Tag Archives: beloitlibrary.org

Newspapers.com Library Edition – World Collection now available

Vicki’s note – Wisconsin residents (and visitors to Wisconsin) now have access to this historic newspaper database which replaces Access Newspaper Archives.  It will be available through the Beloit Public Library homepage soon –  “beloitlibrary.org” > “resources“.  You can also access it here. Newspapers.com Library Edition – World Collection!

At the Library, we have relied so much on Access Newspaper Archives for local and Wisconsin genealogy reference answers.  Wisconsin Badgerlink had to seek new database contracts, and Proquest’s Newspapers.com Library Edition – World Collection won the bid.  Yet it took awhile (months) for the final contract, so we have been without historic newspaper content on-line.  We will see how this one compares, but I am glad to have any after so much time.

Thank you Wisconsin for coming through with this.

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Newspapers.com Library Edition – World Collection now available

Monday, October 29, 2018

The BadgerLink Team is pleased to announce the availability of Newspapers.com Library Edition – World Collection!

Wisconsin residents now have access to historical newspapers from the 1700s – 2000s. Newspapers.com contains thousands of well-known regional, state, and small local newspapers in the United States and other countries. There are 150 Wisconsin-specific titles including the Janesville Daily Gazette, the Racine Daily Herald, the Eau Claire Leader, and many more. New content is continually added as it becomes available.

Newspapers.com allows users to browse and read historic newspaper content directly from their web browser or mobile device as well as save or print clippings. Newspaper content is presented in its original form, so overall context is preserved. All the pages on Newspapers.com have been indexed using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which allows users to search for specific names and keywords across all available papers.

Newspapers.com joins the Archive of Wisconsin Newspapers and U.S. Newsstream to provide Wisconsin residents with a robust collection of newspaper content, both current and historic. Take a look at our Wisconsin Newspapers in BadgerLink Title List for a complete listing of Wisconsin newspapers available in BadgerLink.

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Take a free on-line 6-week genealogy class through Gale Courses

 

Take a free on-line 6-week genealogy class

through Gale Courses

2-28-2018

Vicki’s note – Take a free class if you have a Beloit Public Library card or any Rock County Library card.  This is a new benefit of  Arrowhead Library System, part of the ShareLibraries.info group, and is due to a recent increase in state funds.  Gale Courses are on genealogy, and many basic computer classes, etc.

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Use your library card to take a free 6-week genealogy class through Gale Courses – a service of your Rock County public Library. New classes start monthly.

The next

Genealogy Basics class starts March 14, 2018.

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Tracing your family’s history is a fascinating journey. Who will you discover? Genealogy Basics will help you understand the genealogy research process and the way we interpret the information we find. This course guides you through the search process for family names using several subscription-based Web sites, which you can access while you’re enrolled in the class. Along the way, you’ll learn through hands-on examples that help you dig deeper into your family’s past. You’ll develop a strategy to accomplish your objectives, evaluate the results, and share that information with others. You’ll discover, in simple terms, where to look, who to contact, and how to make your family history come alive. Was it truth or goof? Where’s the proof? Find out why close counts not only in horseshoes, but also in hunting your heritage.

About The Instructor

Bob Moyer is a college instructor, graphic designer, and technical writer. Bob has degrees in education, business, and Civil Engineering. He has over 12 years of experience as an instructor and has developed genealogy courses for several colleges. His passion for research and family history has resulted in several genealogy-related books and speaking engagements.

This course will be facilitated by Megan Churchwell. Megan has a personal interest in genealogy, and has built an extensive family tree on Ancestry.com, tracing some branches of her family back as early as the 1400s. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in History and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies. Her day job is Curator at a U.S. Navy museum, where she often assists researchers in tracing the military records of their ancestors.

 

There are other classes as well:

 

 

More than 365 engaging, online, instructor-led courses focused on professional development, technology skills, and personal enrichment that are informative, convenient, and highly interactive. Courses run for six weeks, with two new lessons released weekly (for a total of 12), and new sessions begin monthly. The courses are entirely web-based with comprehensive lessons, quizzes, and assignments–many of which are optional. Dedicated professional instructors, who are professionals in their fields, coordinate every course by pacing learners, answering questions, giving feedback, and facilitating discussions.

• Enroll in as many classes you like, as often as you like

• Pass the final exam on the first try and receive a certificate of completion

• Repeat classes if you want

• No penalty for not completing a course, simply stop logging in to your classroom

• Some courses are accredited as continuing education credits

Welcome to Gale Courses!

