Yearly Archives: 2015

I have to admit that when it comes to DNA testing for genealogy, I am no expert. I once sat through a class on the subject that made my eyes glaze over as the instructor tried to cram a complete undergraduate degree in genetics into 45 minutes. It was great because I am the type of person who wants to know exactly how something works, down to the last detail, but there is a LOT that goes into the study of genetics and inheritance. Having a science background helped, but if you are someone who doesn’t have that prior knowledge, there are many resources out there on the ever expanding web for you to explore DNA testing. I will try to boil down the essentials of what it is and what you can learn from the test.

First of all, a DNA test is not the golden ticket that will automatically fill in your family tree and break down your brick walls. In fact, it may even leave you with more questions than answers. But if you are willing to put in the work, DNA testing is a useful tool that can help you in conjunction with traditional research methods.

For non-science majors, you need to know that what is generally tested is “Autosomal DNA,” or everything but the x’s and y’s. FamilyTree Magazine has a pretty great definition of the Autosomal DNA test: “An autosomal DNA test analyzes the 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes that make up your genetic composition. These tests can tell you about both sides of your family, confirm living relatives and can even include a predicted relationship. They often include a ‘biogeographical estimate,’ which means they can estimate your ethnicity by comparing your DNA to reference populations of people in a particular location for hundreds or thousands of years. Tests can be taken by both men and women, and are offered by companies such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA and Family Tree DNA.”

So when you are talking about going back several generations, the key word to remember here is estimate: they can give you an idea of where your ancestors come from based on their best comparison matches, but you have to take the results with a grain of salt. It will take diligence in research on your part to turn their estimates into fact. Why so uncertain? Mainly because of how inheritance breaks down.

As you can see, only a little over 6% of your DNA matches with your great-grandparents, and there is no definite pattern of inheritance when it comes to autosomal DNA. So you could have your great-grandmother’s eye color, but your sister might not.

If you are curious and want to try DNA testing, here are some links to comparison sites so you can determine which company is the best for you:

http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_testing_comparison_chart

http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2014/04/06/2014-most-bang-for-dna-bucks/

Have you had the test done? Reply in the comments to this post and let us know what you think! Or stop in to our genealogy forum on Saturday July 18 from 1-4 in The Roots Cellar to share your experience.

Happy hunting, genealogists!

– Claire Kandle, Local History & Genealogy librarian

In 2001, I saw The Princess Diaries in the theater with my best friend and my mom. It was awesome! I left the theater really wanting a scooter…  Being the total geek that I am, I wasted no time in purchasing the book by Meg Cabot. (I probably even bought it the same day we saw the movie) To say I enjoyed the book would be an understatement. I loved it. I had to keep reading. I bought every Princess Diaries book that came out through my high school graduation. The rest I checked out from the library, because I was a broke college student, after all. And that’s what libraries are for.

The Princess Diaries  follows Mia through her high school career. She writes down anything that comes into her head and everything that happens to her. Frequently, she writes in bathrooms. She writes about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Princess Leia, Lifetime movies and her fellow royals. And, of course, she writes about her crushes, her friends, and her enemies. These are her diaries, after all, and in a diary, you don’t have a filter.

In college, I learned about “stream of consciousness” while reading The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, and since then it’s how I describe The Princess Diaries. It’s GOOD stream of consciousness. It still makes sense, but you learn how Mia thinks. And she thinks like a teenager. Worrying about homework, worrying about her mom dating her algebra teacher, worrying about her best friend’s brother and how good his neck smells.

It’s hilarious and unique. Just like Meg Cabot, who I got to meet in person three years ago.

Last month, I was elated to find a new Princess Diaries book, this time written for adults. 

Now, Mia’s all grown up. Recent drama has brought her back to writing in her diary to relieve stress. She writes the same way she always has: no filter, lots of pop culture references, a laugh on every page. Her friends and enemies from previous books are back, Grandmere is still around with her crazy dog and tattooed-on eyeliner, and readers will not be disappointed to find out who Mia is marrying.

Reading Royal Wedding was like catching up with an old friend I haven’t spoken to in a while. I had no idea how much I missed her, and even though I can’t find anything about a Volume 12, I’ll still cross my fingers that this still isn’t the last I’ll hear from my friend Mia.

– Liz Strauss, Teen Librarian

PS: Meg Cabot can write anything, and pretty much has. Aside from The Princess Diaries, she’s written a mystery series (Size 12 is Not Fat), several adult books including a paranormal romance (Insatiable) and even has a few children’s series (Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls). A new middle-grade spin-off of The Princess Diaries also began this year with From the Notebooks of a Middle-School Princess. Check out the Meg Cabot books available at the library!

You may have heard of authors attempting to write “The Great American Novel,” or TGAN.  My question is this: what exactly does that mean? I assume it refers to an author’s ability to capture the quintessential characteristics of the American story: capturing the American Dream; overcoming adversity; redemption; success.  If you ask many critics, The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitgzerald typically tops the list as the top candidate for TGAN. But not so fast…

Let me say that thirteen days ago I was playing basketball with our boys and I tore my Achilles tendon (wearing black, leather dress shoes no less).  Tomorrow I have surgery to repair the tear and Dr. Teater has estimated a few weeks off of work and months of recovery.  Let me say this is not an easy thing for me. I always have somewhere to go and I am involved in so much.  Perhaps this is God’s way of telling me to take it down a notch.  At any rate, I will have lots of time to discover TGAN.  Here is my list of candidates:

• The Great American Novel, by Philip Roth
• The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
• Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
• Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson
• Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
• The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara

Here is why these titles made my list.  Has it stood the test of time and does it capture the essence of what being an American is all bout?  Time will tell.  Let the reading begin!

-Jim Gill, Director