Calgary Alberta FamilySearch Centre

The Calgary Alberta Family History Centre is dedicated to providing education and support for the Family History community in the Calgary area. Our staff of about 30 volunteers are here to help you in your research.

CENTRE INFORMATION

 * Language: English
 * Location &amp; Map

Address: 2021-17th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2T 0G2


 * Location on Map
 * We are located on the lower level of the Calgary Alberta Stake Centre. The entrance to the Centre is on 19A Street S.W.  Please park in the lot directly east of the Centre.  Press the Black Button beside the double doors on the east side of the building to ring the front desk.  A staff member will answer and admit you.

Phone: (403) 571-3700

Hours of Operations

Tuesday &amp; Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. &amp; 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

POLICIES

 * Our Centre is Fragrance Free due to some of our staff and patrons are allergic.
 * No food or drinks are allowed.
 * Children under 12 must be accompanied and monitored by an adult.

EXECUTIVE

 * Director: Sheila Penner
 * Assistant Director: Valerie LeBaron
 * High Council Advisor: Larry Penner
 * Patron Services: Carol Hutchinson
 * Technical Services: Janice Cushman
 * Treasurer: Brien Cushman
 * Staff Trainer: Frances Swendsen

Community Classes

 * Please register for classes at: http://genwebworks.net/cfhc


 * 26 Jan 2012 (Thursday) - Getting Started.


 * Learn how to get started in family history research. This class is designed for those with little or no previous experience.
 * Presenter: Carol Hutchinson - Scout Room at 7:00 pm.


 * 23 Feb 2012 (Thursday) - How to Write and Publish a Personal History.


 * Find out how to make a personal history come alive! This presentation will also include editing tips, and the steps to be taken to publish a history
 * Presenter: Brent R. Laycock - Scout Room at 7:00 pm.


 * 22 Mar 2012 (Thursday) - Social Media. Learn how to use social media to assist you with your family history research. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and SmugMug will be included

Presenter: Judi Lee - Scout Room at 7:00 pm 


 * 26 Apr 2012 (Thursday) - Comparing Genealogy Programs. Which genealogy management program is best for you? This presentation will give an overview of four of the most popular programs: Personal Ancestral File (PAF), Ancestral Quest, Legacy and Roots Magic. Presenter: Sharon Hogenson, Frances Swendsen &amp; others. - Scout Room at 7:00 pm.

  

Staff Training Meetings

 * TRAINING MEETINGS


 * 1) Staff Trainings are on the 2nd Thursday – please mark your calendars.
 * 2) Community Classes are on the 4th Thursday – please mark your calendars.
 * 3) It is important that you attend as many of these trainings and classes as you can.
 * 4) The more that you learn, the better prepared you will be to assist our patrons.


 * 9 Feb 2012 (Thursday) In the Scout Room at 7:00 pm.

How to get the youth involved in Family History

        ~ remember Elder Bednar's talk in the October Conference.

              ~ Presenter:  Elder Peter Darby


 * 1 Mar 2012 (Thursday)  In the Chapel at 7:00 pm.

 Tri-Stake Training 

~ Presenter: Elder Peter Darby 


 * 12 Apr 2012 (Thursday) In the Scout Room at 7:00 pm.

Presenter: Carol Hutchinson &amp; Cheryl Longbotham

Staff Training Challenge

 * January 2012

      "Don’t Fall For These Family History Myths" 

           Read Peter Darby's Blog dated Jan 22, 2012 


 * November 27, 2011

Check out ' "What's New at Family Search?" ' 

1. Go to familysearch.org.

   2.  Click on Blog.

3. ''Click on 'What's New at Family Search? '(found on the right).''

4. There are two new articles dated November 23, 2011.

             a.  Feature Changes in FamlySearch.org.

b. Using the New FamilySearch Historical Records Search Form.

5.  Practice using the New Search Form and become familiar with it.

        Note:  This is the last Weekly Challenge until January 2012.

                      '~ Have a Very MERRY CHRISTMAS ! ~'


 * Week of October 16, 2011

         October is Family History Month 


 * 1) In your family history program (Paf, Roots Magic, Legacy etc) generate a 'Custom Report' and find out how many of your ancesters were born in October.
 * 2) Don't forget to use the 'help' section in your program if you are unsure how to make a 'Custom Report'.


 * Week of Sept 4, 2011

From Peter Darby's blog - http://peterfh.wordpress.com/


 * 1) Bookmark the above web site on your own computer and check it weekly. There is a new post every Sunday. Elder Darby is our area advisor for Family History. He has great ideas.

