Open Library is like a gigantic online card catalog. The Internet Archive (one of the most underrated entertainment sites on the Web) is working on the ambitious project to have one web page for every book ever published. The catalog is made up of millions of titles of fiction, nonfiction, textbooks, and children’s books.

You can read many of them instantly in your browser. Others are available by borrowing with a free account. (It’s not too different from checking out real books at your local library. They have waiting lists for the popular stuff, but there are so many books, you’ll always have plenty of choices.) I like the Reading Goal and Virtual Library features, too. And if you’ve ever thought you might be a librarian in another life, the site allows for all kinds of open source, collaborative ways to get involved.

https://openlibrary.org/

UPDATED Ohio, Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in World War I, 1917-1918	08/22/2025
UPDATED Utah, U.S., Naturalization and Citizenship Records, 1858-1959	08/21/2025
UPDATED U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016	08/13/2025
UPDATED Web: Kent County, Michigan, U.S., School Census, 1903-1925	08/13/2025
UPDATED U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1952	08/11/2025
UPDATED Texas, U.S., Marriage Index, 1824-2021	08/06/2025
UPDATED Maine, U.S., Church Records, 1811-1911	07/29/2025
UPDATED Palatine German Immigration to Ireland and U.S., Hank Z Jones collection, 1654-1878	07/28/2025
UPDATED Hawaii, U.S., Birth Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1949	07/28/2025
NEW U.S., WWII Alien Registration, 1940-1955	07/23/2025
UPDATED U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current	07/21/2025
UPDATED U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current	07/21/2025
UPDATED Vermont, U.S., Marriage Records, 1909-2008	07/07/2025
UPDATED South Carolina, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1868-1991	07/07/2025
NEW Vermont, U.S., Divorce Records, 1861-2003	07/07/2025

To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Ancestry, the global leader in family history, today announced a partnership with the WWII Veterans History Project to preserve and share the stories of those who served. Timed with Veterans Day 2025, Ancestry is honoring this historic milestone by introducing Thank You For Your Story, a commemorative storytelling effort complete with a WWII discovery and preservation hub featuring curated record collections, preserving the firsthand accounts of 80 WWII veterans, and helping countless others unearth their own. It's our way of saying, "Thank You For Your Story."

This initiative aims to preserve and share the experiences of those who served during one of history's most defining moments so they are not forgotten. With less than 1% of WWII veterans still alive today, as noted by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, this initiative comes at a crucial time.

"There's never been a more important time to honor our ancestors' WWII-era stories and lived experiences and to preserve the memory of some of America's most remarkable heroes," said Crista Cowan, Ancestry Corporate Genealogist. "Every family has a World War II story waiting to be discovered, and this initiative is a powerful way to remind people to uncover their personal connections to this chapter in history. These veterans' sacrifices not only deserve remembrance, but their wisdom and experiences offer invaluable lessons that can guide our lives today."

For the last ten years, the WWII Veterans History Project has spearheaded a nationwide effort to film and document the personal stories of WWII veterans. As part of this effort, a collection of these stories will be made available for free on Ancestry websites, where anyone can learn from the lived experiences of these American heroes – ensuring their voices are heard, remembered and passed down for future generations.

"This anniversary is a powerful reminder that the opportunity to hear directly from those who lived through it is disappearing fast," said Benjamin Mack-Jackson, Founder of the WWII Veterans History Project. "By partnering with Ancestry, we're able to make these vital human stories more widely accessible than ever before and ensure they're never forgotten."

Over the coming months, Ancestry and the WWII Veterans History Project will be uploading and preserving these powerful veteran stories. While the full experience will debut in early November, visitors can explore military records and resources now at www.ancestry.com/wwii to begin uncovering their own family's history and connection to this defining era.

