Welcome to the first annual awards for the best in genealogy software and apps, websites and blogs, magazines and journals, education, and tools for putting your family tree online. The prize? Bragging rights that come with recognition by readers of one of the most popular networks on the Web.
2013 Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards
About.com © 2013
Readers have nominated their favorites for the 2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards and then voted from among the finalists in eleven categories, ranging from genealogy software and apps, to websites and blogs. Voting for the 2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards was open from February 19 through March 19, 2013, with winners announced on March 27, 2013. The polls were audited and validated by our tech team to produce the final results.
1. Best Genealogy Software (Windows): RootsMagic
What Windows genealogy software do you use on a regular basis? Which one best meets your needs, from data entry and user interface, to source citations and reports? Readers declared RootsMagic to be the winner, although voting was very tight between first and second.
2. Best Genealogy Software (Mac): Reunion
More and more genealogists seem to be using Macs these days (myself included) and genealogy software developers are beginning to respond. With several choices now available for Mac genealogy software, which one do you feel tops the list? While several newer programs have made great inroads into the market, Reunion is our readers' favorite by a landslide.
3. Best Tool for Putting Your Family Tree Online: TNG
Publishing your family tree online is a great way to share your research with family and friends, as well as potential distant cousins. However, getting your family information online isn't always as easy as it should be. This category highlights the best family tree building tools and websites for publishing your family tree online, with The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding (TNG) as our clear readers' favorite.
4. Best State/Provincial Society: Illinois State Genealogical Society
A large number of genealogical societies have re-invented themselves in recent years, embracing social media, virtual education, digital publishing, and other tools to reach a far-flung audience. To keep things on a somewhat equal playing field, nominations were accepted for state (provincial, departmental, etc.) genealogical societies only. Congratulations to the winner, plus the other four well-deserving finalists, for everything they do to connect and support genealogists.
5. Best Online Genealogy Tool or Mobile App: RootsMagic App
Whether it is your favorite genealogy search engine, mapping or writing tool, or a must have genealogy or productivity app, we all have online or mobile genealogy tools that are just hard to live without. RootsMagic, the winner in this category is a companion app to the most popular Windows genealogy software program, so no big surprise there. Ancestry's mobile app and Steve Morse's Search Tools also had a lot of support from readers.
6. Favorite Genealogy Reference Book: Evidence Explained
What genealogy reference book do you pull of your shelf more than any other? What genealogy reference book teaches you something new every time you open it? What is the book that first opened your eyes to the world of genealogy? "Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace," by Elizabeth Shown Mills, was the clear winner in this category, although all finalists are definitely books you should consider for your own bookshelf.
7. Best Genealogy Education or Learning Experience: Legacy Webinars
Whether it was a week-long genealogy institute, a genealogy conference, or an online genealogy course, what is your favorite genealogy learning experience? What educational avenue has taught you the most, or best opened your eyes to something new? The free, easy accessibility of online webinars made Legacy Family Tree Webinars a runaway winner in this category with About Genealogy readers.
8. Best Library or Archive Blog with a Genealogical Focus: State Library of N.C.
There are so many absolutely wonderful genealogy blogs available, that a contest that tries to narrow the field down to a top five can't begin to do them justice. So for the genealogy blogs category, I've chose to highlight the many great library and archive blogs providing essential, timely information on genealogy sources and collections, news, and methodologies. Congratulations to our winner — the Government and Heritage Library (GHL) Blog, State Library of North Carolina -- which received over 50% of the final vote!
9. Best Genealogical Journal or Magazine: Family Tree Magazine
Genealogical journals and family history magazines are a great resource for learning about new genealogy tools and resources, as well as expanding your understanding and applications of genealogical methodologies. Which genealogical journal or magazine best challenges your thinking or introduces you to new sources and ideas? Family Tree Magazine and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly were the clear frontrunners, with Family Tree Magazine coming out on top.
10. Best Subscription Genealogy Website: Ancestry.com
What subscription-based genealogy website is the one you can't live without? The one you turn to first? The one that gives you the best bang for your buck. Readers cited the wide variety of records as the reason that Ancestry.com was their favorite with over 60% of the vote.
11. Best Free Genealogy Website: FamilySearch
Reader responses were overwhelming when nominating their favorite online resources for free genealogy? This ran the gamut from websites with genealogical records, great networking resources, and websites that teach about genealogy records, methods, and sources. Over fifty different websites were nominated in this category, so all five finalists definitely have something to brag about. Congratulations to FamilySearch as the runaway winner, and Cyndi's List and FindAGrave for their recognition in second and third place, respectively.
