European search engines Qwant and Ecosia said on Wednesday that they have both started serving search queries through an index they developed together, Staan, which aims to be a cheaper, more privacy-focused alternative to Google and Bing.

Last year, French privacy-focused search engine Qwant struck a joint venture with German non-profit search engine Ecosia to develop a European search index. Called European Search Perspective (EUSP), the JV now aims to serve around 50% of French queries and 33% of German queries by the end of the year.

Qwant said it is using the new index to power some of its features, like AI summaries for search, and Ecosia has plans to add some AI features soon to its platform, too.

EUSP is also in talks with companies to spur the adoption of its index for enabling search within apps. Notably, it is targeting chatbots, presenting Staan as a cheaper alternative to Google and Bing.

“If you’re using ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot, they all do knowledge grounding with web search … our index can power deep research and AI summary features. Google and Bing’s solutions are also pricey, and our index can offer power search features at a tenth of the cost,” Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia, told TechCrunch.

EUSP, like Proton, is pushing to develop a European tech stack that doesn’t rely on technology from the U.S. or China.

“The timing could not be more urgent. The outcome of the 2024 U.S. election has reminded European policymakers and innovators just how exposed Europe remains when it comes to core digital infrastructure. Much of Europe’s search, cloud, and AI layers are built on American Big Tech stacks, putting entire sectors — from journalism to climate tech — at the mercy of political or commercial agendas,” the companies said in a statement.

Kroll added that through this index, combined with European privacy laws, EUSP can offer a more privacy-friendly search solution as compared to its U.S. counterparts.

FREE BCG-SPONSORED WEBINAR

“From Statutes to Stories: Finding the Law for Family History”

by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, FUGA

Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 8:00 p.m. (EDT)

The laws our ancestors lived by can tell us a great deal about life in earlier times. Finding those laws, and the stories they tell, can be a daunting task, but—from colonial statutes to today, from the halls of Congress to the statehouses of 50 states—the choices legislators made about what laws were needed give a rich and deep context to family history.

Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, FUGA. A genealogist with a law degree, Judy G. Russell is a lecturer, educator, and writer who enjoys helping others understand a wide variety of genealogical issues, including the interplay between genealogy and the law. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark. She holds the Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer credentials from the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, trade association writer, legal investigator, defense attorney, federal prosecutor, law editor, and, until her retirement, was an adjunct member of the faculty at Rutgers Law School. Judy is a Colorado native with roots deep in the American South on her mother’s side and entirely in Germany on her father’s side.

BCG’s next free monthly webinar in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars is “From Statutes to Stories: Finding the Law for Family History” by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, FUGA. This webinar airs Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. 

When you register before August 19 with our partner Legacy Family Tree Webinars(http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=9370), you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Anyone with schedule conflicts may access the webinar at no charge for one week after the broadcast on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

“BCG promotes continuing education as essential for competent family history research,” said President David Ouimette, CG, CGL. “We appreciate this opportunity to provide webinars focused on standards that help genealogists and family historians build their knowledge and skills and hone their craft.”

Following the free period for this webinar, BCG receives a small commission if you view this or any BCG webinar by clicking our affiliate link (http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=6803).

To see the full list of BCG-sponsored webinars for 2025, visit the BCG blog SpringBoard(https://bcgcertification.org/free-bcg-sponsored-2025-webinars). For additional resources for genealogical education, please visit the BCG Learning Center (https://bcgcertification.org/learning).

The Clonmany Geneaology and Heritage Group is to hold a special event later this month celebrating the connection between the people of Inishowen (Ireland) and the natural world around them.

Celebrating Inishowen’s Natual Heritage will feature a fascinating exhibition of local photographs, historical artefacts and natural items that will tell the story of how local communities in the area have always depended on the rich flora and fauna of the region for survival, pleasure and peace of mind.

The exhibition will be held from midday until 4pm on Saturday the 23rd of August, and from 1pm to 4:30pm on Sunday the 24th of August – and entry is free.

