Are you ready for Christmas yet? If you would like to help out the podcast while you shop, just click this box...

...to access the Amazon site and look for your first item.  When you do that Genealogy Gems will get credit for anything you buy while you're on the Amazon site - and you don"t pay anything extra!  Thank you!

NEWS:

RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees.  

FAMILYSEARCH: The folks at familysearch have added some new record collections which can be searched for free at the FamilySearch.org Record Search pilot (click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot).

The new records include:
- Brazil Catholic Church Records 1805-1979 update
- Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1842â1915
- Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records Spain Municipal Records, 1837â1870
- United States 1920 Federal Census for Texas, Ohio, and Iowa

Footnote.com recently released "the Native American Collection" of historical records.

You are a Genealogy Gem - tell the world with the Genealogy Gem Rhinestone Pin.  Approx. 2" wide by 1" high, pin back.  Limited Quantities!  (click image to enlarge)  Price:  $11.95 + $1.50 first class shipping continental U.S.

MAILBOX:
Crystal Bell writes in with an update on her family search Liz Pidgeon wrote in about Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 74 featuring Joe Bott of the DeadFred website. "There is an Australian equivalent called Photo Rescue though no way as big at: http://www.members.optushome.com.au/lenorefrost/photorescue.html and I know that people also post "unknown" photos to Flickr groups.â

AC Ivory has been diving into his family history and wrote in with a neat story of what it can mean to an older relative when we spend time with them and ask about family history. www.generationivory.com  

Read his article about podcasts.

Susan Freer shared a fun free website that features the music of yesteryear Upchucky Radio Hits of the 1940s Jukebox page

Profile America: 1810 census 
Learn more about the 1810 census 

GEM: Part 2 - David Rencher on Family Search
David Rencher is the Head Genealogist at familysearch and in today's episode you"ll be hearing part 2 of my interview with him on the past, present and future of familysearch.org.

Profile America: Automobile

Download the Free Genealogy Gems Toolbar for your Internet browser featuring the new Lisaâs Gem of the Week button which takes you to a page exclusively for toolbar users with gems you can use. And thatâs in addition to the google search box, highlighter pen, podcast media player, free research gems sites button and much more. If youâve already downloaded the toolbar the new features will automatically appear. 

New to the Podcast?  Click the media player on the right to begin listening or subscribe to the podcast for free in iTunes.  (Click here to learn more about how to download and subscribe to podcasts in iTunes.  Click here to watch a video tutorial)

News:

Attend one of Lisa's classes:
Lisa will be speaking at the Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona on January 22 & 23, 2010

New lower shipping for Lisa's book at Lulu.com:
Visit the Genealogy Gems Store at Lulu.com where you can now order her book and pay just $3.99 flat rate shipping. 

Also at the store you'll find archived Premium episodes now available for automatic download (including PDF show notes)

NEW!  Download the free Genealogy Gems Toolbar

Itâs free, fun, and can help you access the information fast that you need to meet your research goals.

MAILBOX: 

Listener Megan Kyser asks if  the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast might have a DNA episode someday? 

âand  she adds, "My whole family listens in the car on trips- yes; even the 5 and under crowd!

Lisa covered DNA in Episode 29 of The Genealogy Gems Podcast  

She will also be interviewing a DNA specialist for the November episode of The Family Tree Magazine Podcast which will be out later this month.

And Lisa recommends a fun website for her under 5 fans!

Listener Rhonda Schneringer of South Dakota and saysââin this podcast, you mention a class you teach called "Sharing the Joy".  You describe it as projects anyone can do to share your genealogical information with family members who aren't "into" genealogy yet.   Can you tell me where I can find information about these projects?â

The details of the projects Lisa covers in the presentation can be found in her book Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies.   

The projects featured in the class included:

Decoupage Plate - Chapter 11
Sweet Memories Candy Bars - Chapter 20 (this is a big favorite!)
Family History Wall Displays - Chapter 3
Publishing Your Own Family History Book - Chapter 13

A four part video series is available at the Genealogy Gems TV Channel at YouTube for the Family History Christmas Wreath project:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

GEM:  Interview with David Rencher, Head Genealogist at Family Search

David discusses the digitization for FamilySearch, how research has changed, the future of the Family History Library online catalog, and the opportunities that technology offers the genealogy world.  Itâs a rare opportunity to hear from the decision maker himself about the records that impact your research.