Turning the Google NotebookLM Slide Show Into a Narrated Video

I'm hoping that Google NotebookLM returns access to their Infographics and Slide Show feature soon, rather than later or never, for free users.  If we lose the free option to create a limited number of slide shows each day, I may have to subscribe to Google One in order to create more Slide Shows in NotebookLM.

I shared one of my silent Slide Show in the ABC Biography of Elijah Pickrell McKnew (1836-1912) and Jane (Whittle) McKnew (1847-1921) Family of San Francisco, California post and also in the Google NotebookLM Biography, Infographic and Slide Show for Elijah Pickrell McKnew and Jane (Whittle) McKnew post.

In the meantime, I explored how to turn the Slide Show into a narrated video presentation.  Diane Henriks was the first to do this (on the Facebook Genealogy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Group), I think. I know several other users have done the same task now.  I wanted to create a narrated video of my own, so I tried using Diane's method as best I could.

The process I used to turn the 14 image silent slide show in a PDF format into a narrated video presentation was:

• Captured the image of each slide in the PDF using the Windows Snipping Tool and saving it as a JPG file. Renamed the image files.

• Opened Google Slides and created a new presentation by adding the 14 renamed image slides into the presentation. I added a 15th slide with the photograph of the McKnew family on the street in 1906. Saved the file on my Google Drive with an appropriate file name.

• Opened Google Vids (I had no idea what that was!), and selected the "Convert Slides" option. Selected my Google Slides presentation file, and selected the "Include Voiceover, Script, and Background Music" option, and then clicked on the blue "Import" button. 

• The Google Vids screen said "...it will take about a minute" but in this case it took about 15 seconds. 

• Here is a screen capture of the Google Vids screen at completion:

The narrated video is 3 minutes, 2.6 seconds long with variable times on each slide based on the narration script.  There are options on the right-hand margin of the screen for Voiceover, Image, Record, Uploads, Stock, Text, Templates and Shapes. In addition to the Google Drive menu items above the image, there are buttons to "Play" and to "Share." Oblivious to all of those options, I chose "File" to "Download" the narrated video.

Here is the Narrated Video (In an MP4 format), created by Google Vids:

That turned very well, although there are some minor graphical and narration errors.  There is a "placeholder" on the "Trial by Fire and Shake" slide. I will try to add the photograph to that slide.  The photograph at the end is from family files, and I need to make the time on this slide longer somehow (perhaps by adding more words to the slide?); perhaps there is a way to do it in Google Vids that I haven't found yet.

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/11/turning-google-notebooklm-slide-show.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Ask NotebookLM AI: A Summarization of Information About Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)

I wrote several blog posts back in late 2024 about using the FREE Google NotebookLM artificial intelligence tool to summarize and analyze text about a subject, and enjoyed the "Audio Overviews" (essentially a podcast discussion about the subject) presented by this AI tool for each analysis.  See Google's NotebookLM Can Summarize Large Text Files Using AI - My First Notebook (3 October 2024) and Betty (Carringer) Seaver's Life Summary, Chat Q&A and Audio Overview Using the Google NotebookLM AI Feature (9 October 2024).

I now have 29 Notebooks (and "Audio Overviews") about my own life and the lives of some of my close ancestors (back through my 2nd great-grandparents).   

NotebookLM's graphic interface and capabilities have changed some over the past six months, and I want to share my latest interaction with the AI tool.  

1)  Here is the opening page for my NotebookLM site (after I sign in with my Google account):

The page now includes all of my Notebooks.  I can select "Most Recent" as above, or "Title" or "Shared With Me."  I can "Create new" another "Notebook."  I can open any of my existing Notebooks and add or edit source information. 

2)  The latest Notebook is for my 3rd great-grandfather, Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825).  I uploaded, as a source, a PDF of my blog post about his life (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 25: #32, Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)).  After I uploaded the source document, and worked with the different options, the NotebookLM screen looked like this:

There are three panels on the screen above.  I can collapse or expand the left and right panels, but not the center panel.  If I collapse the left and/or right panels, the center panel expands,

a)  In the left-hand "Sources" panel is the Source information.  If I had more source articles I could add them using the "Add source" button.  I can click on the link and the source article text will appear.

b)  In the center "Chat" panel, there is a very short summary of the source document(s).  I can click the "Save to note" button to save that information.  There are buttons below that to:"Add note" (using the "Start typing" field); an "Audio Overview" button to set off the Audio Overview (which appears at the top of the right-hand panel); and "Mind Map" which creates a mind map of significant information.   

