Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, Our Presentation Speaker For Our July 10, 2012 Genealogy Program, Made An Appearance On NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” With Jason Sudeikis

Hi Everyone!

Jeanne Larzalere Bloom

Talk about timing being everything!

I hope that many of you have viewed the recent episode on NBC’s “Who Do You think You Are?” that featured the ancestral search by Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live fame.

I had to do a double-take as I was watching the show because during the show who did I see make an onscreen appearance as one of the leading genealogy experts guiding Jason Sudeikis in his ancestral quest?

None other than our speaker for our own upcoming genealogy program on July 10, 2012, Jeanne Larzalere Bloom!  How do you like that for a now famous on-screen genealogy star advisor!  Look for Jeanne at about the 5 minute mark of the show meeting with Jason Sudeikis at the Chicago History Museum.  She also has another meeting with Jason Sudeikis later in the program.

Jeanne will be making an appearance at our own library this upcoming July 10, 2012 to present her program titled “Hiring A Professional Genealogist”.

I did mention to Jeanne that I wished I had known of her upcoming appearance on the famous show so that I could have shared it with all of you in advance of the airing.  However, Jeanne did indicate that she was under the strictest of a “confidentiality agreement” with NBC and was precluded  from making it known to anyone that she would be on the show.  And boy did Jeanne hold fast to that agreement by not sharing she would be seen on the show.

If you missed the original airing of the show with Jeanne and Jason Sudeikis, you can always see the show online via the NBC website.  You can get to this show via the following link:

Jason Sudeikis On “Who Do You Think You Are?” With Jeanne Larzalere Bloom

I feel so honored that we will have such a TV personality as Jeanne Larzalere Bloom make a presentation at our library.  Again, timing is everything to have Jeanne at our library just a couple of months after her making such a memorable appearance on “Who Do You Think You Are?

Take a look at the show if you have not already seen it or even if you have revisit it  again prior to seeing Jeanne in person at our own library on Tuesday evening, July 10, 2012.

I look forward to having our own star in person on that day!

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

Shocking And Disappointing News Item!!; Popular Genealogy TV Show “Who Do You Think You Are?” On NBC Will Be Cancelled And Will Not Have New Episodes For 2013

Hi Everyone!

To say the least, I am shocked over just discovering the news that the popular Genealogy TV show on NBC will no longer be on the air!  It is not being renewed for 2013.

I am shocked!

It seemed to me to that it began hitting its stride.  I thought it was considered successful because it actually delivered more episodes in 2012 than it had previously delivered in it two previous seasons.

What follows in Italics after the separator is the text from Dick Eastman’s May 13, 2012 blog post on the comments provided by Ancestry.com upon hearing the news of the cancellation.  Ancestry.com was a major advertiser on the program.  Ancestry.com was emphasized throughout the show as the stars began their online search efforts using Ancestry.com.

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The following announcement was written by Ancestry.com Inc.:

PROVO, Utah, May 13, 2012 — Ancestry.com Inc., the world’s largest online family history resource, today commented on NBC’s decision not to renew the Who Do You Think You Are? television series for a fourth season.

“We want to thank NBC for their support of this terrific series, which over the last three years has inspired many viewers to follow their passion to learn more about who they are and where they come from,” said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com. “We have a great partnership with the show’s producers, Is or Isn’t Entertainment and Shed Media, and we look forward to exploring other avenues of distribution.”

About Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com Inc. is the world’s largest online family history resource, with 1.9 million paying subscribers. More than 10 billion records have been added to the site in the past 15 years. Ancestry users have created more than 34 million family trees containing approximately 4 billion profiles. In addition to its flagship site, Ancestry.com offers several localized Web sites designed to empower people to discover, preserve and share their family history.

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So it is that all good things come to an end.  It just seemed we were getting comfortable with knowing this show was going to be on Friday evenings and we had something to look forward to.  Some shows were outstanding.  Some shows were boring and lacked and insight into genealogical research.  Maybe inconsistency was the death knell for the show.  Overall, I always got something out of each show just knowing that genealogical pursuit received such visibility via an actual TV show!