Gale Courses offers a wide range of highly interactive, instructor led courses that you can take entirely online.   As a library card holder in good standing, you are entitled to these courses at no cost. Courses run for six weeks and new sessions begin every month.

How to Enroll:

1. Find courses by browsing through the categories on the left of your screen or by using the search bar above.  Click “Enroll Now” next to the course of your choice.

2. Select your course start date and click “Continue.”

3. Create a free Gale Courses account, or sign in to an existing ed2go account.

  • New Students – Enter your email address in the New Student area and click “Create Account.” Complete the “Account and Student Information” page and then click “Continue.”
  • Returning Students – Enter your account email and password and then click “Sign In.”

You will use your Gale Courses account email and password to log in to the My Classroom area to view your lessons once your session begins.

4. Enter your library barcode in the box labeled Submit.  Then click “Use Library Card” to complete your enrollment.

IMPORTANT!

Students who have enrolled in a course must log in and view lessons one and two within 13 days after the start date of the course, or they will be automatically dropped.

Students who are dropped from a course will be able to enroll in the course during a later session.

https://education.gale.com/l-arrowhead/

 

ALS NEWS


Gale Courses

Due to an increase in state funding for libraries, Arrowhead Library System has added a new lifelong learning service to its offerings by purchasing a systemwide subscription to Gale Courses.

Gale Courses provides six-week online programs taught by college instructors who are experts in their field to library card holders at no cost to the patron. The 365+ classes offered cover an astounding variety of topics, which can be narrowed down into three broad areas of focus: Professional Development, Technology Skills, and Personal Enrichment. A large percentage of course offerings are tied to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ fastest-growing occupations positioning our libraries to help our patrons meet demand for top workplace skills and drive economic development in our own communities.

ALS officially launched GALE Courses on February 5, 2018, with press releases, in-library signage, and a social media blitz. Statistics collected on February 28 reveal Rock County library patrons have enrolled in more than 181 classes, representing a commitment to more than 4,344 hours of continued learning.

More information:

AtoZ databases at Library

Vicki’s note – email I received 2/22/17 about the phone/address/jobs/businesses/address history database the Library pays for.  Useful for recent/living genealogy family searches.  You can send hundreds of emails from there for family reunions etc.  Link is on “Beloitlibrary.org” homepage and BLOG “Genealogy Links and Electronic Helps” tab.

AtoZ databases has some new features – you can save your search, and there is a “news” feature button for a business.

They give pre-scheduled 20 – 40 minutes training sessions on-line at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.  Mondays are general training; Wednesdays are job searching, Fridays are How to Grow a Business.

They also have video training on the site at all times.

AtoZdatabases URL change

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Hello everyone,

AtoZdatabases has recently performed a security upgrade to provide you with the best internet security when using AtoZdatabases.   We would like to request that you update the URL for AtoZdatabases to https://www.atozdatabases.com.    This will improve your security and access reliability.  Additionally, it will allow your patrons to see the green lock box in their browser when using AtoZdatabases, giving your users the reassurance that the site is secure.   Please feel free to call us with any questions or assistance that you might need.  Thanks much!

Christine Smailys

Sales Manager

U.S. Federal Census Questions Asked thru the Decades

U.S. Federal Census Questions Asked thru the Decades

by Vicki Ruthe Hahn

May 27, 2016 (with information from the Census sites):

The United States Federal Censuses, taken every 10 years, are one of the main tools that we as genealogists have to trace our ancestors.  It is mandatory by law that we have to answer the questions put to us each decade by the U.S. government Census Enumerators.  (Hence our luck in frequently finding those that had to answer the Census questions in previous decades.)

The Federal census was put into law starting 1790 as a way for the government to fulfill the U.S. Constitution’s requirement to count the population so that it could be determined how many government representatives each area was entitled to elect.  It has been a complex operation since the first census in 1790.  The American Community Survey (done every five years) is part of the decennial census.  In 2005 it replaced the “long form” that previously was sent to a percentage of households once every 10 years.

These censuses have been invaluable for us to be able to “find” our ancestors, regardless of how people have felt about answering the questions on them.  In fact, your ancestor in the earliest censuses may only be represented by a tick mark.  Genealogy is more and more the balance between “hurrah, I found my person”, and “oh no, my information is not private”.  (I do suggest that you might want to keep your living ancestors as “private” on public family trees, as well as any relatives that have died within the last three years.  (See my BLOG Post on The U.S. Social Security  Death Index SSDI.)

This Post may answer some of the common Census questions we hear from folks –

  • What have all the boxes and columns meant on census records?
  • What questions did they ask and when?
  • Why would the Government ask for such information? i.e. when they immigrated?, why keep track of who was married and who not?,  and why ask that question if it is just a child?
  • How can you read the small writing on the Census forms?
  • It is one of those things that should be self-explanatory that I always wondered about, and don’t want to look ‘stupid’ for asking.

