Another $80,000 for Whitby Library Archives to Digitize Historical Images

This is great news for Brian Winter (archivist), Ian Ross (Library CEO), Sarah Ferenz (digitization technician) and Whitby Library & Archives users. These digitized images will be added to the 'Our Ontario' database/website where there are already 3455 images added by Whitby under the first donation. "It really adds a dimension to the archive that was never there before by making all these pictures available to so many more people and it never would have without this funding," said Whitby archivist Brian Winter. The hope is to add the archive's remaining historical photos (about 3000) to the online digital database of photos. Like the first, this donation was anonymous.

Colleen Fitzpatrick is on the Case

Anyone who has attended an OGS Annual May/June Conference in recent years had an opportunity to hear a most interesting presenter - Colleen Fitzpatrick - forensic genealogist extraordinaire. Her credentials are comprehensive, her books are insightful and her successes are numerous. The Orange County Register just published a four part series about her combined use of expert genealogy skills , superb problem solving skills and extensive scientific knowledge. Whether or not you are familiar with her work, these articles are very interesting. Below are four links to the OC Register articles -cases she has solved and a case she is working on now.

The Four Articles:
The Man with No Memory
Hand in the Snow
Titanic’s Unknown Child
Will the Man with No Memory be the first case Fitzpatrick can’t solve?

Learn more about Colleen
Colleen's Web Site

Lady Teviot a Success at Durham Branch Meeting

The Tuesday October 6th meeting of Durham Region Branch Ontario Genealogical Society was very successful. There was a large audience and Lady Teviot was deservedly well received. She delivered a very interesting talk about 'The Parish Chest' which would have been in each of the churches throughout England as far back as 1538 (Henry VII). They contained BMD and financial data and a vivid picture the the life and times in the community. The auditorium was buzzing all evening. Credit goes to all the volunteers who assisted.

The following informational materials were left by Lady Teviot. They will be at our branch office.
1. "Research Your Family History with Us", Sussex Family History Group brochure.
More information at www.sfhg.org.uk
2. "Sussex Family History Group HANDBOOK", July 2009,
3. "Our Really Useful Information Leaflet", Federation of Family History Societies (www.ffhs.org.uk), 2009.
View at www.ffhs.org.uk/tips/first.php After First Steps, the tabs at top lead you to Websites, Record Offices, Societies, Adoption.

Lady Teviot is also speaking in Ottawa at the BIFHSGO Meeting, Saturday 17 October 2009 at 10:00 a.m., a Ltibrary & Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa.(www.bifhsgo.ca/events.htm)

Bus Trip to the Archives - Kawartha Branch

This day trip to the new Archives of Ontario (or OGS's North York Library Collection) is open to all.

$31.00 per person - Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Oshawa pick-up and drop-off with be at the King St. Swiss Chalet parking lot, leaving at 9:00 a.m and returning about 6:30 p.m. Call soon to book your place on the bus and to obtain full details. June James at 1-705-745-1421, Alvina Seawright at 1-705-748-9417, Eleanor Aldus [eleanoraldus@sympatico.ca] 1-705-741-6066 (after mid Oct. for Eleanor). The bus will make a round trip from Peterborough, stopping for dinner at the Oshawa Swiss Chalet (King St. Hwy 2).