There is only one more original episode scheduled to appear on Friday evening, May 18, 2012.  Paula Deen will be showcased in the series finale.

It still hard for me to believe that more new episodes of “Who Do You Think You Are?” will be no more.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

Our Library Is Having Major Construction Work Done On Our 2nd Floor; Things Have Been Moved Around; Construction Zone Walls Are Being Erected

Hi Everyone!

I just want our library users to know that you will be seeing some major construction activity taking place on the 2nd floor of our library that will occur over the next 6 months.

Our library is building a 6,000 square foot “Teen Center” on the 2nd floor in the area where our Information Desk was located and extending back into the “deep bowels” of our library building that was set up for staff offices and materials.  The new location of the Information Desk is accessed on the 2nd floor by turning left from the stairwell or the elevator instead on walking straight across what used to be the open floor.

Also affected is our Magazine collection location that has been moved over to the Reference area.  Our newspaper storage and microfilm storage areas out of the view of the public have also been moved.  This move affects more our own internal change of where this material will be stored and accessed and not so much for you, the library customer.  Requests for this kind of material will still be able to be fulfilled but our staff will just be getting to the material in different manners and different locations within our building.

Things are just going to look different on the 2nd floor.  Old habits of accessing and viewing materials in locations you were familiar with will have to change during the construction period.  Be patient while both you and me acclimate to the temporary changes to accommodate the construction work.

Come on in and re-familiarize yourself with the new configuration of materials on our 2nd floor.

We will all get through this time of change!

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

A Little Bit Of Non-Genealogical Excitement At Our Library!

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to share with you a link to a Daily Herald news item from yesterday, February 21, 2012.

A mini-van crashed through our front entrance of the building yesterday afternoon about 4:45 PM.  Thank goodness no one was hit by the mini-van as it crashed through our front doors.  The driver and passenger suffered some cuts from the broken glass.

If you are coming to our library, you will have to enter our building from the “east” side of the main entrance in the parking area.

These are the kind of stories we all have in our lives that will make for interesting reading for our descendants 100 years from now!

Here is a link to the news item from the Daily Herald:

Mini-Van Crashes Through Schaumburg Library Entrance February 21, 2012

I was not here when the event occurred so I missed all of the actual excitement.

Today our library will start picking up the pieces and putting things back together.

We are opened for business in a normal fashion.  You will just have to enter our library from the “east” side of the entranceway on the side of Dominick’s Foods.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

“Who Do You Think You Are?” Season 3 Premier Episode With Martin Sheen; What Did You Think About This Show?; I Am Looking For Comments

Hi Everyone!

Well, the Season 3 Premier episode of “Who Do You Think You Are?” just aired this last Friday, February 3, 2012 at 7 PM Chicago time.  I hope all of you had the chance to view it while it was airing or after you recorded it.  Maybe you even viewed it online at the NBC website. 

What’s the buzz level?  Maybe as intense as the picture above with a lot of conversation? 

 If you have not yet seen it, you can view it on the NBC site.  You need Adobe Flash 11.1 to view the video at the following NBC website link: 

Season 3 Premier of “Who Do You Think You Are?” Online Video Link

NBC will be airing 12 episodes this year.  In the past seasons NBC aired about 8 or 9 episodes.  So I guess you can take it that 12 episodes is good because viewership is good and profitable for NBC. 

I would sure like to hear some feedback from readers of the blog as to what you thought of this episode!

Keep your comments clean and on-topic!

Please leave your comments as part of this blog post so others can see them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

(Incorrect Empty Post – Ignore) Handout Material From Caron Brennan’s Program On Social Media And Genealogy on January 10, 2012 Now Accesible In This Post As PDF Files; You Can Access All Of The Links She Reviewed

“I Seek Dead People” Genealogy T-Shirt – Get People’s Attention Regarding Your Hobby!

Hi Everyone!

A fellow researcher that attends our monthly genealogy program came into the office one day to see me. 

