[Genealib] Teaching Heritage Quest

[Karen Stanley]

In the Census section, I like to show how to use the Advanced search page to demonstrate how you can search for somebody without entering a name as a way of getting around misspellings and transcription errors.  This is especially useful for finding immigrant ancestors; for example, I might search in Galveston County, Texas for a person born in France who is in his 30's.  
   
  In the Census Browse section, if time permits, I also like to demonstrate how you can select a census year and state, then pull up the Dollarhide maps showing the county boundaries for that census year.  It's such a handy feature, and also helps to educate beginners about boundary changes.
   
  In the Books section, be sure to demonstrate the "View Citation" feature where you can go to the page where your search term appears.  Also show how to download pages from books; it's a tricky process.  If time permits, I also like to demonstrate searches using the advanced Search Publications feature, which is easily overlooked by beginners - putting a surname or county name in the Subject field helps to locate specific titles more reliably than the general Search by Location or Search by Name forms.
   
  The time spent showing advanced features depends on the audience.  Usually I have taught people who have already spent some time playing with HQ, and so I like to show them features that are less obvious.
   
  Best regards,
  Karen Stanley
  Houston, TX

Pam Cooper <pcooper at irclibrary.org> wrote:
  Show the difference between the census images and indexes. They get very
confused about this. Many will search HQ and think it is all indexed. I
also show how the indexes are sometimes better in HQ, especially the
1870 and 1880. I have a comparison chart if you need it. (This is from
ProQuest.)
Also show how they can sort the records. I love that 

I show examples of cemetery records (or any other record) on PERSI that
can be found in newsletters and are not published any where else. I
bring the newsletter with me for demonstration.

An example of a bible record in the Revolutionary War records is Thomas
Hinman and Rhoda --- no relation to me. 

While I am demonstrating, I use the notebook feature. I don't explain it
until the end when I show them how I print or email it to myself. 

Pam

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Pamela J. Cooper, Supervisor 
Archive Center & Genealogy Department
Indian River County Main Library
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Email: pcooper at irclibrary.org 

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-----Original Message-----
From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
[mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of Larry
Naukam
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 8:10 PM
To: genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
Subject: [Genealib] Teaching Heritage Quest

What sources do you use to teach a course on Heritage Quest? I have some
promo materials from them, but wonder how anyone else teaches it. I
would
show census, some local (to us) digitized books, etc., PERSI, the Rev
War
items, and the other choices off the top page. But what would anyone
suggest
about going more into detail?


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