Finally Friday!

I don't know about you, but everyone I've spoken with today is very happy that it's finally Friday! In that vein, here's a short post for today:

For anyone with an interest in Kingston, Ontario, you have to check out Digital Kingston. This database not only includes a number of historic Kingston newspapers from 1810-1900, but also includes digital versions of the local City Directories from 1855-1923.

Don't forget to add Digital Kingston to your research list!

Something fun: The Family Tree Rhapsody and Proof that YouTube Is For Genealogists Too!

My hubbie shared a very cute YouTube video with me called Family Tree Rhapsody. You must check it out and be sure your sound is on and turned up.

What struck me is that YouTube is also a great place for learning, even for the Family Historian! In the YouTube sidebar alone were several videos on a variety of topics, including an hour long session by Kyle J. Betit for Ancestry.com titled "Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Back to the Homeland"  or "Researching Newspapers for Genealogy for Free" by Kenneth R. Marks, though his focus is on American newspapers. Do not despair! Library and Archives Canada is also there with their own channel and the search box at the top of the main site will let you search for videos on all different types of genealogical research.

Have fun!

Toronto Public Library Local History and Genealogy Blog

Toronto Public Library has a great blog on local history and genealogical resources. I appreciate the depth and detail their staff includes in the posts. By the end of the entry, you know not only where to turn, but in the case of subscription databases like Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail, you'll also be given tips on how to use the Advanced Search features, how to save and print.

Information is not limited to subscription resources, but you're also given details on how to do research on passenger lists and Home Children, how to get started with French Canadian & Acadian Genealogy, or learn more about historical Toronto and area landmarks. Be sure to have a look!

Google makes Historical Ottawa Citizen available online

Columnist Kelly Egan of the Ottawa Citizen puts it best in his article online today that:

For all the due concern about Google inhaling the world’s storehouse of printed words, it has done something wonderful. ... Quietly, it has digitized and made available online most of the archives of the [Ottawa] Citizen, putting about 2.5 million articles at your fingertips, the earliest from 1890.

That's right, free and easy to navigate, it's available at http://news.google.ca/archivesearch/advanced_search

To read Egan's article, please visit http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Kelly+Egan+Google+reveals+Citizens+yore/2514761/story.html

Elise (a former Ottawa Citizen Carrier of many moons ago)

French-Canadian Newspapers: 1808-1919

Taken directly from the Library and Archives website:

French-Canadian Newspapers: An Essential Historical Source (1808-1919) presents selected French-language newspapers from across Canada, in a digitized, fully-searchable format. These newspapers form the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) collection of first, final and special editions of French-Canadian newspapers.

To learn more about this resource, click here. To search the database directly, then this link will take you there.

Vital Statistics from New Brunswick newspapers

Taken directly from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick:

"The Database of Vital Statistics from New Brunswick Newspapers, based on over twenty-three years of work by Danny Johnson, is an extraordinary contribution to genealogical, biographical, demographic and historical research. The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick is honoured to present it on their web site as a tribute to Danny and a resource for researchers."