About Ancestry:
Ancestry, the global leader in family history, connects everyone with their past so they can discover, preserve, and share their unique family stories. With our unparalleled collection of more than 65 billion records, over 3 million subscribers and over 27 million people in our growing DNA network, customers can discover their family story and gain a new level of understanding about their lives. Over the past 40 years, we've built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen us as the platform for discovering, preserving and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families.

About the WWII Veterans History Project:
The WWII Veterans History Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to give the past a future, one story at a time. We're dedicated to educating and inspiring future generations to better appreciate the sacrifices made by the greatest generation through documentary films, traveling museum exhibitions, and educational programs. Founded by Benjamin Mack-Jackson in 2015, our organization has impacted veterans and students alike, preserving countless war stories and encouraging students to reflect on the past and its lasting impact.

Enrolling on a genealogy course is a great way to gain additional family history skills, and perhaps even take a step towards becoming a professional genealogist. The good news is that many genealogy courses are now available online or by correspondence, which means you can take the first step into family history or build on your skills from the comfort of your own home.

Best online and correspondence genealogy courses available today

Pharos Tutors 

Pharos Tutors specialise in online genealogy courses. They have on-demand courses covering topics such as how to get started with your family tree and how to get kids interested in family history (£19.99 – £45.99) and a two-part ‘Foundations of Family History’ course teaching you how to start your family history research. They also have a full programme of courses covering a variety of different aspects of family history research. Available courses with spaces include ‘Introduction to One-Name Studies’ (starts 8 September, 5 week course, £70) and ‘Old Handwriting for Family Historians’ (starts 8 September, 4 week course, £84).

University of Strathclyde 

The Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies in Glasgow has flexible learning pathways suitable for beginner to advanced to help you build the skills needed to take your family history research to the next level. You can choose from a series of eight week online classes (costing £176.00) starting in January, April and October each year. Or try one of their free online MOOCs, which can be studied at any time and from anywhere in the world.If you already have an existing interest and experience in genealogy, then you can further your research with their flexible online postgraduate degree in Genealogical Studies or even go on to take a PhD in History with Genealogical Studies!

Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies 

The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies (IHGS) is an independent charitable trust devoted to the education and research of family history and genealogy. They offer a wide range of correspondence genealogy courses, which you can complete in your own home at your own pace.

Celia Heritage 

Celia Heritage is a professional genealogist, author and regular contributor to Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, who offers a range of genealogy courses. From a one-off video tutorial on using wills for £12.99 to her comprehensive 7-module family history e-course for £447.

Best genealogy courses to become a professional genealogist

If you are a keen and experienced family historian, you may have thought about setting up as a professional genealogist. There isn’t a single genealogy course that will make you a professional genealogist. However, if you wish to join a professional body for genealogists in the UK, like the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG) or the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA), then a qualification may be one of the requirements for membership.

Full membership applicants for the RQG need to have a postgraduate diploma level qualification, which is currently only available from either:

• The IHGS Higher Certificate & Diploma in Genealogy 

• The University of Strathclyde Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical, Paleographic and Heraldic Studies

AGRA applicants are exempt from certain parts of the membership assessment process if they have passed one of the following genealogy courses:

• The IHGS Higher Certificate & Diploma in Genealogy 

• The University of Strathclyde Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical, Paleographic and Heraldic Studies

• Pharos Tutors Family History Skills & Strategies (Advanced) Distance Learning Course (run in association with the SoG)

The Illinois Newspaper Project (INP) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library has received a grant of $324,189 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), to digitize 100,000 pages of historical Illinois newspapers, as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the NEH and the Library of Congress. The Illinois Newspaper Project has been an NDNP partner since 2009, and has contributed over 600,000 pages of digitized newspaper content to Chronicling America, the digital newspaper collection of the Library of Congress. All Illinois newspapers digitized by the INP are also freely available on the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections (IDNC)  website, which includes additional newspapers digitized thanks to other grants and generous patron donations.

