Saving Memories Forever Announces Partnerships

The following is from Saving Memories.

Saving Memories Forever Announces Strategic Partnerships with APPO and Kim Weitkamp

June 28, 2013 – St. Louis, Missouri. Saving Memories Forever, a dynamic online way to create and preserve family memories, is pleased to announce its new alliances with two new partners: the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) and Kim Weitkamp. Both APPO and Kim are well known in their respective fields and are committed to providing their customers with new ways of preserving family stories.

Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO)

Saving Memories Forever is proud to announce that it has been selected as a partner by the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO). As stated on its Partnership page at its website, APPO “continually researches, identifies and partners with the best in the industry to ensure our customers and members have access to the most updated and highest quality service and tools available today.” We’re pleased to be working with individual APPO consultants in offering their clients a new way to record family stories that help bring photographs and other family mementos to life.  See http://www.appo.org/Strategic-Partners for more information.

Kim Weitkamp

We are excited to announce a new partnership with Kim Weitkamp, nationally-known storyteller and speaker. Kim has been brought on as the exclusive storyteller for Saving Memories Forever and will be providing articles, blog tips and audio storytelling tips for the Saving Memories Forever application. Click here to visit Kim’s content at the Saving Memories Forever website - see and hear Kim's quick tips for gathering your family stories. Also visit Kim’s website at http://www.kimweitkamp.com/ and just try to keep up with all her great projects and offerings!

Harvey Baker, co-founder of Saving Memories Forever states, “We’re excited to be working with the consultants at APPO as well as fantastic storyteller Kim Weitkamp. Saving Memories Forever recognizes that there is more than one approach to telling a good family story. Some use family photos to inspire while others try to capture the oral history they remember being shared during family reunions and events. With the help of our new partners, Saving Memories Forever will find the inspiration they need to get started in sharing family histories – one story at a time.”

About Saving Memories Forever

Saving Memories Forever™ provides a new online system to not only create and preserve family memories, but also build legacies through audio recordings. Each subscriber has a dedicated area on the site to upload and manage their recordings. Recordings on the SMF website are categorized, private, secure, and permission based. The basic package is free. Subscriptions with many additional features are offered at just $3.99 per month. A new zipfile feature gives users the option of backing-up their stories at home. A how-to-video provides step-by-step instructions. For additional information visit http://SavingMemoriesForever.com .

Feedback needed for Ancestry.com Consolidated Search Experience

The following is from Ancestry.com.

Good evening,

In an effort to continually improve your experience on Ancestry.com, we are asking for feedback on our search function. Our plan is first to gather feedback from our core users. We will take all of that feedback into account when we are merging the functionality of Old Search and current search into a consolidated search experience.

You can take the survey here: http://ancestry.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8ubNXU8IiQcxqVD

Many of the recent concerns and comments have cited functionality that actually exists in current search, as well as in old search – specifically:

1. Our current search experience allows users to view search results as a list of ranked records or as a consolidated list of categories.
2. Our current search experience allows users to do “Exact Match” searches.
3. Our current search experience allows users to specify a “Collection Priority” to filter results by country.

Crista Cowan has a great educational video which demonstrates this functionality in the current search experience:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c423yU5Ccs0

We also have a helpful article which does a side-by-side explanation of how to achieve the same types of results with the current search as in Old Search: http://ancestry.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5569/kw/old

Thank you,

The Ancestry.com Product Team

FamilySearch New Collections Update 25 June 2013

The following is from FamilySearch.