Using browser favorites and bookmarks with the new FamilySearch to mark individuals for easy access.

peterfh.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/using-browser-favorites-and-bookmarks-with-the-new-familysearch-to-mark-individuals-for-easy-access/

August 28, 2011 by pdarby peterfh.wordpress.com/author/pdarby/

The following text is from knowledge document 105107 which is available in the Help Center of nFS:

Internet browsers have highly developed and easy-to-use bookmarking capabilities. Since a browser will always be an integral part of the new FamilySearch, using the browser's tools can be very beneficial. For example, individuals' names can be organized into groups or placed on the desktop for easy, one-click access.

To bookmark a person:


 * Find the Person Identifier (PID) of the person (looks like P94P-3R9).
 * Copy the PID, and then use the Search tab to search for the person by number.
 * The person will now be in the main pedigree position.
 * Click Favorites, and then click Add to Favorites from the menu bar in Internet Explorer, or clickBookmarks in Firefox. Enter the name of the favorite or bookmark. For example, you could use the name of the person being marked or the name of the family line. Save the bookmark.

Now, whenever this favorite or bookmark is clicked, the new FamilySearch will open with the individual already in the main position (after you have signed in). There is virtually no limit to the number of individuals you can mark this way, and you can quickly move from one to another by just clicking the corresponding favorite or bookmark.




 * Week of Aug 28, 2011
 * Go to familysearch.org
 * Click on ‘What’s New?’ on the right side
 * Read article Visit Our New Learning Center
 * Review from last week.
 * Do at least two more courses.
 * Read article Search Feature Changes in Upcoming FamilySearch Releases. Watch for new releases and then practice using the new features.
 * Week of Aug 21, 2011
 * Go to family.search.org and sign in.
 * Click on Learn.
 * Scroll down to Research Courses
 * Click on View the Courses.
 * Under What’s New - Do the class – Getting Started with Family History Research
 * Under Most Popular - Look at the 5 Minute Genealogy Episode
 * Under What are you Looking for - Choose a country and do at least one of the courses
 * Week of Aug 14, 2011
 * Wiki ~ Part Two
 * Go to https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Calgary_Alberta_Family_History_Centre. (This is the Home Page for our Family History Centre on the Wiki.)
 * Save this as a favorite on your home computer so that you can find it easily.
 * Check out the class schedule and register for ALL of the classes.
 * It is important for all of the staff members to attend all of the classes even if it is not an area that you personally are interested in.
 * You will learn many ideas and tips for helping our patrons when they come to the centre to do their own research.
 * Check out the Staff Training
 * Remember, it is important for all staff to attend these meetings in order to stay on top of things. This way you will be able to offer excellent help to our patrons.
 * Mark the Staff Christmas Party on your calendar.
 * On the right side of the page, click on Browse by Country. Click on the letter ‘E’ and then choose England.
 * See what is available to help with research in England.
 * On the map of England, click on one of the Counties.
 * Now you have specific tips for researching that county.
 * Check this out too.
 * Other countries can also be broken down into smaller areas.
 * Canada – Provinces
 * USA – States
 * Scotland – Counties
 * Switzerland – Cantons
 * See what other countries can be broken down into smaller areas
 * Week of Aug 7, 2011
 * Wiki ~ Part One
 * Learn How to use Wiki in FamilySearch
 * Go to the Wiki [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Main_Page https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Main_Page
 * Sign in using your LDS user name and password.
 * On the right side is a box “New to the Research Wiki?”
 * Click on Learn More
 * Learn more about how to use the Wiki
 * Using the back arrows, go back to the Home Page of the Wiki
 * In the Search box, type in Calgary Alberta Family History Center.
 * There is some information on this site now.
 * More information and pictures are going to be added soon.
 * Check back often to see what is “NEW” at our Centre.
 * Using the back arrows, go back to the Home Page of the Wiki.
 * Click on List All Countries.
 * At the top, click on the letter G and then go to Germany.
 * On the left side, scroll down to Language and Languages.
 * This is where you can find a German Word List.
 * Go back to the Home Page for Germany and follow other links and learn how to do research in Germany.
 * Learn how to use the Wiki and be able to find many valuable tips on researching in many countries.
 * Week of Aug 1, 2011
 * Let's Find Out about the Places of Your Ancestors
 * Choose a place where one of your Ancestors are from.
 * Go to Google Maps and put the name of the place in.
 * Notice what other towns, rivers, lakes, mountains are nearby.
 * Look at the Aerial view to see the look of the area – trees, farmland, lakes, rivers, mountains.
 * Go to Google Images and put the place name in quotes. e.g. "Ballybay, Ireland"
 * See what pictures you can find of the town.
 * Often you can find Period pictures of some places. e.g. Glasgow, Scotland
 * Try many different places of your ancestors.
 * Week of July 25, 2011
 * Census Records
 * Pick one of your ancestors and trace them through the years in the Census Records.
 * Find them with their parents and siblings.
 * Find them with their spouse and children.
 * See what information you can find out about your family such as: occupations, birth dates, immigration information, birth places of parents, religion, land owned, literacy, etc.
 * Choose another ancestor and keep going.
 * Put the information that you find in your personal genealogy software, e.g. PAF, Roots Magic, Legacy etc.