Many countries have federal censuses, and several states (including Wisconsin )  have had state censuses as well.

Wisconsin State Census Records

Wisconsin Census Information:

Wisconsin Federal Census Records were taken for the following years: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 & 1930.

The 1890 Wisconsin Special Veterans and Widows census schedules survived the fire.

The Wisconsin State census was taken for the following years: 1855, 1865 (partial), 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905 (entire state).

The state censuses are available at:

The State Historical Society of Wisconsin
816 State Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1488

A Wisconsin Territorial Census was taken for the following years: 1836, 1838, 1842, 1846, 1847.

State and federal censuses, can be found on databases like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.  The questions (in small print) on the original Census forms, and the hand-written hard-to-read answers have been transcribed and indexed on those databases as well. Hint – always “view” the original as well as the index, as the link may not be correct, or there may be uncorrected information on the transcribed index.  I can’t tell you how many times this has helped my research.  It also gives you a chance to send a “problem” report to the database so they can correct the mistakes.

We have the Wisconsin Census records for Rock County on microfilm at the Library.  Or search here:

http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/wi-census.htm

Front-line Experiences of a U.S. Federal Enumerator:

In 1990, I was an U.S. Federal Enumerator -the interviewer that went to folks homes to clean up any procrastinators who had not responded to the mailed forms.  It was a very interesting study of human nature.  Some thanked me (because they felt guilty about not getting to it), and some cursed me or had violent reactions (because they did not think it was anyone’s business what they did.)  Some sneaked out the back door, until I caught up with them another time.  (The best time to find people at home was Sunday afternoons!)     One person was having a medical emergency and asked me to stay with her until the ambulance arrived.  One person, I saw three different times, and enumerated them as living at three different addresses. I found a successful rich businessman who had only a third grade education, and many families with interesting stories.  No more details than that, because I was sworn to secrecy.  Follow-up enumerators continue to go to those who do not answer… until they do answer the questions.

To help in your map searches for ancestors: the house number of a corner house may actually be the address on the street around-the-corner, on the other side of the house.  Also, a named street may have two sets of house numbers – i.e. odd numbers on the river bluff/hill street above, and even numbers on the physically separate lower street below it, by the river.

We have some books in the Beloit Public Library Genealogy and Reference collections that detail the census questions asked, and show maps and statistics of the results.  You can also find more information by clicking the following links to the United States Census.

“Index of Questions:

The first censuses counted the population and provided information on population by county. In 1790, the census also categorized white males by age: those under age 16 and those age 16 and older. Over the years, Congress has authorized additional questions, enabling us to better understand the nation’s inhabitants and their activities and needs. In fact, one of the nation’s founders, James Madison, suggested that the census takers ask additional questions that would help lawmakers better understand the needs of the nation.

For example, the 1810 Census also collected economic data (on the quantity and value of manufactured goods). In 1850, the census began collecting “social statistics” (information about taxes, education, crime, and value of estate, etc.) and mortality data. In 1940, additional questions were asked of a sample of the population, including questions on internal migration, veteran status, and the number of children ever born to women. These questions helped society understand the impact of the Great Depression.

Through the decades, the census has collected data on race, ancestry, education, health, housing, and transportation. An examination of the questions asked during each census illustrates changes in our nation’s understanding of race, the impact of immigration, growth of the Hispanic population, and computer usage. As a result of the census’s evolution, the constitutionally mandated census has grown to provide important information about the U.S. population and its housing. Coupled with data from the economic and government censuses and demographic and economic surveys, the U.S. Census Bureau provides governments, scholars, planners, businesses, and individuals the data they need to build schools, plan highways, open businesses, and distribute the billions of dollars in federal spending that sustains a growing population.”

(More detailed Census questions and instructions to the Enumerators for each decade are available through this link. The U. S. Federal Census Index of Questions 1790- 2010 https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/index_of_questions/

U S Federal Census quicksheet

The history of all United States Federal Censuses (of any kind) from 1790 – 2016 are here at https://www.census.gov/history/

The Census Bureau has many publications about the censuses that you can view or download as PDFs at https://www.census.gov/history/www/reference/publications/

Historic census records from 1790 to 1940 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, not the U.S. Census Bureau.
Visit the National Archives Web site to access 1940 Census records—http://1940census.archives.gov.

Decennial census records are confidential for 72 years to protect respondents’ privacy.

