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

Video Instructions Part A

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 - Convert Table Using Excel2Wiki

• 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 Illinois 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

• Video Instructions for Part B

Step One - Paste Wikitext Code

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

{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Illinois]]
| link2=[[COUNTY County, Illinois Genealogy|COUNTY County]]
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[NAMEOFPAGE|NAMEOFCOUNTY County Records at IRAD-ABBREVIATION]]
}}
{{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|NAMEOFCOUNTY County Records at IRAD-ABBREVIATION]]
}}
==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 that are 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

*DATE (found in the reference) - Put the date you downloaded the data from the website.

• 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

• Use this Adams County, Illinois County Records at IRAD-Western Illinois University example Wiki page to help you create the tables.

• Click on Edit source to edit the new IRAD Wiki page you just created.

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

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

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

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

|-
|}

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

==Almshouse Records==
==Birth Records==
==Business, Commerce, and Occupations==
==Cemeteries==
==Census Records==
==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 in each table. Add any headings that may not exist above. (Refer to a county page to help you)

Part C - Create the New Database Links

• Video Instructions for Part C

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

• You can add these databases directly under each corresponding table on the IRAD Wiki page.

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

• Use this format to create each database link. The FIRSTDATE should be the very first date for any of the databases. And the LASTDATE should be the latest date from the databases you are combining.

*'''FIRSTDATE-LASTDATE''' TITLEOFDATABASE at [https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/archives/IRAD/iradregn.html IRAD-UNIVERSITYINITIALS] - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, [[NEWWIKIPAGETITLE#TITLEOFTOPIC|List of records available]]

Note: The same link will be used for each different IRAD University. There is not a unique link for each IRAD University.

• Here is a completed example:

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

• Here is a completed example in wikitext:

*'''1865-1966''' Bar Association Memorial Resolutions at [https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/archives/IRAD/iradregn.html IRAD–WIU] - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, [[Adams_County,_Illinois_County_Records_at_IRAD-Western_Illinois_University#Business,_Commerce,_and_Occupations|List of records available]]

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

• Video Instructions for Part D

Step 1 - Transfer Database Links to County Wiki Page

• After you complete creating new database links for each table, you are ready to add them to the corresponding county Wiki page.

• Go back to the Task List to click on the link to go to the corresponding county page.

• Go through the IRAD county page you created and transfer the databases from the the IRAD county page to the actual county page under the correct heading. If you are unsure of where to put a database, put it where you think is best and make a note on the Google spreadsheet.

• Check the other databases under the headings and remove any duplicate IRAD databases.

• There should be no database links remaining on this IRAD Wiki page.

Step 2 - Review and Save the Pages

• Now that all the databases are on the county page, click "Show preview" to review the databases to make sure they work.

• If everything looks good, click on "Save page."

• Go back to the new IRAD page and make sure all the databases have been removed and save the page.

Step 3 - Compare to the Examples and Pick a New County

• Review these two examples and compare them to your IRAD page and the completed county page:

*Completed IRAD county Wiki page listing all known IRAD databases: Adams County, Illinois County Records at IRAD-Western Illinois University

*Completed county page with IRAD databases added: Adams County

• Go back to the Task List and put the date beside your county. Choose another county to work on and repeat the steps.