THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
5 July 2017
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!
Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for May 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
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Half-Day Workshop, Aug 5th! Don’t forget to sign up!
Tips and Tricks: Finding What Your Need and Making the Most of What You Find
WHEN: Saturday, Aug 5th, 9:30am – noon
WHERE: GFO’s Multi-Purpose Room (map)
WHO: Pam Vestal, professional genealogist and lecturer
WHAT: As they say, borrow from the good, steal from the best! In this half-day workshop, you’ll learn from Pam, who is certainly one of the BEST, how to avoid popular pitfalls in genealogical research.
Book Reviewers Needed….
Below is a list of what’s on deck this month. If you’d like to read and review any of these, we’d be ecstatic!
1. KEMP, Thomas Jay. INTERNATIONAL VITAL RECORDS HANDBOOKS (Births, Marriages, Deaths. Application forms and ordering information for the vital records you need for driver’s licenses, passports, jobs, Social Security, proof of identity, etc.)
2. McCartney, Martha W. and Helen C. Rountree. POWHATAN INDIAN PLACE NAMES IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA.
3. Mitchell, Brian. THE TOP 300 SURNAMES OF DERRY-LONDONDERRY.
4. Murray, Sonia Bennett. THEY CAME TO BELIZE (1750-1810). Complied from Records of Janaica, the Mosquito Shore and Belize at the British and Belize National Archives)
5. Ports, Michael A. GEORGIA GENEALOGY RESEARCH. Genealogy at a Glance.
6. QUICK SHEET, CITING ONLINE HISTORICAL RESOURCES. Evidence Style.
7. QUICK SHEET. CITING ANCESTRY.COM DATABASES & IMAGES. Evidence Style.
Anyone interested in reviewing one of these books, please either contact Joan or come by the GFO to pick up their book-of-choice from the bookshelf between the two offices and fill out the clipboard form. There is also a book review form on the shelf that can be used. For further information, please contact Joan Galles at bulletin@gfo.com.
If you’re currently reviewing a book, please let Joan know how it’s going and if you have questions!
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Click here to Reboot!
The items in the photo are a Southwest Technical Products 6800 computer with 36k of memory, dual mini floppies, a Hazeltine 1500 video terminal, and a Trendata1000 Selectric terminal. The small box on the disk drive is my homebrew 300 baud modem.
We still need HELP with our Reboot Campaign!
Designed to accelerate the replacement of GFO’s oldest electronic equipment that serves our members and other patrons, the “Reboot” campaign’s goals also include purchase of six new computers. Want to make a donation towards this effort? It’s easy!
We currently don’t have figures and such to report on our progress because (GASP) our Work Room computer gave up the ghost this week!!
The library still needs at least 3 new computers. Are you brave enough!? Would you dare contribute with a donation??
Send in a check made out to GFO with a note in the memo line “Reboot” to 2505 SE 11th, Suite B-18, Portland, OR 97202.
Give a cash or check donation while at the library, or
Go online HERE to give a safe and secure credit card donation.
Thank you!
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Product Maintenance Notification, 12-3pm, July 29th
What’ll I do without my Ancestry database??
We will not have Ancestry Library Edition available starting at noon on Saturday, July 29th, and continuing until the early evening (after we have closed). Per the maintenance notes we received from the product team, plans look good to have access back by opening on Sunday the 30th.
Again, per product maintenance, Ancestry will be unavailable at the GFO from 12-3pm on Saturday, July 29th.
We sincerely apologize for and sympathize with any inconvenience.
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Transcribe THIS!
Help to transcribe a pioneer diary.
This project is led by a bunch of people from all over the world gathered together online to create an easy-to-read, text-searchable version of a remarkable 170-year-old diary.
American pioneer William Penn Abrams shares his life with us as he travels between California and Oregon, then returns to his native New Hampshire before embarking on a five-month voyage around the southern tip of South America to bring his family to their new home in Portland, Oregon. His sister Rebecca fell in love in Portland and went on to travel with her new husband to the gold rush town of Ballarat, Australia, in 1853.
Visit this amazing “crowdsource” project at their website (https://williampennabrams18491851diary.wordpress.com/) or via their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/willabramsdiary/) to find out more and, if you are interested, join in the effort.
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This Week at the GFO…
SATURDAY, JULY 8th
Illinois Interest Group
Just a reminder that July is an off month for the Illinois Special Interest Group. See you in September, as August is also one of our off months.
SUNDAY, JULY 9th
Library Work Party 9am – noon
Not working on maps today, but would love to have help for other projects. Please come and lend a hand. Any time you have to spare!
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12th
Photoshop Elements Group 1:30 – 2:30pm
Have you visited that beautiful homeland of your ancestors, only to find your camera picked up all the haze in the sky? In July we will learn how to remove haze from your pictures and learn more about using the selection brushes that are available in Photoshop Elements. Also, bring any questions you have. We will try to answer them or schedule the topic for another class if more time is needed.