In the "Start typing box, the user can click on each of the "suggested" topics and see the response, and then save the response as a note.  The user can also ask their own questions about the subject matter.  On the screen above, I selected the first "suggested" question which was "What broader historical context, such as military service and community roles, is revealed about Benjamin Seaver through this genealogy?"  After collapsing the left and right panels, I saw:

The user can expand the "Mind Map" button to show each event in the map:

c)  In the right-hand "Studio" panel, the "Audio Overview" feature can be listened to by clicking the Play button.  Below that area, there are "Notes."  All of the saved Notes can be found there.  There are some suggested "Notes" - "Study Guide," "Briefing doc," "FAQ" and "Timeline."  

3)  The "Audio Interview" can be played, shared downloaded or deleted using the icons to the right of the subject title.  Here is a link to this "Audio Overview" (which is 23 minutes in length!):

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/15a19819-4adc-456c-a720-4a180aaeeb4c/audio

The "Audio Overview" description says "Generated by AI based on user-provided sources and instructions."

I download the Audio Overview" and then use an audio-to-text tool called TurboScribe to save (and edit) the text in a word processing document.  Consistent spelling of surnames and place names are a challenge sometimes.

4)  I really like the "Briefing Document" created by NotebookLM.  Here is the "Briefing Document" text (copied from the screen above):

Briefing Document: Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) Ancestor Biography 

• Date: October 26, 2023 Source: Excerpts from "geneamusings.com - 52 Ancestors - Week 25: #32 Benjamin Seaver 1791-1825.pdf" and accompanying webpage. 
• Author: Randall J. Seaver (geneamusings.com) Subject: Biographical information on Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825), a 3rd great-grandfather of the author.
• Purpose: To summarize the key biographical details, life events, and family connections of Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) as presented in the provided source.

Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:

This document presents a detailed genealogical sketch of Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) as part of a "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" blogging challenge. The author, Randall J. Seaver, meticulously compiles information from various primary and secondary sources to paint a picture of his ancestor's life. Key themes and facts include:

Vital Statistics and Family:

• Birth: Benjamin Seaver was born on November 15, 1791, in Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts. The Westminster Town Records confirm this, stating: "November 15th 1791. Benjamin Seaver Jun^r born".
• Parents: His parents were Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816) and Martha Whitney (1764-1832).
• Marriage: He married Abigail Gates (1797-1867) on March 2, 1817, in Westminster. The marriage record notes: "Feb^y 15 1817; Mr. Benjamin Sever and Miss Abigail Gates both of Westminster March 2; published for marriage as the law directs." Notably, his surname was recorded as "Sever" in this instance, highlighting the alternate spelling of the name.
• Children: Benjamin and Abigail had four children: Abigail (1817-1899), Lucinda (1821-1899), Isaac (1823-1901) (the author's direct ancestor), and Benjamin (1825-1836).
• Death and Burial: Benjamin Seaver died on May 25, 1825, in Westminster at the age of 33. The Westminster Town Records state: "Benjamin Sever, parent of the above family, died May 25th 1825 aged 33 years and 5 Months". He is buried in Whitmanville Cemetery in Westminster. His gravestone inscription reads: "Benjamin Seaver died May 25 1825 AE. 33". 

Occupation and Residence:

Benjamin Seaver lived his entire life in Westminster, Massachusetts.

He was "apparently a farmer or yeoman," suggesting his primary occupation was likely agricultural. 

Military Service:

He served in the War of 1812 in Captain Rice's company, Colonel Messenger's regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia around the age of 21. 

Property and Inheritance:

• Inheritance: In 1817, he inherited a portion (1/10th) of his father's estate. Specifically, on May 22, 1817, he "received 51 acres and 132 rods of the home farm, and agreed to pay each of the minor children (of his father) $28."
• Land Transactions: The document details several land transactions:
• In 1818, he bought 1.5 acres in Gardner that his father had previously purchased. In this transaction, he is referred to as "Benjamin Sever, yeoman of Gardner."
• Also in 1818, he bought the land in Westminster that was the share of his minor siblings for $1,480. The source notes that these land transactions involved an auction where the highest bidder refused, leading to a direct agreement with Benjamin.
• In 1823, he sold land in Westminster to his brother, Isaac Seaver, for $780. The boundaries of this land are described, mentioning neighboring landowners.
• In 1825, shortly before his death, he bought 15 acres and 22 rods of land in Westminster for $300.

 Census Records:

The 1820 US Census places the Benjamin Seaver family in Westminster. The household included one male aged 26-45, one female aged 0-10, and one female aged 16 to 26, likely representing Benjamin, his wife Abigail, and their two eldest daughters at the time. 

