The month of October has been designated Family History Month. By whom? Well, the Ancestry.com editorial staff did a little digging to find out; from Curt Witcher, manager of the Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana and incoming president of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), we learned:

"The concept of designating October as 'Family History Month' began several years ago. It originated with the Monmouth County Genealogical Society, whose aspiration was that during this month, societies would do something special to draw attention to and promote family history. Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia all passed 'proclamations' in the last few years declaring October as Family History Month. At the last NGS board meeting, the NGS board officially endorsed the concept and will use the NGS Newsmagazine to promote the idea."

There are several ways we can use this month and the opportunities that come with it to promote family history, preservation, and activism, both at home and in the media.

On the Homefront
To begin with, we can step up our efforts on our own research. Learn about a new record type, take a class, or find out how to request needed records—the ones you have neglected to search yet because you have been unsure about how to do it.

Also, our family history magazines and newsletters may have piled up a bit, and our reference books may have been a bit neglected over the summer months. If we can set aside a mere half hour a day to read, then in just the month of October we can log 15.5 hours of reading time. (OK, 15 minutes for those of us with small children—that's still 7.75 hours). We can learn a lot of new tricks in that much time!

This is also a great time to take a look at our preservation efforts and, as Emeril would say, "kick it up a notch." This can be as simple as labeling photographs, starting a journal, or dedicating a bit more time to a quest. You may even be ready to publish your findings. So let's get started!

Family History Month can also present opportunities for getting the whole family involved. If your data has been entered into a genealogical program, it can be relatively easy to print off copies of pedigrees and other reports and send them off to family members. Share some family stories or exciting discoveries you have made. If you're bad with "snail mail," try inviting your family to a free, private MyFamily.com Web site, where you can post data, communicate, and swap information in "real time." You may come away with a partner (or partners) to help you pursue your ancestry, or at the very least, you may have some family members fill in blanks in your family history.

Getting Involved
Outside the home circle, there is also much that can be done. Local societies are always looking for volunteers to help out in various ways. Check with your local society to see if there are any projects you can help with. It's a great way to make friends and connect with others who share your passion for genealogy. Many volunteers find that as they give, they receive just as much in return . . . and more.

Even if you don't have time to volunteer, just by joining a society you are helping that organization's efforts to preserve valuable records, to educate and keep the genealogical community informed, and to fight for fair access to records, and you are countable as a family historian. When you are countable in a large group, you are part of a measurable force to be reckoned with when it comes to legislation and investments that will benefit the genealogical community as a whole.

It's an Election Year . . .
As Michael John Neill pointed out last week in his article "Do Genealogists Vote?":

"November will soon be here, and with it Election Day. Have you even given a thought to the individuals who are running for those local offices that set access policies for public records?"

Why not drop these officials (or official "wannabes") a line? Chances are you will be bombarded with flyers from local candidates in the next few weeks. Many candidates and their respective parties will have Web sites and e-mail addresses. Find out how to contact them in one way or another, and let them know that genealogist-voters are interested in issues that relate to accessing the records of our ancestors. Tell them we care about the policies they set and that we are politically active and will exercise our pleasure or displeasure with their policies using our votes.

The Media
With the Olympics over, what do they have to talk about on the news? How about the great efforts or collections of your organization or library? If everyone who reads this newsletter took the time to shoot off a message, we could draw some serious attention. (There are currently about 690,000+ who subscribe to the Ancestry Daily News or Weekly Digest newsletters alone.) A local spotlight on your library's great collection could go a long way toward justifying the need for even more materials in the future, and attention to your local society can encourage growth that will help further organizational goals.

Mark It on the Calendar
Finally, let's mark this month on our calendars for next year and shoot for something even bigger and better. By making ourselves heard, we can attract more support, and by dedicating ourselves to the preservation of our family histories, to the records that support them, and to the work of the organizations that support our efforts, we will all benefit greatly.

Look for more on Family History Month at Ancestry.com as we celebrate throughout October!

Juliana Smith is the editor of the Ancestry Daily News and author of The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book. She has written for Ancestry Magazine and Genealogical Computing. Juliana can be reached by e-mail at: editor@ancestry-inc.com, but regrets that she is unable to assist with personal research.