FamilySearch Adds More Than 1.1 Million Images from Austria, England, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, and the United States FamilySearch has recently added more than 1.1 million images from Austria, England, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, and the United States. Notable collection updates include the 96,841 images from the newU.S., New Hampshire, Cheshire County, Probate Estate Files, 1886-1900, collection, the 60,505 index records and images from the England, Cheshire Non-conformist Records, 1671-1900, collection, and the 21,650 index records and images from the new U.S., Wisconsin, State Census, 1865, collection. See the table below for the full list of updates. Search these diverse collections and more than 3.5 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org. Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the world’s historic genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources for free at FamilySearch.org or through more than 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Collection Indexed Records Digital Images Comments Austria, Seigniorial Records, 1537-1888 0 143,341 Added images to an existing collection. England, Cheshire Non-conformist Records, 1671-1900 32,282 28,223 Added index records and images to an existing collection. Ivory Coast, Civil Registration, 1920-2012 0 244,719 New browsable image collection. Mexico, Coahuila, Catholic Church Records, 1627-1978 21,046 0 Added index records to an existing collection. Peru, Huánuco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997 0 56,685 Added images to an existing collection. Peru, La Libertad, Civil Registration, 1903-1998 0 37,412 Added images to an existing collection. Portugal, Beja, Catholic Church Records, 1550-1911 0 111,272 New browsable image collection. Portugal, Santarém, Catholic Church Records, 1881-1911 0 54,902 Added images to an existing collection. Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Catholic Church Records, 1537-1911 0 146,821 Added images to an existing collection. U.S., Missouri, Cole County Circuit Court Case Files, 1820-1926 0 49,540 Added images to an existing collection. U.S., New Hampshire, Cheshire County, Probate Estate Files, 1886-1900 0 96,841 New browsable image collection. U.S., Ohio, Trumbull County Court Records, 1795-2010 0 59,930 Added images to an existing collection. U.S., Tennessee, White County Records, 1809-1975 0 31,891 Added images to an existing collection. U.S., Wisconsin, State Census, 1865 21,162 488 New index records and browsable image collection.

My Family History Calling - June 2013

The following is from FamilySearch.

My Family History Calling June 2013   News you need to succeed—for priesthood leaders, consultants, and FamilySearch center directors. Family Reunions in the Digital Age: Getting the Most Out of Your Next Gathering When my ancestors took this family reunion photo in 1932, they didn't have our generation in mind as much as they did what was for lunch, where little Melvin had disappeared to, and what time they might need to leave to get home. But, I'm so glad they took the time-this snapshot has turned into a valuable piece of my family story. Learn more about how to make the most of your family reunions with photos and stories. CEO Corner: Inspiring Response to Photos and Stories. Learn about new tools to change the default portrait and to add a story to any photo. Get an update on recent changes to Family Tree.    Center Director News Just as in the days of Nephi, we are striving to preserve our genealogical records. Nephi was sent to obtain the plates of brass "which contained the genealogy of my father" (1 Nephi 3:12) to preserve his heritage, culture, and religion. Today we are still seeking these records to allow all of God's children the opportunity to identify their ancestors and have their hearts turned to their fathers. Read the full article for center directors.   Personal Ancestral File (PAF) is Discontinued Beginning July 15, 2013, PAF will be retired and will no longer be available for download or support. For more details on this PAF announcement,click here.   Partner News FamilySearch is pleased to announce the first Tree Share certified applications for Mac OS X and iOS computers and mobile devices, MacFamilyTree and MobileFamilyTree. Charting Companion for FamilySearch is now Tree Access certified.  "Certified" means the product is compatible with FamilySearch.org and has features that conforms to our strict standards of quality. Learn more about our partners. Family History Consultant Survey In an effort to build a global family history community, the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would like to learn more about the interests and experience of family history consultants serving in wards, as well as family history center staff and volunteers. The information you provide us through this survey will be used within the Family History Department to better help us to share the engaging opportunities and experiences that may be relevant to you. Click here to begin our survey.   Indexing: I Once Was Lost, but Now am Found In 1779, English clergyman John Newton published the lyrics to the now-famous hymn "Amazing Grace." When I listen to this song, the phrase "I once was lost but now am found" always strikes me, and I can't help but think of the many who have lived but who are now "lost" from memory. Read More.   RootsTech 2013: Consultant Training Available Online The two consultant training sessions from RootsTech 2013 family history conference are posted under the Featured Stories on the Family History Training web page on www.lds.org.  See them by visiting here.   RootsTech 2014: Call for Presentations Presentation proposals for RootsTech 2014 will be accepted June 17-July 8, 2013, online atrootstech.org/proposals. RootsTech is a family history and technology conference "where families connect." The fourth annual conference will be held February 6-8, 2014, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Find out how you can present at RootsTech by clicking here. Do you have questions about your calling? Call other experienced consultants, and get assistance with training or learning about being a consultant: Click Get Help on FamilySearch.org/help/contact  for your local toll free number. Help by phone is available Mon-Fri, 5-9 p.m., mountain time. Are you an experienced consultant who would like to help others? Volunteer to answer phone calls or online chats to assist other consultants with their callings.