Estate and Probate:

• Benjamin Seaver died intestate (without a will) in 1825.
• His widow, Abigail Seaver, filed a petition for administration of his estate on June 8, 1825, stating she was "altogether unacquainted with doing business and besides she is left with four young children to take care of and that it will be impossible for her to administer upon said estate."
• John Jackson of Westminster was nominated as administrator.
• The estate was valued at $1000 in real estate (the Home Farm) and $996.10 in personal estate.
• The estate was later declared insolvent in March 1826, and a commission was formed to address debts. Real estate was petitioned for sale to pay these debts.
• In May 1827, John Jackson's account of the estate showed a small balance to be paid to the widow "to enable her to uphold life," highlighting the difficult financial circumstances of the family after Benjamin's death.
• Abigail Seaver was appointed guardian of her four minor children in April 1826.

Surname Variation:

The document notes that Benjamin Seaver's surname was spelled both "Seaver" and "Sever" in various records. 

Conclusion:

The biography of Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) provides a detailed snapshot of the life of an early 19th-century Massachusetts farmer and family man. Through meticulous research in town records, census data, probate documents, and cemetery inscriptions, the author reconstructs Benjamin's life, including his birth, marriage, military service, land ownership, family, and untimely death. The information reveals the challenges faced by his widow and young children after his passing, underscoring the importance of family and community in that era. The document serves as a valuable record for genealogical research, preserving details of Benjamin Seaver's life for his descendants.

5)  I also like the Timeline - it produced this information for Benjamin Seaver:

Here is a detailed timeline of the main events covered in the source, followed by a cast of characters with brief bios:

Timeline of Main Events 

• November 15, 1791: Benjamin Seaver (the subject of the biography) was born in Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts.
• Circa 1812: Benjamin Seaver served in Captain Rice's company, Colonel Messenger's regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia during the War of 1812.
• February 15, 1817: The intention of marriage between Mr. Benjamin Sever and Miss Abigail Gates, both of Westminster, was published.
• March 2, 1817: Benjamin Seaver (as Benjamin Sever) and Abigail Gates were married in Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts.
• May 22, 1817: Benjamin Seaver inherited part of his father's estate in Westminster, including 51 acres and 132 rods of the home farm, and agreed to pay his minor siblings a total of $140.
• January 4, 1818: Benjamin Seaver (as Benjamin Sever, yeoman of Gardner) bought 1.5 acres of land in Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, that his father had previously purchased from Josiah Kendal, for $32.
• January 4, 1818: Benjamin Seaver bought land in Westminster which constituted the entire real estate allocated to his minor siblings Martha, Silas, Isaac, Rozilla, and Mary Jane Seaver. Heman Ray, their guardian, represented them in the transaction, and the price was $1480.
• June 1, 1820: The US Census recorded Benjamin Seaver's family residing in Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts. The household included one male aged 26-45, one female aged 0-10, and one female aged 16-26.
• April 19, 1823: Benjamin Seaver, yeoman, and his wife Abigail sold land in the northerly part of Westminster to his brother, Isaac Seaver, for $780.
• February 1, 1825: Benjamin Seaver bought 15 acres and 22 rods of land in Westminster from Gilman Thurston and Moses Thurston for $300.
• May 25, 1825: Benjamin Seaver died in Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, at the age of 33 years and 5 months.
• After May 25, 1825: Benjamin Seaver was buried in Whitmanville Cemetery in Westminster, Massachusetts.
• June 8, 1825: Abigail Seaver, Benjamin's widow, filed a petition for administration of his estate with the Worcester County Probate Court, stating her unfamiliarity with business and the responsibility of caring for four young children.
• July 5, 1825: An inventory of Benjamin Seaver's estate was taken, showing real estate valued at $1000 and personal estate at $996.10.
• October 4, 1825: Abigail Seaver's dower rights to the estate were granted.
• March 23, 1826: Benjamin Seaver's estate was represented as insolvent.
• April 1, 1826: Abigail Seaver was appointed guardian of her four minor children.
• May 17, 1827: An advertisement for the sale of the personal estate was printed. John Jackson's account of the estate was allowed, with a balance to be paid to the widow.
• October 6, 1827: An inventory of the property belonging to Benjamin Seaver's four minor children was filed, valued at $30.

