Last Week on the Scholar

Last week we added all sorts of incredible works to the Scholar.  Among the searchable books added are state and local histories, genealogies, biographies, and vital records from several Connecticut town.  We also added two record books from the Cromwell First Congregational Church and two sets of funeral home records, the first from New Britain's B.C. Porter Furniture Dealer and Undertake and the second from Middletown's Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home.  The two funeral home records are high priority on our list of records to index, so these records will hopefully be searchable very soon!

Biographies
The Life of Frank Buckland*
The Life and Public Service of Grover Cleveland*
The Life of Willbur Fisk*

Church Records
Cromwell First Congregational Church, American Register 1827-1938
Cromwell First Congregational Church, Pilgrim Register 1925-1962

Funeral Home Records
Middletown CT's Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home Burial Records: 1890-1916
Middletown CT's Doolittle Funeral Home Burial Returns: Volume 68: May 1976 to April 1978
New Britain CT's B.C. Porter Furniture Dealer and Undertaker's Record Books: 1871-1919

Genealogies
Johann Mullich and the Millick Family of Philadelphia*
The Sautter Family and its Close Association with other German Confectioners*

State and Local Histories
The True Story of the Galveston Flood as Told by Survivors*

Vital Records
Vital Records of Bolton to 1854 and Vernon to 1852*
Vital Records of Coventry: 1711 to 1844*
Vital Records of New Haven 1649 to 1850: Part 1*
Vital Records of New Haven 1649 to 1850: Part 2*
Vital Records of Norwich 1659 to 1848: Part 1*
Vital Records of Norwich 1659 to 1848: Part 2*
Vital Records of Woodstock 1686 to 1854*

Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today. 

*Searchable

We are having problems with the Godfrey Scholar

We would like to apologize for the inconvenience.  Due to an unfortunate accident some data was erased from the Scholar's main page.  An older version of the data was uploaded so the format has also reverted to a previous state.  All content is still present on the Scholar and can be found via navigation in the viewer itself, but links to content on the Scholar's main area are currently missing.

We are working to correct this as quickly as possible and thank you for your patience. 

The Irish Luncheon was a Rousing Success!

Last week's Irish Genealogy luncheon was a rousing success! Over thirty people gathered at the Playwright restaurant in Hamden, Connecticut last Wednesday to discuss the often frustrating research into one's Irish ancestors.  There was engaging conversation and interesting questions all around and we can only hope that the attendees had as good a time as we did!

Godfrey Library Director Beth Mariotti presented a comprehensive overview of where and how to find records relating to your Irish ancestors.  She went into detail on finding and using such resources as the census, vital records, church records, civil registrations, and Griffith's Valuation.  Afterwards Godfrey board member Jenifer Zinck also gave a short presentation about how to use DNA to further one's genealogical research. 

We hope that this will be the first of many genealogy luncheons.  If you have a topic you would like to see at one of the luncheons or would like to present, please let us know!

Attendees waiting for the presentation to begin.

Thank you again to the owner and staff of the Playwright- everything was delicious!

Beth Mariotti's presentation on researching your Irish ancestors.

Jennifer Zinck speaking on how to use DNA to further your genealogical research.

This Week on the Scholar

We've added quite a variety of new works to the Scholar this week.  Genealogies, Biographies, State and Local Histories, Vital Records, Funeral and Cemetery Records, and even a new Directory: just about a little bit of everything!  Of particular note is a volume of internment records from Middletown Connecticut's Indian Hill Cemetery and 6 Volumes of the New Hampshire Genealogical Register.  Make sure to take a look when you get the chance!

Biographies
Memoir of Joseph Buckminster*
Memoir of William Burke*
James Fenimore Cooper: American Men of Letters*
John Fiske*
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin*
Memorial Addresses of William Pierce Frye*
Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of R.C. Graffenreid*

Cemetery Records
Middletown, CT: Indian Hill Register of Internments

Church Records
Portland, CT: Minnesskrift utgifurn af Su. Luth. Zionsforsamlingen
 
Directories 
The Boston Directory: The City Record*

Funeral Home Records
Doolittle Funeral Home Burial Returns: Volume 66: July 1972 to June 1974

