Movie Mondays

So you are getting ready to begin your search, and Linda and I have been busy trying to supply you with the information and tools you need to get started. It's daunting. Sometimes, even overwhelming. We know. We were once just starting out, too.

In researching ways to make it easier to teach all of you the basics, I stumbled upon a number of wonderful videos sponsored by the Family History Library.  These are very cool because the videos are very well done, most of us learn best by being shown how to do things, and these lessons use the quintessential free resource - FamilySearch.org.  What's not to like!

Starting today, we are launching a series called "Movie Mondays".  Each Monday we will post the link to a video we hope you will enjoy and find useful as you begin digging into your family roots.

This week we are offering the first in a series of short videos entitled "5 Minute Genealogy". Who doesn't have five minutes to learn something new?  When you click on the link supplied below, take note of the information listed below the grey "View This Lesson" box.  In the case of the first episode, you will find a link to a PDF lesson handout.  Just click on the link and you will get a nifty one-page handout you can print or download to your computer for future reference.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you are using a PC you may be prompted to download Microsoft's Silverlight program.  It only takes a minute and will enable you to run the videos on your Windows PC.  I found that the videos work best using Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.  Even though they say the videos will run well on Google Chrome, that has not been true for me.  Linda and I discovered that these videos do not run on tablet devices.  If you are using an Apple computer you may be prompted to download a program such as the "Spotlight" plug-in to enable you to watch these videos.

Here is the link for the first episode. If you need a link to copy and paste into an alternative browser:  https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/lesson/5-minute-genealogy-episode-1-quick-start/234.

Now get out there and find some ancestors!

-- submitted by Denise Doyon