Cast of Characters 

• Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825): The central figure of the biography. He was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, served in the War of 1812, married Abigail Gates in 1817, inherited and bought land in Westminster and Gardner, and died at the age of 33. He was described as a farmer or yeoman.
• Abigail Gates Seaver (1797-1867): Benjamin Seaver's wife, whom he married in 1817. After Benjamin's death, she petitioned for administration of his estate and was appointed guardian of their four minor children. The gravestone inscription indicates she later married an Isaac Seaver.
• Isaac Seaver III (1823-1901): Son of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver. He is the ancestor through whom the author of the blog post is descended. He married Lucretia T. Smith.
• Lucretia T. Smith (1828-1884): Wife of Isaac Seaver III.
• Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922): Son of Isaac Seaver III and Lucretia T. Smith. He married Hattie Louisa Hildreth.
• Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920): Wife of Frank Walton Seaver.
• Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942): Son of Frank Walton Seaver and Hattie Louisa Hildreth. He married Alma Bessie Richmond.
• Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962): Wife of Frederick Walton Seaver.
• Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983): Son of Frederick Walton Seaver and Alma Bessie Richmond. He married Betty Virginia Carringer.
• Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002): Wife of Frederick Walton Seaver.
• Randall J. Seaver (1943-....): The author of the blog post and a direct descendant of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver.
• Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816): Father of the subject of the biography. His estate was partitioned in 1817.
• Martha Whitney (1764-1832): Mother of the subject of the biography.
• Abigail Seaver (1817-1899): Daughter of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver.
• Lucinda Seaver (1821-1899): Daughter of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver.
• Benjamin Seaver (1825-1836): Son of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver, born in the year of his father's death.
• Martha Seaver, Silas Seaver, Isaac Seaver, Rozilla Seaver, Mary Jane Seaver: Minor siblings of the subject of the biography who inherited part of their father's estate.
• Josiah Kendal: Individual from whom Benjamin Seaver's father purchased land that the younger Benjamin later bought.
• Heman Ray: Guardian of Benjamin Seaver's minor siblings who represented them in the land sale to Benjamin.
• Isaac Seaver (brother): Brother of the subject of the biography, who bought land from him in 1823.
• Merari Spaulding, Heirs of Jabez Fairbanks, John Jackson, Asa Rand, Daniel Howe, Hannah Whitney: Neighbors whose land bordered the property sold by Benjamin Seaver to his brother Isaac.
• Gilman Thurston: Yeoman of Westminster who sold land to Benjamin Seaver in 1825.
• Moses Thurston: Yeoman of Cambridge, VT, who also sold land to Benjamin Seaver in 1825.
• Benjamin Bigelow (deceased): Previous owner of the farm from which Benjamin Seaver bought land in 1825.
• Jonas Whitney, Nathan Merriam: Neighbors whose land bordered the property bought by Benjamin Seaver in 1825.
• Captain Rice: Captain of the company in which Benjamin Seaver served during the War of 1812.
• Colonel Messenger: Colonel of the regiment in which Benjamin Seaver served during the War of 1812.
• John Jackson: Of Westminster, nominated by Abigail Seaver as administrator of Benjamin's estate. He posted bond and presented an account of the estate.
• Merari Spaulding, Daniel Howe: Sureties on the $10,000 bond for the administration of Benjamin Seaver's estate.
• Edward Kendall, Zebina Spaulding, Daniel Howe: Individuals who took the inventory of Benjamin Seaver's estate.
• Daniel Howe, Zebina Spaulding, Benjamin F. Wood: Individuals appointed to set out the widow's dower rights.
• Edward Kendall, Simeon Sanderson: Commissioners formed when Benjamin Seaver's estate was declared insolvent.
• Isaac Seaver, Nathan Wetherbee, Henry Collidge Jr.: Sureties on the $5000 bond for Abigail Seaver's guardianship of her children.

Ah, the FAN [Family, Associates, Neighbors) Club!  All in one list.  [Of course, I had to transcribe the records that created the information. AI Tools can do this also!]

6)  Did I  mention that I love how Google's NotebookLM AI tool describes and analyzes available text(s)? 

Did I mention that this is FREE to use?  There can be a limitation on how many can be produced each day.  

Did I mention that Notebook LM performs these tasks without user prompts in a matter of seconds (although the audio overview takes minutes to generate)?  And the user can ask questions on particular issues if desired?  

All you need is source material:  The source material could be notes from a number of sources, a blog post, a periodical article, book pages, etc.  NotebookLM then produces a series of articles and lists that the user can use to better understand the subject matter, plus an audio overview (e.g., a podcast) that discusses the subject matter.  The articles and audio delve into the material and adds social and historical context in some cases. 

==============================================

See all of my Artificial Intelligence-related posts at AI and Genealogy Compendium.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/03/ask-notebooklm-ai-summarization-of.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com. 

