Volunteer Support

• Best Practices
• Official Name and Approved Logos
• Copyright Info
• Website Caretaking
• Joining a USGenWeb GoogleGroup
• USGenWeb Brochure (2-page pdf)

Best Practices

Volunteers work to support the USGenWeb Project's purpose "to gather genealogical and historical information for free online access by researchers." We have a set of Bylaws that are supplemented by Standard Rules, Special Rules, as well as Standards & Guidelines. Each state project may have additional requirements, which apply to members and websites within their state.

There are two types of members: Non-Voting and Voting. Non-Voting Members are Transcriptionists and Look-Up Volunteers. Voting Members are State Coordinators (SC), County Coordinators (CC), and Town Coordinators (TC). In addition, although the Special Projects are now considered separate projects affiliated with the USGenWeb, their Project Coordinators (PC) are eligible to be Voting Members of USGenWeb.

CCs may apply to be appointed as an Assistant State Coordinator (ASC) for their state. CCs may become candidates for a SC position. CCs and SCs may become candidates for an Advisory Board (AB) position. CCs and SCs may apply to be appointed to Election Committee (EC), Grievance Committee (GC), Web Managers Team, or Ad Hoc committees. Members may concurrently hold multiple positions.

These Best Practices, are our attempt to detail the tasks Members may fulfill, especially the State Coordinators (SC) and County Coordinators (CC). All Members are welcome to review the items listed and decide which ones to implement. It is our hope that the result will strengthen the framework supporting all the project sites, providing a semblance of continuity without stifling the content, creativity, design, and format of state and local websites.

MEMBERS

• CCs provide their name, email address, and phone number to their SC annually. SCs and ASCs provide their name, mailing address, phone number, and emergency contact info to the National Coordinator (NC) annually. This information is kept private.
• Respond to all inquiries quickly, within 7 days.
• Verify that they successfully joined the appropriate Project mail lists, remain subscribed, and verify posts are not being sent to their Spam folder. (Sometimes, especially when the member's email is not gmail, a little extra effort is needed to successfully join the Google group.)
  • The SC subscribes all their state's members to their State's mail list. The State's mail list is used for Roll Calls, state-related discussions, and appropriate announcements from other Project email lists.
  • The NC subscribes all SCs & ASCs to the State Coordinator mail list, where national level announcements and matters will be posted and discussed.
• Adhere to the project's Copyright Policy as explained in Copyright Info. Although the Project Policy specifically addresses genealogy information, it pertains also to all facets of the website, e.g., graphics, html coding, backgrounds, audios, and videos.
• Voting Members update their website, as appropriate. All project websites adhere to the USGenWeb Project requirements. SCs are responsible for periodic review of their State's state and county websites. The reviews may be performed by an ASC. The SC takes appropriate action to correct non-compliant websites. The SC releases the CC from their position if the website remains non-compliant more than 30 days.

