National Genealogical Society

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

The Call for Proposals ends September 15th. Upload yours NOW!
More information at conference.ngsgenealogy.org

09/01/2026

Interested in applying your genealogy skills in a legal setting?

Forensic Genealogy: Theory & Practice is the first comprehensive textbook dedicated to this growing field. Published by the National Genealogical Society, it brings together leading experts to explore how genealogical methods are used in legal cases.

From identifying unknown heirs to investigative genetic genealogy and courtroom-ready evidence, this book provides both the theory and the practical tools needed to build a career in forensic genealogy.

If you are ready to expand your expertise, this is an essential addition to your library.

Available now in the NGS online store. https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/forensic-genealogy/

08/31/2026

Thank you to for your support!

08/27/2026

Call for presentation and workshop proposals for is open until September 15th. Get yours in today!
https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/

08/26/2026

Have a resource that the genealogy community needs to know about? What project is your society working on that can benefit other researchers? Who has a database that would excite genealogists? Tell us! The NGS Magazine is looking for resources. Submit a resource online via the Google Form at https://bit.ly/4iv3LfD

08/26/2026

The latest Research in the States publication is Upstate New York by Eric G Grundset, MLS, FVGS, FNGS. Get yours today from the NGS Store. https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/

08/24/2026

Access YOUR NGS Member Benefit. Read more on Upfront, https://upfront.ngsgenealogy.org/

08/21/2026

Federal civilian Official Personnel Folders (OPFs) can contain valuable genealogical information about a person’s government employment. Today, many OPFs for employees who left federal service before 1952 are archived at NARA. Later files generally remain under OPM control and are much harder to access. The 1952 cutoff was created for administrative filing purposes, not because the records on either side of that date have different historical value.

In 2025, NARA proposed making OPFs for employees separated through 31 December 1973 permanent records, but this schedule has apparently not yet been approved. The National Genealogical Society and the Records Preservation and Access Coalition (RPAC) support that proposal and call on NARA to sign that record schedule.

This new proposal, however, would allow OPFs for employees separated on or after 1 January 1974 to be destroyed after 65 years (right now, all post-1951 OPFs have a 129-year retention).

RPAC seeks to:
• Preserve pre-1974 OPFs permanently.
• Make all employment years consistent with pre-1974 policy.
• Replace the arbitrary 1952 access cutoff with a rolling transfer of older civilian personnel files to NARA.

This is simple: federal civilian personnel files should become more accessible as they age—not disappear.

To submit your comments on the proposal, go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/NARA-26-0331-0008.