Download and Use the Genealogist Assistant Chrome Extension To Help With Ancestry and MyHeritage DNA Analysis

 Dan Maloney has a relatively new Google Chrome Extension called Genealogy Assistant available to help researchers work on their Ancestry Member Tree, their AncestryDNA matches, MyHeritageDNA matches, and FamilySearch records.  

Here is Dan's post about Genealogy Assistant:

You can read about all of the tools and scripts that it offers on Dan's webpage. 

You can download the Genealogy Assistant from the Google Chrome extensions page here.

Once you have it downloaded, you can then click on the image on your Chrome browser bar and select the tools and scripts you want to use.  It looks like this when opened:

Use the scroll bar to scroll down.  Just click on each tool or script you want to use.  You can click on or off any time you want.

This Genealogy Assistant Google Extension is a subscription feature - it's $1.99 per month or $15.99 per year.

The biggest help for me has been in the AncestryDNA matches.  Here is my DNA > Matches screen with the Genealogy Assistant enabled (and names anonymized):

As you can see, there are two visible additions:

• There is a blue "Download CSV" and "# of pages" item next to the "By location" button on the top line.  That does just what it's advertised to do - it creates a CSV file that you can load into a spreadsheet with your DNA match Data (but no Notes yet).

• The number of cMs and percentages of shared DNA are bolded, bigger, and colored red for DNA matches above 25 cM.

When you click on a DNA match's name, I have chosen to have the Match page open in the "Shared Matches" screen rather than the "Trees" screen:

Again, there are two tools here:

• There is a "Select All Matches" checkbox and a blue "Download Shared matches as CSV" item on the top line.  That downloads all of the Shared Matches for your Match person to a CSV file.

• The number of cMs and percentages of shared DNA are bolded, bigger, and colored red for DNA matches above 25 cM and the Shared Matches with your Match.

I downloaded the "Close Matches" on AncestryDNA (1,991 matches) easily, but it took some time.  The CSV file appeared in my email and I loaded it into a spreadsheet.  Then I downloaded the "Shared Matches" of several of my "mystery" Matches.

The two DNA tools above can also be used for MyHeritageDNA matches. 

There are also tools to change the look of Ancestry member trees and research features.

These tools have been a big help for me to find the close relationship Matches of my Matches and to provide a spreadsaheet of my matches and selected Shared Matches of Matches.

==============================================

Disclosure:  I was offered a free subscription to this Chrome extension by Dan in return for sharing information about it on my blog and on social media.

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/10/download-and-use-genealogist-assistant.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Betty (Carringer) Seaver's Life Summary, Chat Q&A and Audio Overview Using the Google NotebookLM AI Feature

 After reading the information provided by Google's NotebookLM Artificial Intelligence tool and using it over the weekend (see Google's NotebookLM Can Summarize Large Text Files Using AI - My First Notebook  and Exploring the Google NotebookLM AI Tool - Chat and Notebook Guide (with Audio Overview) - Updated!), I wondered:

"Can NotebookLM take one of my ancestor genealogical sketches and craft something useful from them?"

1)  I used my blog post My Mother -- Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002) of San Diego, California as the Source information and updated it to a new Notebook in NotebookLM.

2)  The NotebookLM system went through the upload of the Source, provided a one paragraph summary, listed the Source information on the left.  Then I clicked on the creation of the five "Key Topics."  Here is the screen after the first Key Topic (Betty Seaver's Life"):

I can save each one of the "Key Topics" to a "Saved Note" and download it to my computer (I put it in a word file that has all of the captured text).  There are several suggested questions to elicit more information in the Chat field at the bottom of the right-hand panel.  If you click on one of them, the system will answer the uestion and the user can save that as a Note also.  There can be many suggestions!  Here is a screen of one of the Chat questions:

I can capture the text with the "copy" icon in the lower left corner of the note screen, and I can "Save to note" in the lower right corner of the note screen. 

3)  After chatting awhile, the user can click on the blue link to "Notebook guide" at the bottom of the screen  The "Notebook guide" screen:

The "Notebook guide" is a popup that covers some of the Saved Notes from the Key Topics and Chat Notes.  There three major features here:

• The "Help me create" section in the upper left, with links to create an FAQ, a Study Guide, a Table of Contents, a Timeline, and a Briefing Doc.  If you create those, you can save them as a Saved Note.
• The "Audio Overview" section is at the top right, and clicking on the "Load" button will create a 10-minute (maximum) discussion like a pocast with two hosts discussing the source information.
• The "Suggested questions" section at the bottom right has questions that can be answered in the Chat and the user can save them in a Saved Note.