I immediately noticed a great-looking T-shirt she was wearing that had a very powerful phrase emboldened across the top of the T-shirt.  A phrase that a fellow genealogist could certainly appreciate.  For someone not into genealogy, one might certainly expect the question to be asked by that person would be “What is the meaning of that phrase that is on your T-shirt?”.

How would you react if you saw a black T-shirt with the phrase “I Seek Dead People” as the message on the T-shirt? 

With an opening like that you could certainly provide some insights into the addictive habit you have developed to research your ”dead” ancestors!

The T-shirt looked like a quality shirt that certainly makes a bold statement to whoever sees it or it will at least elicit a strange look at you that you should be prepared to receive. 

Small phrases make powerful statements.  This phrase certainly sums up all of your genealogical endeavors into a few powerful words emboldened on your chest for the world to see!

My fellow researcher provided me with the website where the T-shirt was obtained.  I thought I would share that site with all of you should you also want to go out into the world and make a statement on your fantastic hobby.

I have no connections to this company nor am I endorsing the company or the shirt.  I am just passing down some information for all of you to check out.

The company that provides the shirt is called Gene Tree.

You can find them at:

GeneTree/I Seek Dead People

The company also has a lot of material at its site about DNA testing for genealogy.  They are more than just a T-shirt company!

Check out the shirt and check out all of the products and services this company offers, especially all of the information on DNA and genealogy.  I think the shirt only comes in one color – black with the white lettering of the phrase.  Basic shirt price is $12.99 with an additional $2 charge if you start ordering the X-X-X larger size shirts.

Do you want to make a genealogy statement to others?  There is no better way than to tell everyone what interests you than for them to see you with your new T-shirt on.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

Oooooops! Our Library Printed Program Guide Is Mistakenly Indicating You Will Need To Register for Our Genealogy Programs for October and November 2011 – YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER!

Hi Everyone!

I received a call from a frequent attendee to our genealogy programs indicating to me that they saw our upcoming genealogy programs for October and November 2011 listed in our printed Program Guide as requiring “registration”.  The printed Program Guide is now showing a red “R” after any programs that require advance registration.  This was intended as a visual clue for anyone reviewing the guide to provide a “heads up” that registration is required for that program.

Unfortunately, the “R” notice was inadvertently inserted in the program description for genealogy for the October and November 2011 genealogy programs we are having.

You do NOT have to pre-register for the genealogy programs we will be having in October and November 2011.

That is a mistake.

All you need to do for our genealogy programs is “come on in” like we have always been doing in the past.

I apologize for any confusion this may initially cause, especially for all of you who regularly attend our program and know that I have never had any pre-registration for the genealogy programs.

I guess we can attribute this whole thing to a big:

OOOOOOOOOOPS!!

Thanks for being understanding.  This will be corrected for any future  genealogy program descriptions we show in the printed Program Guide.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library

Here Is A Challenge (Easy I Think!) To Readers of My Blog – What Is Different Between My July 2011 and August 2011 “Newsletter” and “Program Handouts”???

Hi Everyone!

Here is a really simple challenge to readers of this blog. 

Trust me, it is simple!

Why is this simple?  Because I know as genealogy researchers, looking at documents and looking for subtle things within documents is a genealogy researchers’ specialty.  Plus I know the high level of skills of the people I interact with.  You are all the best.

Open up the PDF files for the July 2011 and August 2011 “Newsletter” and “Program Handouts” and tell me what you see that is different in the August 2011 issues.

Hints.

——There is one difference for the Newsletter.  There are two differences for the Program Handouts.

——There is visually something new in the August 2011 issue of the “Newsletter” and the “Program Handouts” and the difference can be found in the first 5 pages.

——One of the differences is related to a recent post I made in the last month.

I brought this up as a quick challenge at our most recent program on August 9, 2011 and I want to give a hearty congratulations to Sue R. who immediately was able to tell me what she discovered.  Sue, you caught me off guard because I did not think anyone would know as quickly as you did.  I thought I could have made it more dramatic but you burst that bubble way too quickly.

