The Spring New York Researcher is Out: Here's What's Inside

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The Spring 2022 issue of the New York Researcher is now available to read online.

Read NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor's letter below, and browse the issue's table of contents. 

From the President

The NYG&B began 2022 with several exciting activities, including the return of NYG&B Week. In addition to free online educational programs, the week focused on opportunities to preserve New York’s records.

More than 120 volunteers participated in indexing and digitization events throughout the week. In just a few short days, more than 2,500 images were captured, and more than 6,000 individual New York land records were indexed.

Thank you to those who actively participate in our volunteer program and continue to donate your time and talent as part of our community. Numerous opportunities exist (both at home and the NYG&B offices), and we welcome you to participate!

In February participants in the NYG&B’s Empire State Exploration program spent four days researching their New York families at our headquarters, the New York Public Library, the New-York Historical Society, the New York City Municipal Archives, and other repositories across the city.

Programs like Empire State Exploration and the upcoming Research in Albany Tour offer unique hands-on experiences, including guided research, consultations, educational sessions, and networking events. They represent the critical role of the NYG&B in helping researchers access and interpret New York’s records.

Together with our online free and member programming and courses at the New York Family History School, these events explore families from the colonial New York period to the 21st-century of various backgrounds.

The NYG&B’s new digitization center (spotlighted on page 13 of this issue) remains a hub of activity, preserving materials at a higher rate than ever before. This year we look forward to continuing digitizing new materials to make available to you at newyorkfamilyhistory.org. Projects underway include religious records, insurance application files, lineage society membership records, and other materials.

This issue includes the annual review of the NYG&B’s activities during the previous year. Enhancements to our headquarters, new online record collections, and the launch of a rejuvenated New York Family History School are just a few of the exciting developments your support made possible. I want to specifically express my appreciation to those who contributed to the improvements to the NYG&B’s offices. Your support made this critical project a reality.

Together we expanded our capabilities to provide services for those seeking New York family history to even larger audiences. The 1950 United States census release (April 1, 2022) and the newly launched free website for New York City vital records mark two tremendous opportunities for family historians, biographers, and all others tracing New York families. We are eager to learn of your discoveries and adventure as you—and your family—explore these exciting new record sets. Be sure to watch the NYG&B eNews for updates as they are available.

Until next time,
D. Joshua Taylor

In this Issue

  • Obtaining New York State Birth Records: Insights from the Experts
  • Latest Online for NYG&B Members
  • New York City Public Digitized Vital Records Now Online for Free!
  • New Access and Databases
  • NYG&B’s New Digitization Center: Expanding Our Capabilities and Services
  • Highlights of The Record
  • Five Next Steps—When You Find That New Record, by Christy Vogt Dolan, MA
  • 2021 Annual Review: Supporting Our Expanding Community
  • Featured New York County: Herkimer County (formed 1781)
  • In Other Lines: Charles and Rose Lankford, Longmont, Colorado, Members since 2020

Read the Issue