4)  I clicked on the "Load" button on the "Audio Overview," and it took a minute or so to create the two-person podcast-like description of the source material.  When it was done, the screen was:

 It told me that the discussion was 09:40 minutes long, and I could play it with the "> play icon.  There are several other icons above the audio line - up-thumb, down-thumb, Share Audio Overview (choose public access and it will copy the link to the audio in your computer clipboard), and the three-dots (options are "Change playback speed," "Download" and "Delete").

Here is the link for this Audio Overview of my mother's genealogical sketch:    https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/ce047ccd-d0b1-4a82-a14a-87bf2b13c4ce/audio

I downloaded the audio file and saved it in my file folder.  I also copied all of the Saved Notes to a word processing document on my computer hard drive, and those all get backed up on iDrive every day.

5)  Here is the "Briefing Doc" that I downloaded:

Betty Carringer Seaver: A Life Sketched Through Census Records and Family Lore

This briefing document examines the life of Betty Carringer Seaver (1919-2002) as revealed through a combination of genealogical records, family narratives, and historical context.

Early Life and Family Roots:

Betty was born on July 30, 1919, in San Diego, California, the only child of Lyle Lawrence Carringer and Emily Kemp Auble. Her family resided in a home built by her paternal grandparents at 2105 30th Street, in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood.

A San Diego Upbringing:

Betty's childhood unfolded against the backdrop of a burgeoning San Diego. The 1920 and 1930 censuses provide glimpses into her family life, listing their residence, occupations, and household members, including Betty's maternal grandmother, Georgia K. Auble. Growing up near Balboa Park, Betty spent considerable time amidst its cultural offerings, including the zoo, museums, and gardens.

Education and Early Career:

Following her education at local schools, culminating in graduation from San Diego High School in 1936, Betty attended San Diego State College. She graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Her artistic talents were evident even then, and she was an active member of the Phi Sigma Nu sorority, maintaining lifelong friendships with her sorority sisters.

• "She was an active artist during her college years and later in her life." (Source 6)

Marriage and Family Life:

Betty's path crossed with Frederick Walton Seaver Jr. through a chance encounter arranged by a student’s cousin. Their wedding announcement in the San Diego Union on April 5, 1942, provides details about their backgrounds and aspirations.

• "Miss Carringer is a graduate of San Diego State college, where she affiliated with Phi Sigma Nu sorority. She is teaching in the San Diego city schools. "Mr. Seaver is a graduate of Worcester (Mass.) Academy, and attended Dartmouth college. He is now associated with an aircraft corporation." (Source 11)

• They married on July 12, 1942, and started their family in Chula Vista before moving back to the family home on 30th Street. The 1950 census captures the young family, listing their sons, Randall (born 1943) and Stanley (born 1946). A third son, Scott, was born in 1955. Betty balanced motherhood with teaching positions at various junior high schools, including Pacific Beach, Memorial, and Brooklyn Elementary, where her sons were students.

Later Years and Artistic Pursuits:

As her sons built their own families, Betty rekindled her passion for art, specializing in enameling on copper. She joined art guilds, exhibited and sold her work, and gifted her creations to family members.

• "In the 1970's...Betty found more time for her artwork, especially enameling on copper...She joined the Allied Craftsmen and the Enamel Guild..." (Source 6)

• Following the death of her parents, Betty and Fred moved to Point Loma. She remained active in her community, attending adult education classes, taking bus trips for shopping, and participating in sorority events. Despite facing challenges such as Fred's death in 1983 and a breast cancer diagnosis in 1982, Betty maintained a positive outlook on life.

• "In a 1984 interview with her granddaughter, Lori Seaver, Betty said that her philosophy of life is 'to be kind to everybody.'" (Source 6)

• Surrounded by her loving family, Betty Carringer Seaver passed away peacefully on January 4, 2002. Her obituary in the San Diego Union-Tribune highlights her artistic contributions, membership in craft guilds, and the enduring love of her family.

This review of available sources underscores the value of combining genealogical data with family stories. While census records offer factual snapshots of specific moments, it is through personal anecdotes and memories that we gain a richer understanding of Betty's character, her love for family, and her lifelong passion for art.

Note that some of the Briefing and Chat items have a Source number - when you click them, you can see where in the Source documents the information was obtained.