Collections

 * Family History Library Catalog. Microfilms from the Family History Library Catalog can be ordered online from home and can be viewed at this centre.
 * Our Family History Centre has an extensive collection of research materials, including:


 * CANADA
 * Ontario Vital Records Indexes
 * Birth 1869 - 1912
 * Marriage 1869 - 1927
 * Death 1869 - 1937
 * Ontario Marriage Registrations 1869 - 1914
 * Ontario Early Marriage Registers
 * Ontario Land Record Indexes (fiche)
 * Nova Scotia B/M/D Indexes 1864 - 1877
 * Quebec Marriage Index (Loiselle, Rivest, Drouin)
 * Quebec Family Index (Jette, Tanguay)
 * Alberta Homestead Record Index
 * Southern Alberta Cemetery Records


 * BRITISH ISLES
 * England/Wales Civil Registration Indexes
 * Birth 1837 - 1960
 * Marriage 1837 - 1960, 1972, 1973
 * Death 1837 - 1976, 1980, 1983
 * England - Boyd's Marriage Index 1800 - 1837
 * England Probate Indexes 1383 - 1858
 * England/Wales National Burial Index 1538 - 2010
 * Ireland Civil Registration Indexes
 * Birth 1864 - 1921
 * Marriage 1845 - 1921
 * Death 1864 - 1921
 * Eire / N. Ireland B/M/D Indexes 1922 - 1958
 * Ireland Marriage License Index 1629 - 1864
 * Ireland Index to Griffith's Valuation 1848 - 1864
 * Scotland Civil Registration Indexes
 * Birth 1855 - 1932
 * Marriage 1855 - 1925
 * Death 1855 - 1955
 * Scotland Old Parochial Register (O.P.R.)


 * EUROPE
 * Hamburg Direct and Indirect Passenger Lists
 * St. Petersburg - Lutheran Church Records 1833 - 1885


 * LDS
 * Crossing the Ocean Index 1840 - 1885, 1889 - 1925
 * Crossing the Plains Index 1847 - 1869
 * LDS European Card Index 1840 - 1925
 * Alberta Temple Records 1923 - 1949

Databases &amp; Software
In our Centre we have Free Access to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.


 * Alexander Street Press – The American Civil War


 * Research Database
 * Letters and Diaries
 * Images, Photographs, Posters &amp; Ephemera


 * Ancestry.com
 * Find My Past
 * Fold3.com (Footnote.com)
 * The Genealogist
 * Genline FamilyFinder
 * Godfrey Memorial Library
 * Heritage Quest Online
 * Historic Map Works Library Edition
 * Paper Trail
 * World Vital Records

Hardware and Equipment

 * 8 Computer Workstations with Printer access
 * 9 Microfilm Readers (45 mm)
 * 4 Microfilm Readers (16 mm)
 * 2 Microfilm/Microfiche Reader/Printers
 * 4 Microfiche Readers
 * Digital Imaging System
 * Photo Copier

Staff Research Specialties
(Include sections for any other services your centre provides. Add additional sections for those services. See the Mesa Arizona and Logan Utah FHC pages for examples.)

RESOURCES IN OUR LOCAL AREA

 * Alberta Family Histories Society


 * Address: 712 – 16 Avenue NW (Calgary)
 * Phone # 403 - 214 - 1447
 * http://www.afhs.ab.ca/


 * Glenbow Museum


 * Address: 130 – 9 Avenue SE (Calgary)
 * Phone # 403 - 268 - 4100
 * http://www.glenbow.org/


 * Calgary Public Library - Main Branch


 * Address: 616 Macleod Trail SE (Calgary)
 * Phone # 403 - 260 - 2600
 * http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/


 * University of Calgary Library (MacKimmie Library)


 * Address: 2500 University Drive NW (Calgary)
 * Phone # 403 - 220 - 8895
 * http://library.ucalgary.ca/

LINKS
Here are some websites that might be of interest to you.


 * Automated Genealogy (Canadian Census 1851, 1901, 1906, 1911)

http://automatedgenealogy.com/site.html


 * Library &amp; Archives Canada

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/index-e.html


 * Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid

http://ocfa.islandnet.com//


 * Canada's Local Histories Online

http://www.ourroots.ca/


 * Find the graves of your ancestors

http://www.findagrave.com/


 * Cyndi’s List


 * http://www.cyndislist.com/

VOLUNTEER AT THE CENTRE
(Include information here about the volunteers you are looking for.)