Understanding Reclaim the Records – An Interview with Brooke Schreier-Ganz and Alec Ferretti

In this interview, MyHeritage’s senior product manager Alon Ehrenfeld gives a behind-the scenes look at how ScribeAI was developed and what it can do for your research. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-04-15-26.mp3 Best Websites Episode 38: ScribeAI One of the most exciting announcements from RootsTech 2026 was ScribeAI, MyHeritage’s new tool for transcribing and analyzing user-uploaded photos and documents. Mentioned in this episode: An overview of ScribeAI and the details it provides as part of its analysis: a transcription of any text, context about the time and place a document was made or a photo was taken, and the reasoning behind each data point Real-life examples of how ScribeAI suggests areas of further research A step-by-step tutorial by Digital Editor Katharine Andrew How AI tools like ScribeAI and MyHeritage’s PhotoDater are generally trained, and what makes ScribeAI stand out A unique summary of how MyHeritage comes up with new ideas for tools MyHeritage features that are still in development, including some hinted in CEO Gilad Japhet’s latest presentation at RootsTech (watch a recording here) The MyHeritage Blog, where users can about more new and updated website features   Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of Best Websites, Andrew Koch speaks to Mitchell Lewis and Matt Wheeler about using newspapers for genealogy research using the tool Newspaper Finder. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-05-2026.mp3 Best Websites Episode 39: Newspaper Finder Newspapers are excellent resources for genealogists searching for clues about their ancestors. Newspaper Finder makes discovering historical newspapers easier. Mentioned in this episode: Challenges in Newspapers Research The Role of Advantage Archives User Feedback and Launch Experience Newspaper Finder: A New Tool for Searching Old Newspapers (Review and Tutorial) Locate online newspapers relevant to your genealogy with this tool for searching Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank and more. Family Tree Magazine /* Embedded-box css */ .embedded-box{ padding: 25px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; color: #82878c; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.05); overflow: auto; zoom: 1; font-family: -apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; } .acf-embed-title{ margin: 0 0 15px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; } .acf-embed-description { display: inline-block; } .acf-embed-description img { float: left; max-width: 160px; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .wp-embed-site-title a{ position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-left: 35px; } .wp-embed-site-title span { color: #82878c; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; } .wp-embed-site-icon { position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 0; transform: translateY(-50%); height: 25px; width: 25px; border: 0; padding-bottom: 0px!important; } Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast, Brook Schreier-Ganz and Alec Ferretti explain how Reclaim the Records fights for record releases and what that means for genealogists. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/FTM-05-2026.mp3 Feature: Reclaim the Records and Record Releases Most records of interest to genealogists in the United States are created by government agencies; however, not all government agencies are cooperative about releasing these records. Non-profit organization Reclaim the Records that advocates for these records to be released, sometimes with legal action. Mentioned in this episode: The mission and focus of Reclaim the Records Challenges that arise when accessing public records Record access laws and trends affecting them The issue of privacy when accessing public records Current and upcoming projects at Reclaim the Records How to advocate for open records Websites created by Reclaim the Records, like newyorkdeathindex.com Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this interview, MyHeritage’s senior product manager Alon Ehrenfeld gives a behind-the scenes look at how ScribeAI was developed and what it can do for your research. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-04-15-26.mp3 Best Websites Episode 38: ScribeAI One of the most exciting announcements from RootsTech 2026 was ScribeAI, MyHeritage’s new tool for transcribing and analyzing user-uploaded photos and documents. Mentioned in this episode: An overview of ScribeAI and the details it provides as part of its analysis: a transcription of any text, context about the time and place a document was made or a photo was taken, and the reasoning behind each data point Real-life examples of how ScribeAI suggests areas of further research A step-by-step tutorial by Digital Editor Katharine Andrew How AI tools like ScribeAI and MyHeritage’s PhotoDater are generally trained, and what makes ScribeAI stand out A unique summary of how MyHeritage comes up with new ideas for tools MyHeritage features that are still in development, including some hinted in CEO Gilad Japhet’s latest presentation at RootsTech (watch a recording here) The MyHeritage Blog, where users can about more new and updated website features   Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

Join host Andrew Koch in an interview with Jonny Perl, founder of DNA Painter, who shares tips for using this popular genetic genealogy platform to more deeply analyze your DNA test results. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/FTM-04-26.mp3 Feature: DNA Painter and Genetic Genealogy The major testing companies each provide tools that analyze your results and provide insight into how you’re related to matches. But you can get even more out of your DNA by turning to specialized third-party platforms. One of the most-popular is DNA Painter, which specializes in chromosome-mapping, identifying family clusters, and investigating family mysteries. In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, the site’s founder Jonny Perl provides expert guidance to the tools he’s created and what they can do for users. Mentioned in this episode: An introduction to DNA Painter and how it can help genealogists How to get started on the site—including with a new page for beginner users Overviews of useful tools, including the Shared cM Project and “What are the Odds?” (WATO) The latest trends in DNA and genetic genealogy: clustering tools, deeper analysis, and possible AI enhancements A Facebook group for DNA Painter users New site features that are still in development    Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