6)  Some final thoughts:

• I thought that the "Briefing Doc" was accurate and neutral, and that many of the Chat answers were insightful and accurate.  The Audio Overview has a view details wrong, like her death year.  
• This process does not take very long as long as you have the Source document(s) on hand.  Some of the "Help me create" items on the "Notebook guide" took a long time to generate and some never did generate for me.  
• I will share the links to the Notebook and to the Audio Overview with my daughters and brothers.  
• I need to find a way to put the Audio Overview into a YouTube video.  If you have experience with WAV files into a YouTube video, please advise me!
• I encourage my readers to try this NotebookLM AI feature out to see if it will help you write about your ancestral fmailies, or create family stories to share with your family. 

=============================================

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/10/betty-carringer-seavers-life-summary.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. 

Exploring the Google NotebookLM AI Tool - Chat and Notebook Guide (with Audio Overview) - Updated!

 I wrote Google's NotebookLM Can Summarize Large Text Files Using AI - My First Notebook on Thursday and explored the many NotebookLM features that I did not address on Friday and today. 

1)  In addition to the Source information and the "Key topics" links to Notes on the left-hand panel of the screen below, there are several other features available (see first screen capture below), including:

• A "Chat" field for questions, and a "View Chat" link at the bottom of the right-hand panel.  The Chat area also has suggested questions that the user can click on to get more answers and save as a Note.

• A link to "Notebook Guide" which leads to more features.  

  2)  Here is the "Notebook Guide" screen capture.   It overlays the previous screen:

 

3)  The additional features on the "Notebook Guide" provide more opportunity for receiving additional information that NotebookLM can provide about the subject of the sources provided by the user.  

• At the top left of the "Notebook Guide" screen area, there are links for the user to click on to create more summaries and text, including:   "FAQ;" "Study Guide;" "Table of Contents;" "Timeline;" and "Briefing Doc."  Each of these links can create additinal information, although I had difficulty with the Timeline link finishing that task.  

• At the top right of the "Notebook Guide" screen area, there is a link for an "Audio Overview" that creates a pseudo podcast by two people talking about the subject in a podcast formt (with a maximum of about 10 minutes).   This completes after several minutes and the discussion can be saved as a WAV file to your computer.  

• On the rest of the "Notebook Guide" screen is a "Summary" of the source information, and more suggested Chat questions that can be asked, or the user can formulate their own questions.  All of the Chat questions and answers can be accessed using the "View Chat" link.

An interesting feature is the "Study Guide" - it's like a quiz that helps learners/students to find answers to questions about subjects in the source information.  

4)  The "Briefing Doc" link on the "Notebook Guide" summarizes the source information.  For the current Notebook, here is what it said (note that I had two source documents, the Lisa Louise Cooke interview and my own autobiography in this particular Notebook - my mistake!):

Briefing Document: Randy Seaver's Life and Work in Genealogy 

Sources: Excerpts from "Randy Seaver Autobiography - 2024.pdf", "Randy Seaver Interview by Lisa Louise Cooke - August 2024.pdf"

Date: October 26, 2023

Overview: This briefing document explores the life, work, and passions of Randy Seaver, a prominent figure in the genealogy community, as detailed in his autobiography and a recent interview. 

• Main Themes:

1. A Life Shaped by Curiosity: From a young age, Seaver demonstrates a thirst for knowledge and exploration. This manifests in his childhood fascination with maps, bus schedules, and recreating radio show narratives. This curiosity forms the bedrock for his lifelong pursuits in radio DXing, genealogy, and computing.
2. The Evolution of a Genealogist: Seaver's genealogical journey began with his interest in his paternal New England roots, rich with Mayflower connections and colonial history. Over time, his research expanded to encompass both sides of his family, utilizing traditional methods alongside emerging technologies like genealogy software and online databases.
3. Sharing the Genealogical Journey: Recognizing the value of community and knowledge sharing, Seaver actively engages with fellow genealogists. He is an active member of numerous genealogical societies, presents at conferences, and fosters connections through his popular blog "Genea-Musings."
4. Embracing Technological Advancements: Seaver recognizes the power of technology in genealogical research. He eagerly adopts new tools and techniques, from early IBM PCs to sophisticated software like RootsMagic and online platforms like Ancestry and MyHeritage. He even explores cutting-edge technologies like AI for transcription, image enhancement, and storytelling. 

• Key Ideas and Facts: 

1. Early Life and Influences: Seaver's autobiography provides a detailed account of his upbringing in San Diego, highlighting family dynamics, the influence of his parents, and experiences that shaped his personality and interests.
2. Professional Career: Seaver's background as an aerospace engineer at Rohr/Goodrich for 35 years provided a foundation in problem-solving, research, and data analysis, skills readily transferable to genealogical work.
3. Genea-Musings Blog: Established in 2006, the blog showcases Seaver's research process, analysis of genealogical tools and resources, and highlights from the genealogy community, providing valuable insights for enthusiasts of all levels.
4. Use of Technology: Seaver's interview underscores his enthusiasm for integrating technology into genealogy, particularly his use of AI for tasks like transcription, photo enhancement, and even crafting personalized poems and "deep story" biographical videos.

