Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Only the Best Links for Canadian #Genealogy and Family History - right here at CanadaGenealogy.

It's that time again - Family Tree Magazine has released its list of  "101 Best Genealogy Sites for 2014".  Of course, there are a lot of bones to pick there! But old and experienced as I am (and polite, I'm Canadian after all) I don't usually worry much about these lists. I do read the magazine month to month, along with a number of other publications.


Right here at CanadaGenealogy, I have my list of Essential Canadian #Genealogy Sites and Books.  These are for research into national topics, and are updated often. Follow all the links I offer and you will see the best for each province and territory too and for some very specialized topics.

Not to say I don't look at these broad lists. I am on the hunt for 'new to me' and really new #genealogy websites every day. As a #genealogy teacher, I need to be; I believe all researchers should do this regularly. Just don't forget that usually the 'on the ground' experienced researchers are the first ones you should 'follow'.

However, the list of "Best Canadian Genealogy Websites" did seem downright odd. Was this an afterthought? Suddenly someone remembered the frozen north? (I'm kidding about that frozen part. It's very hot here right now where I am.) 

Listed for Canada were only 4 websites (in this order): Canadiana, Library and Archives Canada, Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics, and Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique (for Quebec, usually known familiarly as PRDH).  Good enough websites on their own, but all costing $. And together these hardly even touch on Canada's wide expanse of #genealogy websites and records.

Mind you, the list for Continental Europe was only 8 links long. I could rattle off a long list of favourites there too. E-mail me! Or check the British Columbia Genealogical Society's worldwide research links. I curate many of those. (Suggestions welcomed.)

Why did they bother with that Canadian list at all, I wonder. Maybe stirring up a few Canadians on Facebook is good for business? Now that magazine has another link!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Diane's Other Likes - June/July 2014

Here are some other things I've been reading about lately.

I see the Internet Archive blog has noted the death of Zoia Markovna (née Polisar) Horn, librarian activist, 12 July 2014. https://blog.archive.org/2014/07/15/zoia-horn-obit/  Her legacy will live on in the California Library Association's Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award.

Here are a few treat recipes from the olden days in "Cookie Anyone" from historical novelist, Lynn Coleman's 19th Century Historical Tidbits: http://historicaltidbits.blogspot.ca/2014/07/cookie-anyone.html


Many of Canada's volunteers have found themselves working to comply with CASL, Canada's new legislation regarding commercial e-mail messages. (I won't say it's anti-spam because it isn't.)
Michael Geist has a pair of very reasonable articles on this. Yes, Michael, I can't disagree with most of what you say – but while this legislation is hitting some cute little homegrown mice with sledgehammers, the most annoying spam fills up our in boxes as usual.
MichaelGeist.ca Part 1 - 9 July 2014  http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2014/07/defence-canadas-anti-spam-law-part-one-spam-still-problem-new-law-will-help ; Part 2 – 10 July 2014 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2014/07/defence-canadas-anti-spam-law-part-two-legislation-really-consumer-protection-privacy-law-disguise/

A bit of historical BC fun from The Tyee, a selection from Adrian Raeside's 30 years of political cartoons. There's been lots of sad, annoying and downright maddening news lately, but one thing about British Columbians, we've been making fun of ourselves at least since Amor de Cosmos was our leader (1872). The cartoons are in The Best of Adrian Raeside: A Treasury of BC Cartoons (Harbour Publishing, 2014). http://thetyee.ca/Culture/2014/07/12/Thirty-Years-Adrian-Raeside/

And finally, for all those who say to me, 'don't worry, Diane, someday I'll write down these family stories of mine', Valerie Hughes's article, “I Thought I'd Have More Time!” may convince you that some things just can't wait:
http://genealogywithvalerie.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/i-thought-i-d-have-more-time/