Get $20 off My Family Tree University Classes

Seems like everyone is getting ready to go back to school this month.  How about you?  Making an investment in your genealogical education can pay huge dividends in making the best use of your limited research time and getting higher quality results. 

I'll be teaching two online classes in the new Family Tree University session starting up on Monday, August 16:

Reverse Genealogy: Working Forward to Break Brick Walls
Google Tools for Genealogists:  Four Resources to Enhance Your Family History

And there's never been a better time to invest in your sleuthing skills because Family Tree University is offering $20 off any class in August. Just use the coupon code SCHOOL20 when you register.

Become a Friend of the U.S. Constitution on NARA's Facebook Page

August 12, 2010

NATIONAL ARCHIVES ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES HONORING THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION

WASHINGTON, DC…  In anticipation of Constitution Day, the National
Archives will unveil a new exhibition: “The Charters of Freedom: Our
Nation’s Founding Documents” on September 13, 2010.  This exhibit
takes a fresh look at these Charters - the Declaration of Independence,
the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights - all on permanent display in
the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.  The new exhibit surrounds the
Charters’ centerpiece cases, using originals and facsimiles of
historical documents from the holdings of the National Archives to
answer two key questions about each Charter -- “How did it happen?”
and “Why is it important?”  The new exhibit is an attempt to answer
questions visitors often ask when see the Charters.

Constitution Day activities marking the 223rd anniversary of the
September 17 signing of this milestone document include daylong special
events and programs on September 17 (Constitution Day), an evening with
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer discussing his new book, Making Our
Democracy Work: A Judge's View, on September 13, and an evening panel
discussion with constitutional scholars on September 21.  These events
are free and open to the public.  For more information see
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/events/september.html.

In honor of this celebration, the National Archives has launched a
Facebook page for the Constitution.  Friend the Constitution on Facebook
at http://tiny.cc/USConstitution!  This new page is interactive forum
for the Constitution that encourages open discussion and debate.

Background on the exhibition

Highlights of the new exhibition include “Secrets of the Documents” and special quotes from the Founding Fathers, as well as the following:
●       Elizabeth Burgin’s remarkable story- told through original
letters ¬¬- of her escape from New York in a whaleboat¬¬ and of her
heroic role in a successful plot to free solders from British prison
ships;
●       The fascinating travels of the Declaration of Independence
before it was displayed safely at the National Archives:  it has had
many homes, including government offices, the interiors of safes and
other public displays. Wagons, ships, a Pullman sleeper, and an armored
vehicle have transported this priceless document; and
●       Information about how the National Archives preserves these
National Treasures.

The new Charters exhibition also provides answers to the following
questions:
●       Why is it so dark and cold in the Rotunda?
●       What is parchment, and why were the Charters written on it and
not paper?
●       Did slaves really fight on both sides in the Revolutionary War?
●       Which of the original colonies did not sign the Constitution or
even send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
●       Are there really “typos” in the Constitution?
●       Which of the articles proposed in the original Bill of Rights
was not ratified until 1992?
●       How were the murals created?

The National Archives Building in Washington, DC, is located on the
National Mall and is fully accessible.  National Archives Exhibit Hours
are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily (through Labor Day), and 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
through March 14.

Family History Comes to Your BlackBerry with Genealogy Gems Podcast

We are happy to announce that you can now download Genealogy Gems podcast episodes on your BlackBerry! 

Today Research In Motion (RIM) launched BlackBerry Podcasts, a free application and service that allows BlackBerry smartphone users to gain access to free audio and video content that can be downloaded and then enjoyed on a BlackBerry media player. 

In a press release, Alistair Mitchell, Vice President, Multimedia Integration said that "The new BlackBerry Podcasts app and service makes it easier than ever to discover and download a wide range of content directly from a BlackBerry smartphone, and users can even subscribe to their favorite podcasts and receive an alert when new content is available."

We are excited that the Genealogy Gems Podcast is among the first 1000 shows available through this service.

To get the free app for your BlackBerry, go to www.blackberry.com/appworld  You will need a BlackBerry smartphone running BlackBerry OS v4.6 or higher.

Ancestry.com to Acquire Professional Genealogy Firm ProGenealogists, Inc.

