October 16, 2017
Introduction: In this article – part of an ongoing “Introduction to Genealogy” series – Gena Philibert-Ortega describes three ways Facebook is a useful tool for family historians. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”
Are you on Facebook? Good! Facebook is a great tool for genealogy. Genealogy?!? Yes! Think about what Facebook can be used for: connecting family, sharing photos and information, keeping in touch, and education. These are all activities we as family historians are interested in, and Facebook is the perfect place to do that and more. What can you do on Facebook for your genealogy? Plenty! Let’s spotlight just three of the ways you can use Facebook for your genealogy.
Finding Cousins and Long-Lost Family
Finding cousins and family is as easy as using the search box found at the top left corner of Facebook. Type in the name of the person you’re wishing to find and then click on the magnifying glass. You can also find family by looking at the Friends list of family members you are already connected with on Facebook. To do this, go to your family member’s Facebook page and then scroll down; on the left is their Friends list. By clicking on the title “Friends” you can either browse their “friends” or you can search their friends for a specific familial surname.
One word of caution. While searching family via a family member’s Friends list can be useful in making connections, it’s also a technique that scammers use to spoof your account and send messages to your friends posing as you. Once they have your Friends list they use that information to send private messages to your friends and family asking for money. This can be avoided by going to Settings>Privacy>Who Can See Your Friends List. Change this setting from Public to Friends.
Sharing Photos
Facebook provides you the opportunity to post photos or even create albums. From your News Feed or your personal page, click on the box that says “What’s on Your Mind?” at the top of Facebook and then either enter text or click on Photo/Video. You can add some information about the photo and post it so that it can be shared with other family members. Enter the names of family members in the text box as you post and they will be “tagged” and receive a notification of what you posted. (Their name will appear in blue letters).
Aside from sharing photos I know, I’ve also posted old unidentified photos and invited family members to tell me about the photo or help me identify unknown-to-me family members. This is a great way to “crowdsource” your research to get the help you need to identify photographs.
Once you post a photo or create an album, your family can then download the photo, make comments, and perhaps even share stories they have about that photo.
Learn More Genealogy
One of my favorite aspects of Facebook is the educational opportunities it provides. We tend to think of Facebook as a place to connect with others, but it also can be a great educational tool. On Facebook you can follow the page for genealogy services or products you use, as well as pages that focus on specific aspects of genealogy, such as organizing or researching German ancestors.
So, to begin, start by following the page for GenealogyBank. Here you will find updates to our various collections – especially old newspapers; links to our newest blog posts; and genealogy search tips.
To explore what other genealogy groups you might be interested in following, go to genealogist Katherine R. Willson’s website and download her PDF, Genealogy on Facebook List. Currently she has over 11,000 links to “English-speaking Facebook groups related to genealogy & history.” The links cover everything from genealogy methodology, to country-specific and ethnic research, to research in each U.S. state, and other topics of interest to genealogists – like DNA and adoption.
In addition to Willson’s list, there are others such as Gail Dever’s Facebook for Canadian Genealogy and Alona Tester’s Facebook for Australian History & Genealogy.
Go through these lists to find groups that interest you. Once you join these groups, read previous posts and ask your own questions about your genealogy research.
Facebook Is for Genealogy!
Facebook gets a bad rap as a time waster. While that can be true, consider using Facebook to your advantage and think about how you can use it for genealogy. Facebook is a great learning and sharing tool – which is something family historians can appreciate!