It will also explore traditional practices such as farming, fishing, turf cutting, thatching, and the gathering of medicinal plants. Visitors will also learn how local people used the land and sea not just for food and shelter, but also for trade, warmth, and healing.

One of the most crucial parts of folklore in Inishowen that will be explored is the role of animals and plants.

According to the Clonmany Geneaology and Heritage Group, one such important story is the role of the robin.

“Many people believed the appearance of a robin soon after a bereavement was a sign that the departed person had come to give reassurance that he or she was at peace and happy. The appearance of another animal, however, was taken as a warning sign. Many fishermen would not go to sea if they encountered a fox on the road to the pier. Interestingly, the fishermen were equally worried if they met a red-haired woman on the road!”

The event includes a Walk & Talk in Straid at 12.00 noon, meeting at the Urris GAA car park at 11.45 am, and will include a visit to the Old Church. Topics for the talk will include the history of Straid and the Old Church, local ‘Big Houses’, Glenfield Army Camp, the nearby Souterrain, Straid’s connections to the British Royal Family, local wildlife folklore, and much more.

An added attraction will be another Walk and Talk in Clonmany Village, taking place immediately afterwards, provided by Clonmany Walking Tours (€7).

Anyone interested in that walk and talk can contact (083) 3875724 for further details.

Clonmany Genealogy & Heritage Group PRO, Hugh Farren, is encouraging people to come along to the Market House and enjoy the event.

“The exhibition will include scenic and wildlife photographs of the local area and from across Inishowen,” he said.

“Visitors will also see a collection of old objects and tools and learn about how they were used in everyday life. This is an opportunity to be reminded how important nature and natural resources were in the past, and how vital it is to protect them for future generations.”

For further information please contact:

Email: clonmanygenealogygroup@gmail.com.

Phone: (087) 0000938

The Hopkins County Genealogical Society’s Research Library, located inside the Sulphur Springs Public Library at 611 North Davis Street, operates with a vibrant group of volunteers eager to help the public with their research needs. Due to flooring renovations going on in December along with the holiday closure schedule, the doors to the HCGS Research Library will not be open during the final weeks of December. However, a bright new year awaits those who plan to utilize the Research Library and the knowledge and expertise of Society members. Good News! The Research Library will re-open on Monday January 3, 2022. In a press release from the HCGS, the good news is announced and membership application provided. Also, you can reach out to hcgstx.org for details.

We are happy to announce that the installation of the new carpet in our library is complete.  Numerous volunteers donated their time to return the library to its original functioning state.  We will wait until Monday, January 3. 2022, as originally planned, to resume our normal hours of operation.

In the meantime, we have attached the 2022 Membership Renewal form to this email, so that you can take care of that before the first of the year.  Remember, the password for the “Members Only” section of our website will expire on January 31st and you will need to have renewed your membership for 2022 to be given the new password.  We don’t want you to miss out on any announcements, events or new data added to the website.

It is our sincere hope everyone has a safe and blessed Christmas! We look forward to seeing everyone after the New Year!

A free, charity-funded genealogy search service is launching a new probate service and is looking for financial support for the venture. 

Free UK Genealogy is a registered charity dedicated to making historic UK family history records freely accessible online. The current websites, which include FreeBMD, FreeCEN, and FreeREG, provide access to historical records to help people discover their heritage and deepen their connection to the past.

Now the charity is aiming to launch FreePRO; a new searchable database of UK probate records providing the only free-to-access probate index of its kind, searchable by deceased and executor names, date, address, occupation, and more. The charity says it has the potential to unlock a ‘treasure trove of insights for genealogists, academics, solicitors, and heir hunters alike.’

“FreePRO brings together everything our charity stands for: innovation, public access, and the power of community,”

said Denise Colbert, Chief Operating Officer of Free UK Genealogy.

“By backing FreePRO, you’re not just supporting your business’s research potential and visibility; you’re helping thousands of people uncover their stories, connect with their roots, and preserve our shared heritage.”

The websites and content have to date been built by a passionate community of global volunteers, and our commitment to open data ensures that access to this information remains free for all. FreePRO is aiming to raise £40,000 to complete the launch. To access £20,000 in match funding, it must raise £10,000 in pledges by 30 August.