Big news from Ancestry, and not totally unexpected since they partnered heavily on the new Who Do You Think You Are? television show that launched this spring in the U.S.  Here's the press release:

PROVO, UTAH (August 6, 2010) – Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq:ACOM) announced today that it has acquired leading professional genealogy research firm, ProGenealogists, Inc.

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, ProGenealogists specializes in genealogical, forensic and family history research. During its 10-year history, the firm has become a trusted name in professional genealogy, finding great success with client research and expanding both its domestic and international capabilities.  As a part of Ancestry.com, ProGenealogists will continue to provide premier family history research to its existing clients while extending the Ancestry.com reach across the genealogy value chain.

“We are delighted to welcome ProGenealogists into the Ancestry.com network,” said David Rinn, senior vice president of strategy and corporate development for Ancestry.com. “With this acquisition Ancestry.com can better serve subscribers who are seeking dedicated, personal support in their family history research. As a natural service extension for Ancestry.com, we expect the addition of ProGenealogists will also enhance and expand the professional research offerings currently available through Ancestry.com Expert Connect.”

 “Ancestry.com is definitely in a class by itself in the genealogy industry,” said Natalie Cottrill, CEO of ProGenealogists, Inc. “We are excited to become part of the Ancestry.com family and look forward to finding new ways to help more people interested in learning about their roots.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ancestry.com does not expect the acquisition to have a material impact on its financial guidance as issued in connection with its second quarter earnings release on July 29, 2010.

ProGenealogists and Ancestry.com have worked together on several initiatives over the past few years including driving the research for the NBC television program, “Who Do You Think You Are?” which traced the family histories of celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Lisa Kudrow, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, Emmitt Smith, Matthew Broderick and Spike Lee. Ancestry.com will continue leveraging the expertise at ProGenealogists for similar initiatives in the future.

Ancestry Second Quarter 2010 Report

Ancestry.com Inc. Second Quarter 2010 Report

PROVO, Utah, July 29, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ancestry.com Inc.(ACOM 18.43, -0.10, -0.54%), the world's largest online family history resource, today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

"Greater than anticipated subscriber additions drove impressive performance in the quarter and boosted our revenue and EBITDA expectations for the full year," said Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com. "It's particularly noteworthy that retention rates and customer behavior trends are remaining consistent despite the rapid subscriber growth in the first half of 2010. As we move forward, we will continue our focus on building awareness of the family history category, improving the customer experience and adding important content collections to Ancestry.com."

Ancestry.com Web Sites Highlights

-- Subscribers totaled 1,311,000 as of June 30, 2010, a 32% increase over

      the end of Q2 2009 and an 8% increase over the end of Q1 2010.
  --  Gross Subscriber additions were 291,000 in Q2 2010, an 81% increase over
      Q2 2009 and a 4% increase over Q1 2010, driven by the continued success
      of marketing programs and the airing of Who Do You Think You Are? early
      in the quarter.
  --  Monthly Subscriber Churn1 increased to 4.3% in Q2 2010, compared to 3.8%
      in Q2 2009 and 3.3% in Q1 2010, as expected, reflecting the large number
      of new monthly subscribers added in the first half of 2010.
  --  Subscriber acquisition cost2 in Q2 2010 was $74.04, compared to $73.27
      in Q2 2009 and $69.57 in Q1 2010.
  --  Average Monthly Revenue per Subscriber3 in Q2 2010 was $18.02, compared
      to $16.42 in Q2 2009 and $16.70 in Q1 2010.

Second Quarter 2010 Financial Highlights

--  Total revenue for the second quarter of 2010 was $74.5 million, an
      increase of 36.4% over $54.6 million in the prior year period, driven by
      growth in our core Ancestry.com Web sites of 41.9%.
  --  Operating income for the second quarter of 2010 was $15.8 million,
      compared to $8.7 million in the prior year period.
  --  Adjusted EBITDA4 for the second quarter of 2010 was $25.3 million,
      compared to $18.4 million in the second quarter of 2009. Adjusted EBITDA
      margin for the second quarter of 2010 was 33.9%, compared to 33.8% in
      the second quarter of 2009.
  --  Net income was $8.5 million, or $0.18 per fully diluted share, for the
      second quarter of 2010 compared to $4.7 million, or $0.12 per fully
      diluted share, in the second quarter of 2009.
  --  Free cash flow5 totaled $14.4 million in the second quarter of 2010
      compared to $6.7 million in the prior year period.
  --  Balance sheet As of June 30, 2010, cash, cash equivalents, and
      short-term investments were $134.0 million and total debt was $76.2
      million.