Records from the 1950 to 2010 censuses can only be obtained by the person named in the record or their heir after submitting form BC-600 or BC-600sp (Spanish).

Online subscription services are available to access the 1790–1940 census records. Many public libraries provide access to these services free of charge to their patrons.

(Beloit Public Library has Ancestry.com Library Edition available in the building, and HeritageQuest available on our homepage beloitlibrary.org,  from any computer in Wisconsin.  http://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/hqa

From the 1940 census through the 2000 census, a subset of all Americans received a “long form” containing additional questions.[2]

Many Americans found filling out the long form to be burdensome and intrusive, and its unpopularity was a factor in the declining response rate to the decennial census.  (Note my experiences an as Enumerator.)

In 1994, the Bureau began the process of changing the means of obtaining the demographic, housing, social, and economic information from the census long form to the ACS.[3] Testing began in 1995, and the ACS program began producing test data in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

The survey was fully implemented in 2005. The following year, the Census Bureau released estimates for all areas with populations of 65,000 or more using the data collected from January to December 2005. In 2010, the ACS produced its first set of estimates for areas of all population sizes, using information collected from January 2005 through December 2009.

Is the American Community Survey Mandatory?

Yes. The ACS is a mandatory survey.
The ACS is a legitimate, mandatory survey sent to a small percentage of our population on a rotating basis. You are legally obligated to answer all the questions, as accurately as you can.

The relevant laws are Title 18 U.S.C Section 3571 and Section 3559, which amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221.

Your answers are important. As part of a sample, you represent many other people.

Why is the ACS mandatory?
Response to the survey is mandatory because the American Community Survey is part of the decennial census, replacing the “long form” that previously was sent to a percentage of households once every 10 years

“Are the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates as reliable as the Census 2000 long form data?

The American Community Survey sample over a 5-year period is smaller than the Census 2000 long form sample.  In addition, while Census 2000 followed up with ALL nonrespondents who did not mail back their questionnaire, the ACS follows up with a sample of nonrespondents who do not respond by mail or telephone.   As a consequence of these design differences, ACS estimates are usually less precise (or reliable) than corresponding estimates from the Census long form.

However, precision (or reliability) is only one of the factors that affect the overall quality and usability of sample survey estimates.  Other important factors include overall unit response, data completeness, and how well the sample covers the target population.  Evaluations show that the ACS is about the same or better than the Census long form with respect to these three factors.  ACS response levels have been consistently high at the national across all major population groups.  Data completeness and population coverage are generally higher for the ACS compared to the long form.  Overall, the loss of reliability in the ACS estimates is offset by improvements in other measures of quality.”

Now we all know more about censuses.

 

 

 

 

Come see the “What Your Ancestors Wore When” Display at the Beloit Public Library

8-20-2015

This Display is at the Library, behind the Circulation Check-Out desk, until

the Friday, September 11, 2015  10 a.m. – noon Program

presentation for the Stateline Genealogy Club at Beloit Public Library.

“Contemporary Fashion Through the Decades, How to Tell Your Ancestors’ Timelines by What They Wore”,

an original program created by Vicki Ruthe Hahn.

Fashion display

You may see these historic fashions up close and personal in the Library meeting room during the Program.

Please bring any historic clothing items, or photographs of your ancestors

to see if we can identify your ancestor’s timelines by their clothing.

Learn more about the history of fashions, hairstyles, hats, significant inventions, historic influences, and

photographic methods that all give clues as to the “when” of our ancestors lives.

See how important is is for us to label our photographs to keep track of who and when.

Try out the Fold3 plus 30-day trial on the Beloit Public Library homepage!

 We have a 30-day trial of “Fold3 Plus” on the genealogy page of the Library website until mid December 2014. See:
“BELOITLIBRARY.ORG” > “Discover, Investigate, Grow” > Genealogy and Local History” >”Fold3 Plus”.

You must use the user id and password that are supplied on that page.

Our gift to you.

Come to the Stateline Genealogy Club where we will be using “Fold3 Plus” to learn how to do genealogy research  on the Revolutionary War Period with Katherine Kemnitz this Friday, November 14 from 10 – noon in the Computer Classroom.
This is  genealogy database that we are considering adding to the databases that the Library pays for,
if we could get organization(s) to underwrite the subscription fees.
Let us know what you think of it.
Meanwhile have fun using it in your genealogy searching, and you can see if it is a database that you want to purchase for yourself at home.
Don’t forget the Genealogy Databases that we already have, “Ancestry.com” (Library Edition – to use in the building), and “Heritage Quest” on Badgerlink for Wisconsin residents.  These are also on the same homepage location.