RootsTech is a large, multi-day genealogy conference that takes place annually in Salt Lake City, Utah. But not being able to make the trip doesn’t mean you have to miss out on excellent talks, groundbreaking news, and more. Andrew Koch explores the RootsTech website in this episode of Best Websites. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-03-15_mp3.mp3 RootsTech Website RootsTech 2026 was a hit! But even if you couldn’t attend in-person, you can enjoy a good number of talks simply by navigating the RootsTech website (https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/). Covered in this episode: Viewing Presentations and Features Engaging with the Community Resources Visit Our Sponsor: VoiceGift What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time. Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations. Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Andrew Koch speaks with Daniel Loftus (Irish genealogist and founder of Project Infant) about the upcoming release of the 1926 census of Ireland. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/FTM-03-2026.mp3 Feature: 1926 Census of Ireland Taken just after Irish independence, the census provides a snapshot of a young country and the people living in it.Mentioned in this episode: When Irish censuses were taken, what records survive today, and how you can find them online How Irish censuses can help your research Where to search the 1926 census (as well as the 1901 and 1911 censuses) for free What genealogy details you’ll find in the 1926 census Behind-the-scenes looks at census digitization and indexing Visit Our Sponsor: VoiceGift What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time. Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations. In this episode, Andrew Koch interviews Geoffrey Stern, the Founder and CEO of VoiceGift. Find your voice at www.voice.gift Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of Best Websites, Andrew Koch walks listeners through FreeBMD, a free online index that houses over 300 million UK birth, marriage and death records. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/02-2026-BW.mp3 Feature: FreeBMD Overview FreeBMD offers exactly what its name suggests: A vast array of birth, marriage and death records for the United Kingdom and Wales. Andrew Koch offers a detailed tour of the website, highlighting its features and benefits and how the website can be used for genealogy research. He also offers tips for navigating the website. Resources mentions in this episode: FreeBMD Visit Our Sponsor: VoiceGift What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time. Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations. Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Andrew Koch speaks with David Fryxell about how genealogists can optimize their searches for the best results as they seek out information about their ancestors. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/2026-02-FTM.mp3 Feature: Online Search Strategies for Genealogists Finding the information you need as a genealogist can be tricky, especially when it comes to searching online. Sometimes you just need a couple of tricks to get search engines to yield the results you seek. In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, David Fryxell provides some of those tricks. Mentioned in this episode: The Evolution of Searching as a Genealogists Boolean Search and Wildcards: What They are and How to Make Use of Them Transcriptions and Their Challenges The Impact of AI on Genealogy Searches Modern Versus Traditional Genealogy Skills Exploring Genealogy Resources and Tools 21 Search Tips for Google, Ancestry and Other Genealogy Websites Think your ancestors are a lost cause? Not with our search tips for finding your family history online on Google, Ancestry and other websites. Family Tree Magazine /* Embedded-box css */ .embedded-box{ padding: 25px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; color: #82878c; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.05); overflow: auto; zoom: 1; font-family: -apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; } .acf-embed-title{ margin: 0 0 15px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; } .acf-embed-description { display: inline-block; } .acf-embed-description img { float: left; max-width: 160px; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .wp-embed-site-title a{ position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-left: 35px; } .wp-embed-site-title span { color: #82878c; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; } .wp-embed-site-icon { position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 0; transform: translateY(-50%); height: 25px; width: 25px; border: 0; padding-bottom: 0px!important; } Visit Our Sponsor: VoiceGift What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time. Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations. In this episode, Andrew Koch interviews Geoffrey Stern, the Founder and CEO of VoiceGift. Find your voice at www.voice.gift Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of Best Websites, Andrew Koch interviews DNA expert Diahan Southard to learn more about the latest news from AncestryDNA. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-01-2026.mp3 Feature: The Latest Updates to AncestryDNA AncestryDNA has recently made some major updates to its ethnicity updates! In this interview, Diahan Southard tells us genealogists what they can expect as they explore their DNA test results and uncover more about their heritage. Also mentioned in this episode: AncestryDNA’s release of 60 new regions (resulting in most customers receiving updates to their results), plus the introduction of macro-regions The difference between “Regions” (AncestryDNA’s ethnicity estimates) and “Journeys” (an analysis of community migrations) Diahan’s new articles on AncestryDNA Journeys and why you should revisit DNA results Updates from other DNA testing companies Tips for navigating confusing ethnicity results Visit Our Sponsor: VoiceGift What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time. Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations. Find your voice at www.voice.gift Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.