WikiProject:IRAD Database

Current Projects Page

IRAD Database

Project Leader

Danielle

Purpose

To add the collections from IRAD to the various county pages.

Video Instructions

[ Video Instructions]

Task List

• Task List]

Part A - Gather Data for the County From Illinois State Archives

Step One - Sign Up

• Go to the task list and sign your name for a county in Illinois: [ task list].

Step Two - Click the Link

• Go to the Illinois State Archives webpage: Local Governmental Records Holdings to search the database for all the collections for the county in the IRAD system.

Step Three - Search the Database

• Choose the correct county and the dropdown menu and click, Submit.

• A list of all of the IRAD databases available for the county will appear.

Step Four - Copy the Content and Paste the Data

• Copy all the columns and rows in the list.

• Paste the content onto the corresponding tab in this google sheet.

Step Five - Format the Spreadsheet

• Highlight and grab column C (Begin Date) and put it before Column B (Title).

• Repeat the process to move column D (End Date) to be between Column B (Begin Date) and Column C (Title). The tab should now be formatted to look like the tab for Adams County.

Step Six - Create a Table on a Sandbox Page

• Copy all the rows and columns for the data you pasted onto the Google Sheet.

• Go to the website, Excel2Wiki

• Make sure the following boxes are checked:

• Format first row as header
• Use class="wikitable"
• Sortable

• Paste the content from the Google sheet to the box on the Excel2Wiki website.

• Click on, Convert. You will now see all the Wiki text code necessary to help you create the database links.

Step Seven - Create a New Wiki Page

• Determine which Iillinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) your county belongs to by locating your county on this IRAD website page. Note the University name.

• Copy the following wikitext code into the search field on a Wiki page:

COUNTY County, Illinois County Records at IRAD - NAMEOFUNIVERSITY

• Replace COUNTY with the name of the county you are working on.

• Replace NAMEOFUNIVERSITY with the University name you found on the IRAD website.

• Create the Wiki page with this new page name.

• Go back to the Excel2Wiki website and copy the wikitext code generated and paste it onto the new Wiki page you created.

• Click on Show preview to review the page and make sure the table code works. Adjust for any problems that may have occurred.

• If everything looks ok, click on "Save Changes"

Part B - Format the New County Wiki Page

Step One - Paste Wikitext Code

• Add the following wikitext code to the new county Wiki page you created and paste it to the top of the page.

{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Illinois]]
| link2=[[Illinois Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]
| link3=[[Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)|Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)]]
| link4=[[IRAD - NAMEOFUNIVERSITY|NAMEOFUNIVERSITY (INITIALS)]]
| link5=[[NAMEOFPAGE|NAMEOFPAGE]]
}}
{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Illinois]]
| link2=[[COUNTY County, Illinois Genealogy|COUNTY County]]
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[NAMEOFPAGE|NAMEOFPAGE]]
}}
==COUNTY County Records Available at IRAD-NAMEOFUNIVERSITY==
These records are held at the [[IRAD - NAMEOFUNIVERSITY|IRAD - NAMEOFUNIVERSITY]]<ref>Information taken from the [https://apps.ilsos.gov/isa/localgovrecordssrch.jsp Local Governmental Records Holdings Database] at the Illinois State Archives, date accessed DATE</ref> These records are on microfilm and can be requested from [[IRAD - NAMEOFUNIVERSITY|IRAD - NAMEOFUNIVERSITY]]. 

• Fill in the following fields in all caps with the appropriate information:

• NAMEOFPAGE - new name of the page you just created
• NAMEOFUNIVERSITY - university name
• COUNTY - the county you are working on
• INITIALS - this is the initials for the IRAD University

• At the very bottom of the Wiki page, add the following wikitext code:

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:COUNTY County, Illinois]][[Category:Illinois Archives and Libraries]]

• Replace COUNTY with the county you are working on.

• Save the Wiki page.

Step Two - Separate the Topics

• Click on Edit source to edit the page.

• Begin separating the table into smaller tables grouping the same record types together.

• Use this wikitext code to put at the beginning of a new table:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
| County || Title || Begin Date || End Date || IRAD Dep || Accession No.
|-

• Use this wikitext code to put at the end of a new table:

|-
|}

• Use this list of headings to add to the Wiki page above each new small table.

==Almshouse Records==
==Birth Records==
==Business, Commerce, and Occupations==
==Cemeteries==
==Church Records==
==Court Records==
==Criminal and Punishments==
==Death Records==
==Guardianship==
==Land and Property==
==Marriage Records==
==Military Records==
==Naturalization and Citizenship==
==Probate Records==
==Public Records==
==School Records==
==Taxation==
==Voting Records==

• Review the databases to make sure they all grouped properly together. Add any headings that may not exist above. (Refer to a county page to help you)

Part C - Create the New Database Links

• Reviewing each small table, create a database that covers the records listed.

• For some topics, you may need to create 2 or 3 links to group together some of the records by type. Review this example.

*'''FIRSTDATE-LASTDATE''' TITLEOFDATABASE at [IRADURL UNIVERSITYNAMEANDINITIALS] - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, [[NEWWIKIPAGETITLE#TITLEOFTOPIC|List of records available]]

• Here is an example:

• 1865-1966 Bar Association Memorial Resolutions at IRAD–WIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available

Part D - Place the Database Links onto the County Wiki Page

• Remove any duplicate IRAD databases

Illinois Regional Archives Depository