Issue 19.16
Searchable historical records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of online volunteers worldwide. These volunteers transcribe (or index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are always needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published weekly online on FamilySearch.org. Learn how you can volunteer to help provide free access to the world’s historical genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org/Indexing.
Millions of new US an international records this week including Philippines Civil Registration (National) 1945-1984, New Zealand Archives New Zealand Probate Records 1843-1998, Massachusetts Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1626-2001, France Saône-et-Loire Military Conscriptions 1867-1940 Russia Tatarstan Church Books 1721-1939, Paraguay Catholic Church Records 1754-2015, and Ukraine Kyiv Orthodox Consistory Church Book Duplicates 1734-1920.
For the first time in years, images awaiting arbitration are below 3 million! Thank an arbitrator for their hard work!
Another milestone has been reached in efforts to complete the Freedmen’s Bureau Project. We’d like to provide an update on the progress of the project and let you know where we are in the publication of indexed content. In addition, we’d like your help in focusing on three of our more challenging record sets to get them closer to completion.
Thanks to the help of 17,640 volunteers, the Freedmen’s Bureau Project has achieved unprecedented success. To date, the names of 1,469,574 freed slaves and others have been unearthed through the tireless support of indexers around the world. We have cause to celebrate that this project is 70 percent complete. And with your continued support, we will make our goal of being 100 percent complete by Juneteenth (June 19)!
Thirteen records sets make up the content we are indexing to make searchable on FamilySearch.org and in a database that will be given to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). We are excited to be able to provide this database as an artifact for the new museum when it opens on September 24, 2016, in Washington, DC.
This content includes marriage records, labor contracts, education records, and more. The 13 record sets have been indexed and arbitrated and will be published on FamilySearch.org in the coming months.
For more information, contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com