Genealogies
The Fields of Sowerby*
Genealogy and Descendants of Luke Fish*
Follet-Dewey, Fassett-Safford, Hopkins-Robinson-Fay Genealogy and History*
The New Hampshire Genealogical Record Volumes 1-6*
Chester Smith and Family*

State and Local Histories
Annals of Kansas*
Kansas City 1888-89*
Kansas the Interior and Exterior Life*
Kansas: The Prelude to the War for the Union*
The Massachusetts Magazine Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10*

Vital Records
A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston: Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths 1630-1699*
A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston: Births 1700-1800*
A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston: Direct Tax of 1798*
Registry Department of the City of Boston Records Relating to Births, Marriages, and Deaths of Dorchester 1826-49*


Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today.

*Searchable

Register for Genealogy Club in 2015

The cooler weather is certainly letting us know that this year will come to a close in just a few short months.  It is just about time to think about signing up for membership to the Godfrey Genealogy club in 2015!  2014 was a fantastic year for the club, full of incredible presenters and presentations, and we hope 2015 will be even better!  Membership is $25 and allows you to attend as many of the monthly meetings as you would like during 2015. 

This year we saw such presentations as how to use DNA to further your genealogical research, researching your New England ancestors, and how to get started writing your family history.  The plan is for next year's presentation topics to be equally varied and informative!  So far proposed topics include genealogists sharing stories about breaking through roadblocks in their research, overlooked sources of genealogical information, and how to best research ancestors from various parts of the world.

We're also looking for people who want to conduct presentations for Genealogy Club meetings!  Do you specialize in a specific area of research?  Or is there a story or topic near and dear to your heart?  Why not share it with the Genealogy Club!  For those who are interested in hearing about specific topics, please let us know.  There are still quite a few meetings that do not have an assigned topic and we would love to arrange presentations that our members request. 

After meetings club members are welcome to stay after and use this time to research in the library or converse.  You are encouraged to bring your laptops and other research materials.  You can call the library for more information regarding memberships and sign up. 

Last Week on the Scholar

Last week was yet another hectic week at the Godfrey!  With getting ready for tomorrow's Irish Genealogy Luncheon, preparing for the annual appeal, and fixing computer problems there was never a slow moment.  This new batch of genealogies and biographies finishes up the D and E sections and gets a good way into the Fs.  Next week look forward to a bit more varied selection of new books, including cemetery records, burial returns, state and local histories, and more biographies and genealogies!

Biographies
Memorial Addresses on William E. Dodge*
Daniel Drew*
American Religious Leaders: Jonathan Edwards*
Emerson at Home and Abroad*
English Men of Letters: Ralph Waldo Emerson*
Memorial of John Endecott*
Tribute to the Memory of Edward Everett*
Memorial of John Farmer*
Great Commanders: Admiral Farragut*
In Memoriam of Reuben E. Fenton*
Life and Public Services of William Fessenden*
Memories of a Hostess: Taken from the diary of James T. Fields*
Memoirs of Charles G. Finney*
Life and Thoughts of John Foster*
Persifor Frazer*
Fredmont and '49*
Guild 1957 Diary

Funeral Home Records
Doolittle Funeral Home Burial Records: Volume 65: Aug. 1970 to June 1972

Genealogies
Eaton Family: History, Genealogical and Biographical*
English Emersons*
Estes Genealogy*
Descendants of John Fillow*

Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today.

*Searchable

Microform: Preserving Documents and Saving Space in Libraries since 1896

Before the advent of the digital document recording and storage techniques we have today many institutions turned to microform to help condense and preserve their collections.  Microform, miniature photographs or micro-reproductions, contained on either film or paper were more cost effective to produce than traditional books and took up far less storage space.  Libraries and archival facilities still maintain their microform collections, though methods of digital preservation have surpassed microform in almost all respects.  If you have ever done research in a Family History Center before you most likely looked into ordering microfilm from their collection.

The phenomenon of microphotography was developed in 1839.  For a while it was counted as little more than an amusing pastime by most, but by 1851 people began proposing its potential use in document preservation.  By 1896 the idea had begun to catch on and microform continued to grow in sophistication and popularity from then on. 