At this stage no money will be taken by the charity… pledges won’t be collected until December, only if Free UK Genealogy hit their full fundraising target.

In return for financial support, Free UK Genealogy can offer:

• High visibility to a niche audience – Over 100 users per minute use the family history platforms. These are people actively researching their past — many of them looking for probate information.
• Strong brand alignment – Reach solicitors, probate professionals, genealogists, and researchers in a trusted, relevant context.
• Support a sector-leading project Be visibly associated with a flagship open data initiative — helping improve public access to information and powering thousands of personal stories.
• Be part of something first – FreePRO will be the most detailed and searchable probate index in the UK.

Visibility Packages for Business Pledgers

Pledge Amount	Your Visibility
£300	Name + link featured on campaign pages, emails and newsletters
£500	Above, plus rotating logo placement on FreeBMD during the campaign
£1,000	Featured partner status — includes long-term visibility on the FreePRO website, spotlight on our socials, and press opportunities
Over £1,000	Contact Free UK Genealogy to discuss further options (ASAP to meet pledge deadline)

The deadline for pledges is the 29th August. More information on pledging can be found on The Big Give page.

The Ozarks Genealogical Society Library in Springfield announced it is closing its building and moving its collection to the Emerson Local History & Genealogy Center in St. Louis.

Reasons for the move, the library explained in an email to its members, is in part due to “an obvious trend that in-person use of our brick and mortar library has diminished as people access genealogy information online.”

OGS, however, will continue to provide free genealogy help through its programs and classes and member opportunities.

Micki Dischinger sat at the small desk in the Ozarks Genealogical Society Library on Aug. 1 watching fellow OGS members pack up books from the shelves into boxes. It was the desk she has sat at every Wednesday and Saturday for more than a decade.

She will no longer be at the library, which will be sold soon. The books and periodicals that lined the shelves are being sent to the Emerson Local History & Genealogy Center in St. Louis.

While the move makes Dischinger sad, she understands the reasons for the change. When she started volunteering at the library she would see three or four people each day. “Now we are lucky to have one person in a week,” she admitted. “There was a time when we would have a whole line of tables here and they would be full.”

One of the main reasons for those changes is the way people access genealogical information today with many increasingly turning to various online sources.

“Before the internet, genealogists were entirely reliant on either in-person visits to the locales where their ancestors lived or the published books that contained abstracted information from important records. Now that we have access to genealogical resources on the internet, our research has shifted,” explained Patti Hobbs, OGS president, in an email explaining the move to members.

While in-person visits to local courthouses and archives are still essential and published books that provide information are not always available online, having the new Ozarks Genealogical Society Collection available through inter-library loan will serve those needs, Hobbs added. Among those resources are probate records, land records, court records, tax records and military records, she explained. “The information abstracted into the books provide a shortcut to the research, particularly when traveling to the location is difficult.”

When OGS opened its library in a former church building on West Catalpa in 1985, it provided those important resources, including abstracts of those records. The building also served as a location for classes and conferences.When it is sold, the proceeds will go toward education and helping people with their genealogy and possibly providing additional database access, things OGS has been unable to do because its funds were devoted to supporting the aging building, Hobbs said.

Joe Fry knows firsthand about the needs and cost of maintaining the library building. An OGS member for 20 years, Fry has done much of that work. As an electrician, he installed the lighting. But he also did basic maintenance for years. He also did a lot of work on research for others. In fact, he is what is known as a “DNA Angel,” helping adoptees find their birth families through DNA and genealogical searches.