Recent Business Highlights

  --  The Company closed the acquisition of Genline.se, the leading Swedish
      family history Web site. At closing, Genline had more than 17,000 paying
      members with access to 26 million pages of digitized Swedish church
      records spanning more than 400 years from the 17th to the 20th century.
  --  NBC announced its renewal of Who Do You Think You Are? for a second
      season, which is currently expected to air in the first quarter of 2011.

  --  Season 1 of Who Do You Think You Are? is currently expected to air in
      re-runs starting on August 13, 2010.
  --  The Company added several new important content collections, including
      U.S. Land Ownership Atlases from 1860-1920 and the UK Waterloo Medal
      Roll from 1815.

Business Outlook

The Company's financial and operating expectations for the third quarter and full year 2010 are as follows:

Third Quarter 2010

--  Revenue in the range of $75.0 to $77.0 million
  --  Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $24.0 to $26.0 million
  --  Ending subscribers of approximately 1,345,000

Full Year 2010

--  Revenue in the range of $290 to $295 million (increased from the
      previously expected range of $275 to $280 million)
  --  Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $93 to $97 million (increased from the
      previously expected range of $90 to $95 million)
  --  Ending subscribers in the range of 1,360,000 to 1,370,000 (increased
      from the previously expected range of 1,280,000 to 1,300,000)

About Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com Inc. (ACOM 18.43, -0.10, -0.54%) is the world's largest online family history resource, with more than one million paying subscribers. More than 5 billion records have been added to the site in the past 13 years. Ancestry users have created more than 18 million family trees containing over 1.8 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries, including its flagship Web site atwww.ancestry.com.

Family Tree Magazine Giveaway Sweepstakes, Plus Free Webinar!

There are some neat upcoming events coming soon from the folks at Family Tree Magazine:

Sweepstakes!
From ShopFamilyTree.com press release:

Online genealogy store ShopFamilyTree.com is giving away a $250 shopping spree to one lucky family history buff.  The Genealogy Giveaway Sweepstakes runs through August 31, 2010, and contestants may enter here every day to increase their chances of winning.

The winner will be able to choose from hundreds of genealogy books, CDs, and DVDs, including:

• The forthcoming books Grave Humor and The Family Tree Sourcebook 
• Family Tree VIP membership
• 10 years of Family Tree Magazine commemorative DVD
• Live and recorded genealogy webinars
• Google Earth for Genealogy DVD by Lisa Louise Cooke
• RootsMagic software products
• Books from Genealogical Publishing Co.

The randomly selected winner will be announced in early September.  Please note that the sweepstakes is open to all US residents 18 or older.  Complete sweepstakes rules can be viewed here.

Also from Family Tree Magazine:

Free Webinar on August 11!

For the first time ever, Family Tree Magazine is hosting a no-holds-barred Q and A session with its readers!  Sign up for Ask the Editors: Family Tree Magazine Answers Your Questions, a free, hour-long webinar, to meet the editors of your favorite genealogy magazine and get a behind-the-scenes tour.  Ask us any question you have about genealogy, research methods or Family Tree Magazine.  While we can't guarantee resolutions to research problems, we'll try to tackle anything you throw our way during the session on Wednesday, August 11, at 7 p.m. Eastern.


Family Tree University Classes taught by Lisa Louise Cooke



There's still time to join the Advanced Google for Genealogists class that runs through 8/15/10
Google Tools for Genealogists begins 8/16/10
Mastering Google Search begins 9/13/10

Hope to see you in class!

New Episode 93 Features Craig Manson

What do you not know that you wish you knew, but you've lost hope that you ever will? An ancestor's burial location, date of birth or village of origin? For Craig Manson author of the GeneaBlogie blog it was the name of his great great grandfather.
"I wanted people to know that these things are possible...I want to inspire people not to give up on things that that they think are absolutely unknowable. And that's what I thought. I thought the name of my great great grandfather was absolutely unknowable, and I would never learn it. But I did eventually."

Listen to the newest episode #93 of The Genealogy Gems Podcast to more about what Craig has to say about how he locates new information on a regular basis to  keep learning those "knowable" genealogical facts about his family.