The most prevalent types of microform are microfilm and microfishe.  Microfilm is printed on a reel of photographic film while microfishe is printed on a flat sheet of paper.  Godfrey Library founder Fremont Rider tried to popularize another type of microform, the microcard, which was similar to microfishe except for being printed on cardboard rather than photographic paper.  A convenient way to enlarge the microcard images for easy reading was never fully developed and Rider's invention did not catch on.

Today microform continues to hold one advantage over digital preservation: you need no special software or up to date hardware to view it.  All one needs is a magnifying glass.  That is, of course, the bare minimum needed and is not recommended if one actually wishes to be able to read what was preserved.  Microfilm and fishe readers work by displaying the image recorded onto a screen for easy viewing.  More advanced readers also have printing capabilities.  Though they can occasionally be unwieldy and difficult to use, it certainly beats squinting through a magnifying glass! 

Microform is particularly useful in the preservation of such documents that are prone to damage or printed on poor quality paper that may deteriorate with time.  Newspapers, magazines, and vital records were all perfect candidates for microform preservation.  Even though digital preservation has advanced far enough to make microform near obsolete, do not discount investigating various microformed documents in your genealogical research!  Many records have yet to be converted to digital content and are only available as either originals or microform copies.  Family History Centers, like the one at the Godfrey, not only have microfilm readers, but can also help you order films of the documents you need from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  Who knows, you might just find the one elusive record you've been looking for! 

This Week in the Scholar

Forgive the late posting, but it's been a busy weekend!  With more books being added to the Scholar all the time as well as preparing for the first of what we hope will be a series of luncheon presentations, and getting ready for the annual appeal, it's been a hectic time at the Godfrey!  This week we have added another selection of biographies and genealogies, as well as another book of burial returns from the Doolittle Funeral Home.  Next week look forward to more genealogies and biographies of people with last names starting with D and E, as well as even more burial returns!

Biographies
Life and Public Services of James Buchanan*
The Knightly Soldier: Henry Ward Camp*
Life of Martin Cheney*
Curiosities of A Scotts Carda Chest*
Life of Rufus Choate*
Memorial Addresses of Frank G. Clarke*
Life of Schuyler Colfax*
Reminiscences of  Journalist by Charles T. Congdon*
Life of Alfred Cookman*
Autobiography of T. Jefferson Coolidge*
Memorial Addresses of Samuel Sullivan Cox*
In Memoriam of John Crowell*
American Men of Letters: George William Curtis*
American Actor Series: Charlotte Cushman*
Life of James DeKoven*
Admiral George Dewey: A Sketch of the Man*
Memorial of David L. Dodge
Memorial Addresses on Abraham Dowdney*
Life and Life-Work of Charles Benjamin Dudley*
In Memoriam of James Duncan*
Memorial of Edward Everett*

Funeral Records
Doolittle Funeral Home Burial Returns Volume 64: November 1968 to August 1970

Genealogies 
Caverno Family*
Chatfield Family*
Chipman Lineage*
Clarke Genealogy*
Philadelphia Branch of the Clarkson Family*
Conklings in America*
Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Converse Jr.*
Descendants of William Cornwall*
Genealogical and Biographical History of Griffin and Alice Craft*
Life and Ancestry of Francis Douglas*
Descendants of Thomas and Agnes (Dryburgh) Duncan*

Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe today or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today.

*Searchable 

How Do I Write My Family History?

So you've spent countless hours researching your family history.  You have binders full of notes that contain everything you would ever want to know about your ancestors.  What's the next step?  Surely you'll want to share this research with others, may they be members of your family or fellow genealogists.  If so, why not consider writing a book on your family's history?  

How do I do that, you ask.  Well, we have good news for you!  This Saturday the Godfrey welcomes Liz Petry, acclaimed author, seasoned journalist, and former Godfrey board member to speak on exactly that!  Liz published two book on her own family history, Can Anything Beat White?  A Black Family's Letters and At Home Inside: A Daughter's Tribute to Ann Petry.  She has taught college English and currently leads a weekly writing workshop for veterans.  We can't think of anyone more qualified to lead the Godfrey Genealogy Club in learning about writing their own family history!

Genealogy Club meetings take place the first Saturday of every month at 9:30 am.  Club members are welcome to bring their laptops and stay after the program to research.  There is a $25 annual membership fee.