Download the Summer Issue of the New York Researcher for Free!

June 24, 2019

The New York Researcher is our colorful quarterly magazine sent to all NYG&B members - it can also be read or downloaded as a PDF on our website. 

In celebration of our 150th Anniversary, we're opening up the latest issue to everyone - the digital version will be free to read or download through Labor Day.

This issue includes: 

  • A letter from NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor (the text of this letter is also below)
  • NYG&B History, Part Two: The Second 75 Years 
  • New York Vital Records Updates
  • What's Next? Six Steps to Take with a Death Certificate
  • 2018 Annual Review 
  • New Online Records and Databases
  • Exploring our Past: NYG&B Visits the Netherlands
  • Upcoming NYG&B Events 

Click here to read and download the issue. 

 

A letter from NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor

Dear Friends, 

What an incredible year it has been already for the NYG&B! We’ve traveled coast to coast (and journeyed all the way to Amsterdam) to celebrate our 150th Anniversary, met thousands of members in locations near and far, and continued preserving New York’s stories and records each day.

We still have plenty of online and onsite activities planned for the remainder of the year, and I hope you each have the opportunity to celebrate this important milestone with us.

This issue of the New York Researcher contains our 2018 Annual Review beginning on page 35. This important review of the previous year outlines a number of important projects, events, and other activities of the NYG&B.

I am especially grateful to our members and those who provide support for our organization’s many activities. It is because of your generosity that we were able to begin work on our new online records platform, launch the New York Land Records Indexing Project, continue digitizing records from across the state, and provide a series of educational programs and activities that enrich the study of New York genealogy and biography. Thank you!

In addition to the Annual Review, this issue of the New York Researcher provides an update on accessing New York’s vital records (and their indexes), new additions to the NYG&B website, and a summary of our Heritage Tour to the Netherlands. If you could not join us this year, rest assured, planning for future heritage tours is in progress. Locations and details will be forthcoming.

Though our popular Albany Research Tour is already sold-out for 2019, you can make plans now to join us in New York City for Empire State Exploration in February 2020 and in Albany for the New York State Family History Conference (NYSFHC) in September 2020.

In addition to these programs, the NYG&B continues to digitize materials from Kinship Books and will welcome nine interns during the summer. Our interns, supported by the generosity of NYG&B’s members, gain experience in preserving and digitization documents, genealogical research, writing, event planning, and other activities.

We also welcomed Carlos Santiago as a new member of the NYG&B team a few weeks ago. Mr. Santiago has joined us as our digital collections assistant and will play a crucial role in adding materials to our new online records platform.

If you have not already made plans to do so, I hope you will join the NYG&B at one of our in-person (and virtual) open houses in the fall and take part in our 150th Anniversary event on November 20 discussing the future of family history. Our special guests, including Blaine T. Bettinger and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, will join me in a fascinating discussion of where the field of family history might be headed in the immediate and distant future.

In closing, please know how grateful I am to each of you for your continued membership and support of New York’s oldest and largest genealogical organization. Your membership not only enables you to access resources for your own research, but also ensures we can preserve and provide access to countless other materials for other researchers in perpetuity.

Thank you for remaining committed to our mission and lending your support as we strive to ensure that New York’s stories are told.

 

Sincerely,

D. Joshua Taylor

President, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society

 

Download the issue

 

More Genealogy Reading

 

About the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society is 
a registered 501(c)(3) organization devoted to 
preserving, documenting, and sharing the history of
New York State families. Read more about our mission.  

Since 1869, our mission has been to help our thousands of worldwide members discover their family's New York story, and there has never been a better time to join.

The cost of an Individual Annual Membership is less than six dollars a month, and includes the following benefits: 

  • Access to over 50 exclusive digital record sets covering the entire state of New York, including the fully searchable archives of The Record. 
  • A complimentary subscription to all of Findmypast's North American records, as well as U.K. and Irish Census records.
  • Access to hundreds of expert-authored Knowledge Base articles and webinars to help you navigate the tricky New York research landscape. 
  • Exclusive discounts and advanced access to conferences, seminars, workshops and lectures to learn more about researching people and places across New York State. 

To learn more or join us, please visit our member benefits page.