History of the Association
The Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia was formed on June 19, 1982, and had its genesis in a standing Genealogical Committee of The Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society.
Library Services
Individual genealogists developed their own family histories and kept their own libraries, but by 2010, GANS was developing its own collections. In 2014, the organization opened new offices and established a Research Library. That facility also provided a place to house the collections of retiring genealogists, and our catalogue has grown to some 6000 records, comprised of reference books, history monographs, vertical files, and family files. We now have three teams of volunteers that work on intake and cataloguing, and it is an ongoing job to get enough shelving and cabinets to organize and house the materials. The Library is a wonderful space and we are now in a position to promote it as one of the best Research Libraries in the world for Nova Scotia genealogy and local history.
Education Programs
The preceding Genealogical Committee had started in 1972, and maintained a newsletter which ran from February, 1972 until Autumn, 1982. From the beginning, the straight-forwardly named "Genealogical Newsletter" was a mixture of news and genealogical research. These newsletters are still available in the Education Programs section of our website. When GANS was formed, the organization took over the newsletter, and renamed it as "The Nova Scotia Genealogist". The first issue came out in February, 1983, and it has been published continuously since then. A little over 30 years later, there was a decision to separate the news from the genealogical research. A newsletter named "The Living Connection" was started, and Vol. 1, No. 1 was published in September, 2015. "The Nova Scotia Genealogist" was continued as a research journal.
The other educational building block is lectures and workshops. For many years, the lectures were organized as occasional offerings, driven by member interest in a particular topic, or a speaker becoming available with new research results and wanting to report. In 2019, though, GANS committed to expanding and routinizing its educational services. Currently, we organize seven monthly lectures per year, organize a virtual conference each spring on Nova Scotia genealogy and local history, offer a major annual lecture/dinner each fall on larger questions about the philosophy and practice of genealogy and local history, and provide occasional hands-on training with half-day and full-day workshops on specialized topics.
Genealogical Data
The thrust of work in the first 30 years focused on developing transcriptions and indexes of genealogical materials, and some 37 major publications were issued during that period, most of them still for sale through our Gift Shop. By 2010, however, it was clear that digital services would become the focus of continuing work. A large number of smaller datasets had been developed as well, too small for a separate publication, but easily made available on the website. The web has been a boon, therefore, for better data access for our members. In the last few years, our attention has been focused on building a digital archive powered with a data engine for search and retrieval.
We know we fall short in many areas, but our aspirations are big. We have a wonderful group of volunteers who keep the engine stoked, and many long-time members who support us faithfully, often making the long pilgrimage from their present homes to the "mothership". We hope to see you too.