The 2025-2027 grant will focus on Illinois newspapers that document the history of relations between Native American communities and settlers, from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century. The INP will partner with other Illinois cultural heritage repositories including the Newberry Library. Celestina Savonius-Wroth (head of the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library) and William Schlaack (Digital Reformatting Coordinator for Preservation Services) will lead the project. In addition to the project leads, the Illinois Newspaper Project team includes Jessie Knoles, Geoffrey Ross, and Chris Prom.

In addition to revealing the celebrity guests to be featured in the new season, Gates also made a promise that “Finding Your Roots” would not be among the PBS programming disappearing from the airwaves in light of Congress’ recent decision to recapture over $1 billion in federal funds for public broadcasting, including the American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR) and hundreds of local and regional radio and TV stations.

“It’s especially important to all of us at ‘Finding Your Roots’ that our viewers know, despite the loss of federal funding for public television, our show and PBS are not going anywhere,” Gates said in his statement. “We encourage everyone to support PBS by becoming a member of your local PBS station if you aren’t already, and continuing to spread the word about the great work PBS is doing.”

The 12th season of “Finding Your Roots” is a production of McGee Media, Inkwell Media and Kunhardt Films in association with WETA, a PBS member TV station in Washington, D.C. In addition to Gates, Dyllan McGee and Peter Kunhardt serve as executive producers. Sabin Streeter is the senior producer; Natalia Warchol, the series producer; Deborah Clancy Porfido, the supervising producer; Kevin Burke, the producer; and Robert L. Yacyshyn, the line producer. Streeter, Krista Whetstone and Warchol are directors.

The is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

Emmett Till Records Release Many new records—now digitized—were released today regarding the tragic murder of Emmett Till. They are available here. This release is in response to the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018.  This release consists of materials from the Justice Department (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the United States Commission on Civil Rights. This is an initial release of federal records related to the case. Records created during later federal investigations are not included, and will be part of later releases. The National Archives partners with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board to review many civil rights related records.  This month marks 70 years since this tragic, watershed moment in American history. Our thoughts are with the Till family. Memorandum to Assistant Attorney General Warren Olney III, page 1  NAID: 603432 Hawaii - The 50th State Despite protests from Native Hawaiians, Hawaii was annexed by the U.S. on August 12, 1898, after the passing of the Newlands Resolution, making it a U.S. territory. More than 60 years later, on August 21, 1959, President Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act admitting Hawaii as the 50th state. Visit the National Archives online to learn more and view many of the historical documents created on Hawaii’s path to statehood. Statement on Hawaii statehood by Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton. NAID: 16607081 Off the Record at the Clinton Presidential Library Join the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, in Little Rock, AR, on August 26, 2025, at 6 p.m. CT, to welcome Stephanie S. Street to the latest session of “Off the Record.” Stephanie will be pulling back the curtain on her time in the West Wing — sharing personal stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and what it was really like to help shape the schedule, strategy, leadership, and legacy of a presidency.  Register here for your tickets to this free, in-person event. Dr. Oz and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Visit the National Archives The National Archives welcomed Dr. Mehmet Oz and staff from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, to view America’s Founding Documents in the historical Rotunda and Lincoln autopsy documents in the “National Vault.” Dr. Oz and the CMS team tour the National Archives Museum.  View the photos on X.

The Cattaraugus County Museum’s annual “Summer at the Stone House” event series will conclude its 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 28, with a presentation by an expert in genealogical research.

The talk, titled “Between the Census Years,” will be given by Jeanette Sheliga, an educator, blogger, lecturer and librarian from Lockport.

“In addition to city directories and newspapers, there are many other records that you may find your ancestors listed in to help bridge the gap between censuses. This presentation will explore numerous sources such as: maps, voter lists, church records, membership directories, local government proceedings and more,” Sheliga explained.

Sheliga began genealogical lecturing in 2011 and soon after formed the North Tonawanda Library Genealogy Club, which she managed for 10 years. In 2013, she became a board member for the Niagara County Genealogical Society. She is also the society vice president, NGS Delegate and the program chairperson. 

