Flatbed Scanners - Which One is Right for You?

I love scanners. I love scanning my old photographs, documents, cards and every bit of ephemera I have!

Genealogists probably buy more scanners than anyone but it's not easy to make a decision as to which one is best.

I can't review scanners I have not used but I was checking Amazon last night and realized I could help out by narrowing the field of choices. So I've put together a list based on reviews on other websites and reviews on Amazon.

If you're buying yourself or someone else a scanner this Christmas, or are lucky enough to be getting one as a gift, you may want to consider these options:


Epson Perfection V37 Color Photo, Image, Document Scanner with scan-to-cloud & 4800 x 9600 dpi (B11B207201) 4  stars, reviewed by 196 customers













Canon Office Products LiDE120 Color Image Scanner  4 stars, 590 customer reviews







HP L1957A#B1H Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner

4 stars, 218 customer reviews

Looking for Descendants of Immigrants from Drenthe Netherlands

Immigrants Boarding a Ship for America

If your ancestor immigrated from the Drenthe Province of the Netherlands between 1847 and 1880 you may want to check out this project. Three young Dutch students currently in Holland Michigan are looking for descendants of approximately 67,000 Dutch immigrants to the U.S.A. in this time period.

A previously published book lists the names of all the individuals who emigrated from the Netherlands to the United States but it does not provide details on where the immigrants were heading.
Read more about the project called MyPlacebook at Dutch exchange students work on project linking Dutch descendants with the Netherlands

Colorado Communities 1914-2014 - A Community History Project

Frame Grab from Colorado Communities Video

Recently H. Long, Digital Initiatives Librarian at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy about a community history project called Colorado Communities, 1914-2014 According to Long, Colorado Communities, 1914-2014 is a partnership of Colorado cultural heritage sector & citizens to create a community history digital collection.

Following is their Press Release

This project documents the people, places, and events that not only made the headlines over the last century, but also quietly shaped the lives of everyday citizens. The collection will feature photographs, maps, diaries, documents, postcards, scrapbooks, and other primary sources from cultural heritage institutions and personal collections. Visitors to the site—educators, students, genealogists, and history buffs—can search the collection or explore it through interactive timelines, maps, and contextual essays.  

In order to reach as many people and organizations as possible, we will host scanning roadshows in three different communities around the state. During the first half of each roadshow, the Colorado Communities team will invite local museums, libraries, and historical societies of all sizes and varieties to bring a selection of the treasures from their collections for scanning. 

The second half of the day will be a free public event where citizens can bring up to 3 keepsakes or historical documents related to local history for scanning. Participating organizations and individuals will receive a copy of the digitized materials. The project team will keep a copy for potential inclusion in the Colorado Communities, 1914-2014 website.

This project has been chosen to be included in the pilot launch of the CU-Boulder Crowdfunding initiative to raise funds through charitable contributions. Learn more about the project or make a contribution here: http://communityfunded.com/projects/hwlong/colorado-communities-1914-2014/.

Such a Great Idea - Father Gives Daughter Priceless Gift

This is an inspiring story about a loving and creative dad! What a wonderful gift he gave his daughter the day she graduated from High School. 

He started with the Dr. Seuss book "Oh The Places You'll Go" which he took to her teachers and coaches at the end of every school year. As he put it

"Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten I’ve gotten every teacher, coach, and principal to write a little something about you inside this book."

Such a great idea! Please take a moment and read the whole story Father Gives Graduating Daughter a Priceless Gift

Online Volunteers Index a Whopping 100 Million Records Already This Year

PRESS RELEASE 22 July 2010

Online Volunteers Index a Whopping 100 Million Records Already This Year

FamilySearch Indexing is excited to announce that our dedicated volunteers have completed 100 million records in the first half of 2010, and is on track to complete a targeted 200 million by the end of the year. Patrons can search the completed indexes and images at pilot.familysearch.org.

More volunteers are always needed—particularly on international, non-English projects. New projects were added for Brazil, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, and Russia.

Interested volunteers can start helping any time by registering at www.indexing.familysearch.org and selecting a project.

New Projects in the Past Month

· Brasil, Florianópolis—Registros da Igreja, 1751–1954 [Parte A]
· Brasil, Minas Gerais—Church Records, 1706-1952
(In partnership with Universidada Federal de Minas Gerais)
· Canada—Passenger Lists, 1881–1922
· Jamaica—Civil Births, 1900–1930 [Part B]
· Mexico, San Luis Potosi—1930 Federal Censo
· New Zealand—Passenger Lists, 1871–1915 [Part 2A]
· U.K., Bristol—Parish Registers, 1837–1900 [Part D]
· U.S., Alaska—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Louisiana—WWII Draft Registration, 1942
· U.S., Military and Naval—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., South Dakota—1945 State Census [Part C]
· U.S., Texas—1910 Federal Census [Part 2]
· U.S., Texas—Birth Records, 1903–1934
· U.S., Wisconsin—1910 Federal Census
· Россия, Самара—Метрические книги церкви, 1869–1917 (часть 1)

Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at pilot.familysearch.org in the near future.)

· Chile, Concepción—Registros Civiles, 1885–1903 [Parte 2A]
· Jamaica—Civil Births, 1878–1899 [Part C]
· Jamaica—Civil Births, 1900–1930 [Part A]
· U.K., Bristol—Parish Registers, 1837–1900 [Part C]
· U.S., Military—1920 Federal Census
· U.S., New York—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., South Dakota—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Utah—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Utah—County Marriages, 1887–1966 [Part A]
· U.S., West Virginia—1910 Federal Census
· U.S., Wyoming—1910 Federal Census