WEB PUBLISHING, GUIDEBOOKS AND REFERENCES PROVIDE GENEALOGISTS TOOLS AND SOURCES

by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.

You've probably seen these "Dummies'' and "Idiot'' guidebooks -- they are everywhere and available on almost any subject. I like them. They are fun to read and easy to understand. Now there is one for genealogists, called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy. It is written by Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG and Kay Germain Ingalls, CGRS -- highly respected certified genealogists.

Divided into six parts -- Who Are You?, Finding the Trail, Following the Trail, In Your Ancestors' Footsteps, Making Sense of it All and Expanding Your Horizon -- this 328-page, attractively illustrated book provides the basics you need to become a genealogist. It offers some quick and easy ways for new family historians to:

Unlock the secrets behind public records. Pick a research strategy you can stick with. Avoid the most common mistakes beginners make. Keep accurate records with complete citations. Write effective query letters. Get past dead ends in your search.

Chapter 23 -- Some Final Words -- contains succinct advice about those generic "family history'' books on the market, coats of arms, technological so-called shortcuts, and ancient pedigrees. Pay particular attention to the "10 Strategies for Success'' and "10 Things to Avoid'' -- tips to prevent mistakes and make your research more fruitful.

Chapter 20 -- Resolving Discrepancies -- suggests and/or explains:

What to do when the data conflicts. Creative thinking to find data. Customs that impact your research. How the calendar change affects your research. Understanding evidence.

This excellent book is ideal for beginners. It is published by Alpha Books and is available for $17.95 in major bookstores (Purchase this book at Ancestry's Online Store for $16.95) Don't be an idiot -- grab a copy for your personal library.

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Tennesseans before 1800: Davidson County, compiled by Marjorie Hood Fischer, is another remarkable book by this compiler that researchers of early Tennessee ancestors will appreciate. Included are names appearing in inventories, court minutes, wills and deeds, along with the date the record was created and the reference information to enable you to find the record, including the Tennessee State Library microfilm number.

The 406-page book has a collection of 109,271 entries that date between 1783 and 1800. It is available ($53.50 postpaid) from Frontier Press, P.O. Box 3715, Suite 8, Galveston, TX 77552; e-mail: kgfrontieraol.com or on the Web at http://www.doit. com/frontier

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Software for Web publishing: Tom Giammo, of Crestline Enterprises, recently announced the release of webGED:Progenitor 2. This is a slick program for Windows 95 users that facilitates the preparation of a World Wide Web site from standard genealogical GEDCOM files. It allows viewers of your web page to construct "on-the-fly'' ancestor and/or descendant charts for the individuals they select, navigate in these charts through various family relationships, and even print out the charts on their printer. Progenitor is available as shareware for $20 and can be downloaded at http://www.access.digex.net/~giammot/webged/.

(c) 1998, Los Angeles Times Syndicate