Sue’s answer sure made me feel good that there are readers of the blog that are in fact reading through the posted Newsletter and Program Handouts!

So it would not be fair for anyone who attended the program to leave me a comment with the answer to my challenge because you already know the answer.  This challenge is obviously intended for someone not at our last program that reads my blog.

But I did want to congratulate Sue R. again and leave her with her “15 minutes of fame” moment.

For those of you up to this challenge, please leave your answer as to what you see different as a “comment” response on this blog post.

Perhaps your “15 minutes of fame” moment is right around the corner with correct answers.

Give it a shot. 

Use the tips. 

Compare the issues.

Leave your answer within the “Comments” part of the blog post.

I patiently await your responses.

Thanks for participating.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library.

Sandra Hargreaves Luebking Passed Away on February 17, 2011

Hi Everyone!

It is with great sadness that I am informing our readers of the recent death of Sandra Hargreaves Luebking.  Sandra passed away on February 17, 2011 after a long battle with cancer.

Sandra had been a past speaker at two of our genealogy programs.  She had presented programs in May 2005 and in August 2006 at our library.

I felt so honored that Sandra presented us with two of her great programs.  I had wanted her to routinely return to our library to present more of her genealogy programs but that is when I was made aware of her illness.  She chose to withdraw from presenting her genealogy programs while she battled with the cancer diagnosis she had received.

Sandra was a “genealogy giant”.  She was very well-known at the national level in the field of genealogy.

We were so lucky to have Sandra be local to our area and to benefit by her being able to do her presentations in person within our geographic area.

She will truly be missed by all of us.

Dick Eastman had a very well detailed description of Sandra’s contributions in the world of genealogy that was put together by the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS).  The following text in italics was created by the FGS describing all of the accomplishments of Sandra:

Noted Genealogist and Former FGS FORUM Editor Passes

17 February 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, noted genealogist and one of the genealogy community’s best leaders who died on Thursday, 17 February 2011 at Lemont, Illinois, surrounded by her family. Funeral arrangements are still pending at this time.

A nationally known author, editor, instructor, lecturer, and researcher, Sandra was the editor of the FGS FORUM for over 22 years. Known for her radiant smile and helpful ways, almost everyone who was a member of or worked with a genealogical society, or attended a conference knew Sandra. In nearly three decades as a professional genealogist, she presented over one thousand lectures.

Beginning in 1979, Sandra taught annually at Samford University’s Institute of Genealogy and Historical  Research (IGHR) and twice accompanied their British Research tour. From 1990 to 2007 she was Course I Coordinator for IGHR. From 1994 until its close in  2005, Sandra was Intermediate Studies Coordinator for the Genealogical Institute of Mid-America (at the University of Illinois, sponsored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society). With Loretto Dennis Szucs, Sandra co-edited three award-winning books, including two editions of The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy; and The Archives: A Guide to the National Archives Field Branches. Sandra also wrote two chapters for Professional Genealogy (Elizabeth Shown Mills, editor) titled “Genealogical Education” and “Fee Setting.”

Helping thousands of people to find their Chicago/Cook County roots, Sandra conducted research projects for the Smithsonian Institute, numerous publishers and attorneys, and an international clientele from Australia, England, Finland, Germany and Sweden. She was a past trustee for the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and a volunteer research assistant at the National Archives—Great Lakes Region.

Sandra’s honors included the Professional Achievement Award from the APG (2008); the Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern Humanitarian Award from FGS (2008); lecturer for the Richard Slatten Lecture Series by the Friends of the Virginia State Archives (2003) and, lecturer for the Willard Heiss Memorial Lecture at the 79th Annual Indiana History Conference (Indiana Historical Society) (1999). She was a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association (1996) and was named Outstanding IGHR Alumni by Samford University in 1995.

Sandra was truly a treasure.

Sandra your programs here will always be remembered for the passion, energy, knowledge and happiness that you brought to our library when you shared your knowledge with all of us to help make us better researchers.

May you rest in peace.

Tony Kierna
Genealogy Coordinator
Schaumburg Township District Library