THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News 30 November 2016

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR go to www.gfo.org/calendar.htm.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for November 2016, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy at http://www.gfo.org/insider/16-Nov.pdf.

#givingTuesday Success! Thank You to our 48 Volunteer Superheroes!

The GFO’s #givingTuesday was a huge success thanks to our 48 volunteers who showed up, pitched in, talked, laughed, ate pizza and donuts, and really made a difference. Volunteers, we solute you!!
Click HERE for some super spiffy pictures of all our hard work.
Here’s some of what we accomplished:

▪ Shifted most of the Pacific Northwest books onto carts.

▪ Moved all the city directories into the vacated space.

▪ Put all the telephone books into alphabetical order and shelve them.

▪ Removed six anchored bookshelves.

▪ Moved 5 very heavy microfilm cabinets.

▪ Installed 6 bookshelves in new location.

▪ Relocated nearly all our 150 boxes of manuscripts.

▪ Applied bookplates to the George T. Brown Collection.

▪ Spruced up the white notebooks in the Rare Book Area.

▪ Taped labels on 50 notebooks that we curling.

▪ Labeled microfilms…about 75% done!

▪ Copied some materials for binding…until the copier gave out.

▪ Accomplished binding, binding and more binding!

▪ Labeled, labeled, and labeled some more to make great progress on our backlogged materials.

So now we can say the all the foreign countries (including the much anticipated George T. Brown French-Canadian Collection) have been reclassified. They will be relabeled and shelved in the next week. Hip-hip! Hooray!!

Please also note that, as we continue to rearrange our library, some collection materials will be intermittently serving time on the temporary wheely carts in the Multipurpose Room at the back of the library. This week, some of the Pacific Northwest States collections are having their turn. Please pardon our dust!
Many thanks again to all participants! We truly couldn’t have done it without you.

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Don’t forget First Monday is Free GFO Library Day!! Dec 5th

Have some free time this coming Monday? Wish you could fill it with free genealogical research resources at the largest genealogical research facility between Seattle and San Francisco?

Well, you’re in luck! Every first Monday of the month, the GFO is open to non-members, no day-pass required.

Come check out and take advantage of our international resources, both digital and analog, to say nothing of our microfilm collections!

Some of our featured resources include our Oregon Donation Land Claims collection, our international voter registration records for Multnomah County, and our newly acquisitioned George T. Brown French-Canadian Collection.

We also have research assistants who will be available during the library’s hours of activity from 9:30am to 5pm.

Looking forward to seeing you there!!

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Hot Links In Genealogy This Week…

Check your mailbox for GFO’s Annual Appeal
Don’t delay! To ensure your donation is tax-deductible on your tax return for 2016, checks need to be postmarked by December 31st. Gifts by PayPall must be processed by midnight on December 31.

And if you’ve already made your year-end gift, thank you!
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State’s December Meeting Program
DATE: Monday, Dec 12th
 LOCATION: LDS Factoria Building
4200 124th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006

Doors open at 6:30pm for all to enjoy the extensive JGSWS Library and Family History Center’s genealogical resources!
Free Wi-Fi and FREE access to fee-based genealogical websites available.
*Presentation starts promptly at 7:15pm.

*Free admission and refreshments.

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WANTED: Lonely-hearted InDesign program seeking individual dedicated to learning and supporting our Bulletin editors.

Did you enjoy The Bulletin issue this last month? Want to help to keep ’em comin’??
We are in DESPERATE need of another person to help our editors’ team with layout on the GFO’s quarterly publication.

This is a great assignment for someone who’s interested in learning a new skill set!

Laying out The Bulletin involves mastering a program called InDesign. We have training and are ready to purchase another copy of the software to be put on one of the GFO laptops. Our special InDesign volunteer will be able to check out the GFO laptop with the software program so they can happily and productively work from home.

Interested? Driven to achieve greatness?? Email president@gfo.org today!!

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What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3rd
Virginia Interest Group 10am – noon

This month’s meeting will focus on “Indentured Servants, Our Forgotten Ancestors.” Hundreds of thousands of indentured servants, volunteers, convicts, and kidnapped children and adults, emigrated to the colonies and helped shape the United States. It may seem exciting for those of us with colonial ancestors to think we’re descendants of the well-born, well-bred, and well-known who were the early settlers of the colonies, but the truth is we are just as likely to be descendants of indentured servants who poured into the colonies to work for them. We’ll discuss those servants and how to research them. Please contact group leader, Judi
Scott at judiscot@gmail.com for questions.

German Interest Group 1pm – 3pm

The German Interest Group was formed in the spring of 2011. It is intended to be a source of information and inspiration for anyone with German speaking ancestors. One goal is to provide information on a variety of topics related to Germanic history and migration. We will also provide time for members to share their research journeys and connect with others who may be researching the same region or time period.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4th
Library & Manuscripts Work Parties 9am – noon

As usual, Sunday morning is Work Party morning! Come on out to help us continue our efforts to continue prepping and scanning and creating finding aids for our manuscript collection! Also, there will be work on getting all our newest books labeled and ready for circulation. Any time you can give is greatly appreciated. As always, thanks for all you do!
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5th
Free First Monday! 9:30am – 5pm

Hope to see you at the library this coming Monday. No membership, no problem!! Our library and all its wonderful resources are open to non-members for free every first Monday of every month. Think of the possibilities!
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7th
Learn & Chat 10am – noon

Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Connie Lenzen.

DNA Q&A 1pm – 2pm

Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions.