In this episode of Best Websites, Lisa Louise Cooke talks with Brooke Schreier Ganz from Reclaim the Records, a group that aims to make genealogical records more accessible to researchers. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/2024-08-BW.mp3 Best Genealogy Websites: Reclaim the Records Have you ever tried to access a record only to be told by a government agency or archive that you can’t? What can you do in those situations? Brooke Schreier Ganz figured out that there was a lot she and her fellow researchers could do about it. Ganz founded Reclaim the Records, a not-for-profit activist group that identifies important genealogical records that they believe are incorrectly being restricted by government archives, libraries and agencies. They fight to gain access and digitize everything they acquire and make it available online for free. In this episode, Ganz explains: * more about what Reclaim the Records does, * why some records are wrongly restricted, * how you can access the records they acquire for free, and * how you can help. Resources Mentioned in This Interview Visit Reclaim the Records Reclaim the Records at the Internet Archive Sign up for Our Free Genealogy Newsletter: The Genealogy Insider email newsletter includes a digest of articles, including one or two free articles in each newsletter. Daily and weekly options. Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube Visit Our Sponsor: VisitFortWayne.com Ready to take your family history research to the next level? Consider planning a trip to The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library. Located in Fort Wayne, Ind., the Genealogy Center is the second-largest center in the nation and one of the best places to research family histories due to its free, extensive collection, services and database access. The Genealogy Center has more than 1 million physical items, and the trained genealogists all have unique specialties and are available to help everyone find success for free!  Use the services and materials at the Genealogy Center to take your family history research to the next level. Plan your trip and book an appointment at V...