State of the Society

In going over the web site and reviewing the list of officers I am reminded that we have vacancies our ranks. I am filling the position of Recording Secretary for the time being, won't someone step up and take that position please?

I would be happy to relinquish the Web Master position, I'm not very good at it and struggle to keep the site working at all.

Newsletter Editor is another spot that is ripe for a change.  I'm doing the job for now but would like to be rid of it.  I would still contribute but would as soon not be the editor.  It really isn't very difficult, you have three months to prepare each newsletter.  I begin the next issue as soon as the present one has been distributed.  You don't need any special software, I use Open Office Writer, a free text processor.  I'll be glad to show you how I do it.  

We could use a person to arrange trips to various other libraries or archives in surrounding states. The St Augustine Society does it and we can piggy back on their trips by signing up for a trip and driving to St Augustine to join them.

Bob Weaver did a great job of "outreach" to the people at Victoria Gardens who were interested in genealogy.  It would be great if we had a person who could arrange to teach people in other communities or the Girl and Boy Scout troops.  Many of our members would pitch in if asked.

Our Cemetery Project was never completed.  Is there someone out there interested in cemeteries?  Bill Morgan sent a link to a very interesting article at LegalGenealogist.com read the article at  http://tinyurl.com/ajr5664 it discusses the legal ramifications of taking pictures of headstones.  Read this article if you submit photos to Find A Grave or post them on your online genealogy site.  In this litigious society you should know where you stand with the law.  

[I don't know why the background turned from tan to white on that last paragraph and can't seem to correct it. /H/]

What other projects could we consider?  Jump in.

Please respond with comments.

Jerry

I've been working on the web site.  What's new?

The volunteer calendar is now on the site under "HANDOUTS", toward the bottom of the page under a green banner.  You can check to see where we need help. Check out the vacancies and see where you can lend a hand.  Send an email to us at  Roots.Branches.Volusia@gmail.com and let us know that you are interested.

Bob Weaver is leading a new project we call THE BRICK WALL PROJECT.  Check out the request forms which you will find the forms on the HANDOUTS page of the web site, just above the green banner toward the bottom. Fill one out and send it in if there is anything you think we can help you with.

I'm working on posting board and general meeting minutes, beginning from this month's minutes and working back to the beginning of the Society.   It is interesting to read those minutes to see some of the projects and problems the Society has had through the years.

Also posted is the flyer for the Florida Historical Society, 2013 Annual Meeting and Symposium.  This year they will cruise on the Carnival Sensation.  The cruise is called "500 Years of La Florida:Sailing in the path of Discovery!" The cost is relatively cheap, $500 per person, double occupancy, includes cruise, food, featured tours and symposium registration, no taxes, fees or port charges. The Symposium will consist of Paper Presentations, Round Table Discussions, Historic Tours in Nassau, FHS Awards Luncheon and more.  The return from the Bahamas will follow the path taken by Ponce de Leon to Florida.
http://www.floridahistory.org

CamScan of microfilm articles

Today I had an opportunity to use the CamSpan app on my Droid X to copy directly from the microfilm reader screen.  Once captured the app takes over, enhances the scan.  You can same the scan in jpg or pdf  and immediately attach it to an email and deliver it to the person who requested it.

Here are some samples of the output quality:

 This scanner app makes the camera a good scanner just what a good genealogist needs.

Jerry

Web Master Problems

Are there any accomplished Web Masters out there?  Here's an example of why our web site is a mess with various browsers.  I need help.    Jerry

Historical Newspapers

Has anyone else been using the VCPL Historical Newspapers database.  I have found it to be a gold mine.

Looking for my Tolles/Toles family in CT I selected all the CT newspapers and searched on TOLLES OR TOLLS.  This morning I just downloaded article # 114.  I have found obits and/or estate settlement notices beginning in January 1775.

There are a few tricks that might be of interest.

If you don't find your search term highlighted in the article that comes up notice that at the top right is a message .  Click the arrow at the right side of that message and the second page will appear.

The news print from the 1700s and 1800s is seldom crisp and so there are many false returns. For the most part the "hits" can be examined in the small box that is displayed for the hit but sometimes you have to open the article and look for the yellow highlighted word that was hit upon.  For TOLLES OR TOLES there were hits on 'boxes', 'tolerate' etc.  Remember, the character that looks like an 'f' is actually an 's'.

There are several ways to capture the article you have found.  The method that works for me is to first open a MS Notepad screen, type the information that identifies the clipping, highlight and copy it (CTRL-C).  Go back to the article, hoover your mouse over the PDF icon at the top right of the screen.  Wait for the very long URL Newsbank identifier for the article to appear at the bottom of the screen.  Now click the PDF icon.  The article appears my itself, right click and save it.  Before you actually save the file paste (CTRL-V) the identifying information you copied from Notepad in front of the Newsbank file name.  Save the file with the very long but necessary file name.

If you click the PDF icon before the Newsbank URL is finished coming in you will get an error message saying "no data received."

Here is an example of the file name that results:
1775 Jan 18 CT Journal New Haven Thomas Tolles drowned pl_009242012_0826_16011_553.pdf

Here is a screen shot that explains it better:

Jerry

Use your camera as a scanner

     I just downloaded a great new app (Android) which turns the smart phone into a scanner!  I've been testing it and WOW, it works GREAT!!  It is a free app named "CamScanner".

     Once downloaded and installed you tap the icon for CamScan the app comes up with a row of icons at the bottom and a list of folders on the left.

     To begin tap the camera icon at the bottom left.  The phone's camera turns on with a row of icons on the bottom, SETTINGS, SHUTTER, GALLERY, SINGLE SCAN  point the camera to the page of writing and press the shutter control.  The scan is made and the photo presented.   Touch the CHECK MARK at the bottom right to move to the next step or click the 'X' to discard or the CURVED ARROW to take you back a step.

     Now the text photo is presented with a frame that has buttons on the corners and in the middle of each side.  It is a simple matter to adjust the frame to correctly encompass the text you wish to capture.

     When you have it correctly framed touch the CHECK MARK.  The image is automatically trimmed and you are given controls to adjust the image.  CONTRAST, BRIGHTNESS and GAMMA can be adjusted.

     Again touch the CHECK MARK.  The Image is saved into the folder of your choice.  Click the SHARE button and a pdf file is created and you are presented with an array of choices (ten locations on my phone; Upload, FAX, Print, Bluetooth, Dropbox, Email, Picassa, Gmail, Bump, Google Drive) where you would like to send the finished pdf.

     OCR (optical character reader) is performed on the file so when you open it with Acrobat it is searchable.

     This app works smoothly and, although I've only had it for a short while, I think it promises to be a great help to researchers, especially in libraries where copies are 25 or 50 cents or it is not possible to make copies at all.

     I am anxious to try this app on the microfilm reader in the library.  When I get a request for an obituary and find it on the microfilm I usually photograph the screen with my digital camera but that then requires several editing steps before the obit is ready to send to the person requesting it.  This app promises to make that procedure very much easier, allowing me to immediately send the document by email.

     I don't know whether Apple has a similar app for the iPhone, they probably do.

     Give it a try and let us know what you think.

  Jerry

How to Track Down Living People Online

About Genealogy: Newsletter by Kimberly Powell

Tracing living people online presents a unique challenge as privacy laws often protect the records genealogists generally use the most. However, current public records, newspapers, yearbooks, and other resources offer their own assistance with tracking down living cousins, classmates, or birth parents -- even for those tough cases where you may not have a name!

See More About:  people search  finding living people  phone directories

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