There are a lot of first-timers to discover on Family Tree Magazine‘s list of the 101 Best Websites for Genealogy 2016 that the American publication released yesterday.
Genealogists have already expressed surprise and disappointment at the absence of some perennial favourites. Notably missing is Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter.
Anyone who dares produce a best of list for genealogists knows to prepare for an onslaught of complaints and controversy. Just ask John D. Reid about the annual Genealogy Rock Star Genealogists survey on his blog, Canada’s Anglo-Celtic Connections.
What these lists and surveys do generate is a lot of discussion about omissions, and from those comments we all learn about new resources and genealogists.
‘New frontiers in online genealogy’
In an attempt to temper the controversy the list may cause, the magazine explained the thinking behind the revamped top 101 in a rather creative way. “And there’s no better year to do so, we figured, than this, the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise — with a brand-new voyage of the Starship Enterprise screening at cinemas this summer.
“So in this annual installment of 101 Best Websites, we boldly go where no genealogist has gone before. We’re jettisoning old, outdated sites like empty bottles of Klingon bloodwine. We’re seeking out new frontiers in online genealogy, sites not afraid to innovate at warp speed.”
This year’s collection of 101 sites features an “unprecedented array of newcomers,” providing genealogists with a chance to discover and explore new-to-them sites.
By omitting some sites that have appeared on past lists, the editors of Family Tree Magazine have been able to make room for many additions. Some of those removed from the list, such as the state-specific sites, will have their own best list in the December 2016 issue.
Newcomers
This year, making a well-deserved appearance for the first time on the Best Genealogy News & Help Websites is Randy Seaver’s blog, Genea-Musings.
Newcomers in other categories include Online Historical Directories, British National Archives, National Library of Ireland, ArchiveGrid, Harvard Open Collections Program, Internet Archive, and GEDMatch.
Best international sites
To find Canadian sites, you must look at the Best International Genealogy Websites. There you will find Canadiana and Library and Archives Canada, which have appeared on lists in the past.
Last year, there was a separate Best Canadian Genealogy Websites category that also included Le Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique and Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics.
The only newbie on the 2016 international list is GEDBAS, a database of user-uploaded German genealogy files that includes nearly 15 million individuals in 5.4 million families.
Take a look at the 101 Best Websites for Genealogy 2016 here, keeping in mind the list has an understandably American bias.
As for last year’s Canadian list and others, click here. Then scroll done the page to find the other categories.
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