PROJECT WEBSITES

• Prominently display one of the approved USGenWeb logos on the main page. "Prominent" is defined as standing out; readily noticeable; conspicuous. The USGenWeb Project logo is not altered in any way. (Inclusion of the logo in a banner is not considered to be an alteration.)
• Have an embedded link in an approved logo or in The USGenWeb® Project name, on the main page to The USGenWeb Project the main page.
• Display the CC's name and email address is on the main page of their website. An older practice uses a link on the main page to a "Contact Info" page for the CC's email address or Email Registry ID.
• Display a copyright notice on each website page. A copyright notice may be as simple as project name, ©, and current year, e.g. ALGenWeb © 2025.
• Provide a direct link to the USGenWeb Archives Special Project, and a link to the state-level Archives Special Project, and county websites also provide a direct link to the county-level Archives Special Project.
• Provide a link to the Archives Search feature.
• State websites
  • Provide a direct link to all its county sites.
  • Provide a direct link to the USGenWeb Approved Logos.
  • Provide a direct link to the USGenWeb Project's Copyright Information.
  • Provide a direct link to The USGenWeb Project's Guidelines.
  • Provide information regarding county adoptions.
• Local (county, town, ...) websites provide a direct link to their county's and state's websites.
• No website contains any postings asking for money for personal gain.
• No website uses the generic "GenWeb" term. Two identifying letters for US or state abbreviation must be used (for example "USGenWeb" or "WYGenWeb").
• Display The USGenWeb® Project name, with trademark symbol, on the main page.
• Provide a search feature for your website. FreeFind is commonly used.
• Provide genealogical data (narratives, transcriptions, images, ...) specifically for the website's location.
• Provide boundary maps specifically for the website's location.
• Provide research resource links specifically for the website's location.
• Post a disclaimer about outside links, for example: "Links to websites that are not part of the USGenWeb Project are provided for your convenience and do not imply any endorsement of the websites or their contents by The USGenWeb Project."
• Provide a link to The WorldGenWeb Project, especially when the state or county borders another country.
• Provide links to active genealogy-related mail list for the area.
• Are checked periodically (at least annually) for any links that have become old, redirected, or broken, and followed up with maintenance to fix or remove the problematic links.
• Provide a bibliography page listing helpful reference books available for your area (state, county, or town).
• Provide basic research contact information for the court clerk, library, and genealogical and/or historical societies, including local names, addresses, and phone numbers.

STATE COORDINATORS

• Lead their state's team of volunteers, providing communication, encouragement, help, etc., as needed.
• Are aware of whether their state uses a domain name. If a domain is used, make sure it is working properly, and ensure prompt renewal as needed.
• Are aware of server hosts
  • Know where their sites are hosted, and know who to contact if a problem occurs.
  • Renew their server space, when needed.
  • Renew the security certificate(s), when needed.
• Recruit an Assistant State Coordinator (ASC), or two, and provide them with full access to the domain, server, ftp codes, mail list, ... so their ASC will be able to act if the SC is unavailable.
• Maintain adoptable sites, or recruit "Temporary CCs" to maintain any adoptable sites.
• Periodically check that their state and local sites are working correctly and adhere to the USGenWeb Project requirements.
• Maintain a backup of all their State and County sites.
• Perform a series of tasks for each New Volunteer
  • Provide the new CC with ftp access codes to the newly adopted county site server files.
  • Verify the newly adopted county site is updated with the new CC's name and email address.
  • Add the new CC to the state's mail list.
  • Notify Membership (Oversight) of the new CC's name, email, and county site.
  • Notify MaryAlice Schwanke which county was newly adopted, so she will update the Adoptables list.
• Check other sites (USGenWeb Archives, Linkpendium, Access Genealogy, …) for correct links to their state & local sites. Appropriately contact them to notify and provide correct link(s), as needed.

Joining a USGenWeb GoogleGroup

To Set up a Google Account (if you don't already have a Gmail address)

• Find the "Create Account" link on Google Accounts Login page - https://accounts.google.com/.
• Choose a "Personal" or "Business" account.
• Choose a Gmail user name or select "Use my current email address instead."
• Enter your Email address if you don't want Gmail.
• Type a password.
• Type it again.
• If you are getting a Gmail address, Google requires a cell phone number (Google will text you with an authentication code).
• If you are not getting a Gmail address, wait to receive an email from noreply@google.com with the subject "Verify your email address."
• Type the digits sent as verification via text or email.
• List a date of birth.
• Select your gender from the drop down menu.
• Read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and agree.
• Welcome to your new account.

This verifies your email address and activates your Google Account.

Join a Google Group under your Google Account

• Sign in with your Google Account email address and password - https://accounts.google.com/.
• Go to the Group's URL.
• Click on the blue "Join group" button.
• Link to your Google profile if you want.
• Choose your mail options from:
  • Each email — Messages are sent individually as they’re posted to the group.
  • Digest — Up to 25 complete messages are combined into single emails and sent daily.
  • Abridged — Summaries of up to 150 messages are combined into single emails and sent daily.
  • No email — Messages from the group are not sent.
  • The default is "each email."
• Add the group's email address to your address book.

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Page content reviewed and/or updated by the Advisory Board 2025 Oct

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