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A special Zoom presentation is scheduled for Saturday, August 6, when Annette Burke Little will talk about “Maps Galore: Finding and Using Online Maps from the Library of Congress.” She will give an overview of the Library of Congress’s vast collection of maps, including fire insurance maps, landowners’ maps, battlefield maps, and much more. She’ll discuss how to find the maps that interest you and how to use them in your research to make your ancestors’ world come to life.

For more details and to register, visit EventBrite.

CGS members and distant cousins Shirley Thomson and John Moore

John Moore, a past CGS Board member, died on March 14, 2020, at the age of 88. His wife, Barbara, died March 20, 2022. Both were buried in Barbara’s family cemetery in Iowa. Their family has announced that a memorial service will take place in Oakland, their longtime home, on August 6^th at 1:00 PM. The service will be at First Covenant Church of Oakland, at 4000 Redwood Road, Oakland CA.

John was a long-standing member of CGS and served on the board from 2007 to 2009. He was a member of the Investment Committee when Ken Haughton was still chair. In 2011 he helped facilitate a program during one of our Thursday night extended hours sessions. That same year he co-taught a class on New Netherlands with Dorothy Koenig. John particularly enjoyed researching his New England and New Netherlands heritage.

He was also a long-time member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. He served as a member of their Board of Trustees, and Council and was named as a Trustee Emeritus. John was also a member of the New Netherland Institute, and the Sons of the American Revolution.

John Moore and his wife, Barbara

CGS member Kathryn Doyle wrote several blog posts about John and his discovery that he was related to another CGS member Shirley Thomson. Here is a link to that article: “Citing ‘Occult Powers’ in a New Netherland Genealogy.”

John’s obituary can be seen here: https://www.richardsonfuneralservice.com/obituaries/John-Moore-103/#!/Obituary

Anyone planning to attend the August 6 memorial should RSVP using this link:  http://evite.me/jNc4qVhWX5

Our new scanner is set up at the table opposite the front desk.

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts that responds to some of the suggestions made in response to the recently conducted Library Committee survey.

Comment: I find the copier/scanner very useful especially for large maps and docs. I just need to be better at using the Irfanview that Ron Madson had a webinar on which was very useful. The webinars have been very useful and I appreciate all the work that the presenters do to educate us.

Response: Well, you will be pleased to learn that Ron and Keith Montgomery just installed a new Fujitsu scanner at the library that is even better for scanning documents! They are working on a set of instructions and planning to offer training on how to use it. This new device not only scans but has features to make corrections. Maybe it is time to ask Ron to repeat his fabulous Irfanview class.

Comment: I’d like us to have our own air filtering system so we can come in on the weekends and can stay longer.

Response: We are working on this and doing everything we can think of to get the library fully reopened! We miss you as much as you miss the library. Stay tuned, and in the meantime please do schedule a visit on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

Comment: I’d like a separate section of “Newly Acquired” genealogy books.

Response: Typically, new books are left out of the regular stacks for a few weeks. Whenever the library committee acquires new books either from a donation or a purchase, we leave those new books on display on top of the map cabinet to the right of the door to the classroom. When we were in Sacramento for the NGS conference, the New England Historical Genealogical Society gave us two wire display racks. When we got back to the library, I drafted one to display our books. It looks great.

Also, on my to-do list is to write a blog post listing all the new acquisitions for 2021 and now the first half of 2022.

Comment: I would like to see CGS continue to purchase family histories/compiled genealogies. They are sometimes not digitized (especially new ones), so the hard copy is the only source.

Response: Good to know there is another vote for this category of books.

Comment: I hesitate to suggest it because I love tangible hard copy books but perhaps the library should eliminate all American Genealogical-Biographical Index books that I believe are available online at FamilySearch for free. It would clear space in the California Room.

Response: Good suggestion but I checked the FamilySearch website and there is a note that says, “Due to copyright restriction, this book cannot be viewed online.” I will check to see if our being an official associate library might give us access to the index in which case, we could reclaim that shelf space.

Comment: We could add some additional newsletters from other genealogical societies.

Response: That’s an interesting idea. If you had specific suggestions, please send me an email at [email protected]. This might be a donation opportunity for members who hold a collection that they are finished with but are reluctant to recycle.

Comment: We’re fairly new to genealogy. We know we  have a lot of research to do, now just trying to figure out what we need and where it may be held. Sorry, that doesn’t help much.

Response: On the contrary – it’s a good reminder that our members have a range of experience and that we are here to serve those with all levels of experience.