regular schedule.

And, while we’re at it, that schedule now will be that the monthly newsletter will appear on the third Wednesday of each month unless announced otherwise.  That would be today, if the schedule could be followed….

News you can use….

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The International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) is now online, and while it is still new and undergoing modifications you’ll want to bookmark it and refer to it often.

When you’re at the IGGP homepage, don’t overlook the information available in the sidebar with reference to our 2017 Conference.  Brochures are available for download here, or you may pick up a paper copy at the IGS Library in Burbank.

Lastly, the IGGP has a booth in the Exhibit Hall for RootsTech in Salt Lake City this week.  The purpose is to promote the Partnership — now at 32 organizational members & growing — and to make attendees aware of the upcoming conference.  Societies that will staff this booth for the three days (Thursday through Saturday) are the DAGV, the Germanic Genealogy Society (of Minnesota), the Sacramento German Genealogy Society, the Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America, and your Immigrant Genealogical Society.