Sheliga is a member of many lineage societies, including the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, First Families of Pennsylvania, National Society Descendants of American Farmers and the National Society of Mayflower Descendants. 

In addition, in the fall of 2020, she became the Virtual Genealogical Society’s (VGA) corresponding secretary and was elected to become a member of the board of directors for the Western New York Genealogical Society (WNYGS). While serving on the board for WNYGS, she became a contributing editor for the WNYGS’s quarterly publication, The Journal and was selected as the programming chair.

For more information on Sheliga, visit jeanettesgenealogy.com.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will take place under a tent on the museum lawn, rain or shine. Some seating will be available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs if they wish. This event is free and open to the public.

The program will be livestreamed on the museum’s YouTube channel for those who are unable to attend in person. A link to the livestream will be posted on the museum’s Facebook page closer to the date of the event.

The Cattaraugus County Museum is located in the Stone House, 9824 Route 16, in Machias.

For more information, visit www.cattco.org/museum or call 716-353-8200.

Handel Hendrix House is seeking a Project Archivist to work on a fixed-term, part-time basis (0.8 FTE). The role is based in London with a salary of £24,000 per annum (pro rata of £30,000). The archivist will catalogue, research, conserve, and oversee the digitisation of approximately 1,000 items from the Anim Records archive, which includes material relating to Jimi Hendrix, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and other groups from the 1960s and 1970s.

Applicants should hold an appropriate qualification in archive management (such as a Level 7 ARA archives apprenticeship) and have experience of conservation, storage, cataloguing, and public access standards. Experience of working with the public, managing budgets, and liaising with contractors is also required.

Closing date: Friday 5 September 2025

See full details at https://handelhendrix.org/work-for-us/project-archivist. 

For the first time in six years, the Saskatchewan Genealogy Society (SGS) is hosting a conference that will include topics such as artificial intelligence and using DNA to support research.

“Past Meets Future” is the name of this year’s conference, which the Moose Jaw and Regina branches are co-hosting at the Atlas Hotel at 4177 Albert Street in Regina on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Early bird registration is $100 and must be paid by Friday, Aug. 29, while regular registration is $125 and must be paid by Monday, Sept. 15. The registration form can be found at www.saskgenealogy.com or email saskgenealogy@sasktel.net for more information.

This year’s speakers include Gordon McBean, whose topic is “Artificial Intelligence: Is it really new?”; Dave Obee, with “DNA: Squiggly Lines and Spit,” to be presented via Zoom; Thomas MacEntee, with “Genealogy Do-Over,” which focuses on changes in research and beginner information, to be presented over Zoom; and Tammy Vallee, with “Uncovering Identity: The Role of Genealogy in Indigenous Ancestry.”

Marge Cleave, president of the Moose Jaw branch, said it’s a great feeling to co-host the conference since both branches collaborate well, although she wished it were happening in The Friendly City. Still, it’s positive that this event is happening since the SGS hasn’t held one — typically held annually — since 2019.

Continuing, she said it’s been a “learning curve” for the co-hosts to organize the conference since it’s been a while since the last one and many things have changed in six years. She pointed out that the conference is a hybrid with two presenters speaking online and two speaking in person.

“Personally, I like to have all of the presenters in person, but it’s so costly to have them travel now that it’s great just to have them by Zoom,” Cleave remarked.

The Moose Jaw branch president said the four speakers are “really good” and qualified to discuss their topics. Furthermore, the presenters have told the organizers that they are excited to speak.

Meanwhile, the organization of the conference is going well, while organizers are hoping to attract at least 60 people, said Cleave. She noted that, for whatever reason, people seem to wait until the last minute before registering; with this event, she thinks some people may still be leery post-pandemic about crowds.

Cleave added that the best reason to attend the event is to network with other like-minded genealogists and family history buffs while learning new information and tips to be a better genealogist and researcher.

For more information, visit www.saskgenealogy.com.