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

60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act August 6, 2025, marked 60 years since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.  The Voting Rights Act is now on display through August 27, 2025, at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. In addition, visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum online to view photos from the signing of this historic piece of legislation. The Voting Rights Act of August 6, 1965. NAID: 299909 President Hoover’s Birthday Born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa, Herbert Hoover would later found the Commission for Relief in Belgium during World War I, serve as Secretary of Commerce, and go on to become the 31st President of the United States. Visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum online to learn more. Herbert Hoover, President of U.S., ca. 1929. NAID: 523744202 Progressing Toward Fully Electronic Records Federal agencies have made important strides in digital records management. About 71 percent of federal agencies reported meeting the deadline for managing their permanent records in an electronic format, according to William Fischer, Acting Chief Records Officer at the National Archives. NARA recently issued a new guide for managing federal records that better accounts for electronic recordkeeping. A researcher views an electronic record in the National Archives Catalog, September 21, 2018. NAID: 493463432

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has officially donated 152 boxes of historical records to Western University, preserving 150 years of local healthcare history in a public archive.

The materials, which date back to the late 1800s, include handwritten letters, photographs, documents, and artifacts from the region's earliest hospitals, such as South Street Hospital, the Beck Sanatorium, and the War Memorial Children's Hospital. They also contain records from Victoria and University Hospitals, and one of the earliest nursing training schools.

"This is a great acquisition for Western," Western archivist Anne Quirk said. "It tells the story of early healthcare in London through training notebooks, photos, correspondence, and even land purchase agreements for the tuberculosis sanatorium."

The donation marks a significant milestone for the hospital network, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

"It's a legacy of healthcare, not just locally, but across our region," said Deborah Wiseman, Vice President of Clinical Services at LHSC. "We were pioneers back in the 1800s, and we're still pioneers today."

The archives include records that were stored at Victoria Hospital and Children's Hospital for decades, often scattered across departments. According to LHSC, clinical librarian Darren Hamilton spearheaded the effort to gather and preserve the material before transferring them to Western's archives and research collection centre.

"There's a lot more to be discovered once we go into the boxes in more detail," said Quirk.

Archivists will now begin the painstaking process of organizing the collection, placing items in acid-free folders, and creating a searchable finding aid. Eventually, elements may be digitized for broader public access. Until then, the collection is available for in-person viewing in Western's reading room.

Items of note include training certificates from the Victoria Hospital School of Nursing dating back to 1883, photographs from tuberculosis sanatoriums, and vintage newsletters such as Vic Life, which in 1958 highlighted updates to the pharmacy department.

The records complement Western's existing holdings on medical history, including documents from the London Psychiatric Hospital and the London Regional Cancer Centre.

For Londoners curious to see some of the history now, a curated exhibit of LHSC's 150th anniversary is on display at the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame at 100 Kellogg Lane.

Part of the AmericanaFest lineup, this Lunch and Learn panel delves into the fascinating world of acquiring, preserving, and showcasing music related artifacts at museums, exhibits, and libraries. The discussion offers valuable insights into the multifaceted roles of collectors, curators, and archivists along with providing insights into building your own personal collection. Each panelist will share their perspectives and experiences so that anyone can learn how to create a new collection and donate to an existing institution. For scholars, educators, or individuals that have collections of their own, they'll get a chance to hear ways to utilize their collections for creative exhibits and future collaborations. Panelists include Dom Flemons, Vania Kinard, Holling Smith-Borne, Dr. Bryan Pierce and Tranae Chatman.

RSVP on Eventbrite

This Lunch and Learn event is in-person in the Museum's Digital Learning Center at 12:00 p.m. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the Museum's website at TNMuseum.org/Videos. If you have any questions, please email Public.Programs@tn.gov. Boxed lunches made by Apple Spice Nashville are available for purchase for $12.24 to enjoy during the event. The lunches will include a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Lunch orders must be placed by noon on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Please order your boxed lunch on the ticket registration page.

This is a great opportunity for anyone who hasn’t tested yet to discover the power of DNA. MyHeritage offers a unique combination of global reach and powerful tools: A detailed ethnicity breakdown across 79 ethnicities and 2,114 geographic regions A growing international DNA database with over 9 million users Advanced DNA tools that can help you understand how your matches are related to you Ancient Origins, a unique feature that allows you to trace your origins back 10,000 years and discover the ancient civilizations you descend from *Note that access to the advanced DNA tools and Ancient Origins is available as part of a Complete or Omni subscription or free trial.