Research The Digital Maine Library resources are part of a contract review process: "My Heritage will expire Aug 31, 2024 and Ancestry will expire Sept 30, 2024. The next RFP process for stand alone databases will include genealogy so that Digital Maine Library will have a strong genealogy resource this fall. Which resource it will be depends on the RFP process." More information from the Maine State Library is here.
MyHeritagedatabase through the Digital Maine Library. If you live in Maine, you have access to all of MyHeritage’s records at home from the state library’s subscription. If you aren’t in Maine, their U.S. census records are free this month. If you’ve been looking for someone and can’t find them in the federal census at Ancestry, try MyHeritage’s index, as it was done separately and sometimes pops up different results (especially for the worst handwriting).
Ancestry Library Edition--available in-library only, on our computers or yours while connected to the library wifi. To access it, go to https://library.digitalmaine.org/ and click on the link for the public library version (not the K-12 school version). Ancestry Library Edition includes access to some databases not in the regular personal subscription, such as some international records.
New England Historic Genealogical Society "To help people keep up their family history research from home, the NEHGS Library is providing free access to books on our Digital Collections website. These book collections, which are normally available only to American Ancestors and NEHGS members, include city directories, family history books, and local history books. Need an 1824 directory of Baltimore? Vital records of Hampton, New Hampshire? Or maybe you'd like to plan for a post-social-distancing family gathering by reading about past reunions of other families. You'll find all of these and much more in these digital book collections. If you have questions about the collections or stories of discoveries you have made in them, we'd like to hear from you. Please contact us at[email protected]."
Software GRAMPS "Research, organize and share your family tree with Gramps. Gramps is a free software project and community. We strive to produce a genealogy program that is both intuitive for hobbyists and feature-complete for professional genealogists. It is a community project, created, developed and governed by genealogists."
Presentations by B.J. Jamison, Genealogist at the Maine State Library Zoom meetings/recordings on various genealogy topics. You can email her directly at [email protected] if you would like to get on her email list for links to future meetings (recommended). Want to catch up on previous meetings or watch one again? The recordings are all linked here: https://mainelygenealogy.com/2020/04/03/genealogy-club-programming/
Free webinars for the whole year from Legacy Family Tree, including some by Maine's own B.J. Jamison!
Genealogy writing prompts: Amy Johnson Crow is doing her 52 ancestors in 52 weeks project again this year.Details are here.While it was originally meant to be a series of writing prompts for blog posts, you can also be creative in your responses (letters to a grandchild or cousin, photographs, whatever ~ she talks about a variety of possibilities at the link). If you are looking a nudge for sharing what you’ve found about your family, it’s a good way to start.
Old House Research
Do you want to research the history of your house? These two short articles are full of helpful information and can give you a great framework to start with.
Salvaging heirlooms damaged in flood, fire, and other disasters The National Heritage Responders, a team of trained conservators and collections care professionals administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation: Members of the public who have questions about saving family heirlooms can email them at [email protected].
Save Your Family Treasures guidance is available at FEMA.gov. Here you can find the downloadable FEMA fact sheets "After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures" and "Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms," available in multiple languages.