• Notable Quotes: 

1. On the Importance of Writing: "Writing helps me get things right. The 'holes in my research' are evident. I try hard to be accurate, provide source citations, give attribution, etc. I try to be a good example."
2. The "Chunk Theory" of Genealogy: "Doing weekly themes helps me 'advance the genealogy football.' I have a 'Chunk Theory' - doing one thing now, and another tomorrow, creates lots of content every year."
3. The Power of Cousin Bait: "Occasionally readers help me out with research and suggestions by commenting on the blog or in email. I get email from folks asking for help with their Seaver and Carringer families."

• Conclusion:

1. Randy Seaver's journey is a testament to the enduring power of curiosity, the importance of community in genealogical pursuits, and the exciting possibilities offered by emerging technologies. His story serves as inspiration for seasoned researchers and newcomers alike.

4)  The "Audio Overview" product is a conversation between two persons (a male and a female) about the source information.  The overview discussed only the Lisa Louise Cooke interview source material, not the Autobiography information.  It is not a summary of the source information, but a series of comments about instances in the source information, including insights about the subject.  Not every detail is exactly correct, but it is reasonably close to a factual account.  Some of the insights and comments are very complimentary, which I appreciated!

I have a WAV file which I can play on my computer using a Media Player (with a blank image), but I haven't figured out how to put it into an actual Podcast or a YouTube video.  It is a relatively large file - 28 mb that I cannot embed here (or on Facebook?).  I thought of doing a Zoom session with a background image and setting off the audio WAV file;  I haven't tried that yet.  Perhaps a reader can counsel me on how to do this to get it on my YouTube channel.  

UPDATE:  Here is the link to the Audio Overview:   https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/21e74803-ba61-41b4-ba45-438b19a6f8af/audio   What do you think about this?  

5)  All in all, I  am impressed by how much information can be gleaned, summarized and analyzed by NotebookLM from a source document.  Of course, the more information a user puts into a source document, the more information can be gleaned and analyzed by NotebookLM.

6)  I think that this NotebookLM is "StoryTelling on Steroids."  The user can "Invite" other people (family, friends, colleagues, etc.) using the "Share" button on the top right of each screen.  The Invited persons can see the source information, the NotebookLM analysis, the Chat Q&A, and to hear the Audio Overview.   Can they ask more Chat questions (inquring minds want to know!)?  I need to experiment more.

=============================================

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/10/exploring-google-notebooklm-ai-tool.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Google's NotebookLM Can Summarize Large Text Files Using AI - My First Notebook

 Several genealogy bloggers have tried out the relatively new Google NotebookLM feature whch uses Artificial Intelligence to summarize and analyze a large text file, document, audio or video. 

The NotebookLM AI description is:

NotebookLM gives you a personalized AI collaborator that helps you do your best thinking. After uploading your documents, NotebookLM becomes an instant expert in those sources so you can read, take notes, and collaborate with it to refine and organize your ideas.

Read about the permitted NotebookLM AI Sources here.

 I wanted to take a look at how I can use it for my genealogy and famly history work.  

1)  When I opened NotebookLM I was requested to upload a file:

The files can be PDF, text, Markdown, Audio, etc.  I chose to upload my two-page PDF that I prepared for my interview with Lisa Louise Cooke (which I blogged about in My Interview With Lisa Louise Cooke and Family Tree Magazine).  

2)  I chose my file to upload and NotebookLM did some summarization immediately.  Here is the top of the resulting screen:

On the left-hand panel of the screen is a short Summary of the text that says:

This document is an interview excerpt from "Randy Seaver Interview by Lisa Louise Cooke - August 2024.pdf," where Lisa Louise Cooke interviews Randy Seaver, a prominent genealogy blogger and researcher. The interview explores the content and purpose of Randy's website, "GeneaMusings.com," focusing on how he utilizes weekly themes to engage his readers and advance his research. Randy discusses his personal approach to genealogy, highlighting the importance of accuracy, source citations, and using his research to help others. The conversation also touches upon the evolution of genealogy blogging, the impact of DNA testing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on the field, and Randy's insights into these advancements.

The uploaded text is listed below the Summary.

Also in the left-hand panel to the right of the summary are links to five "Key Topics" (the five links are to sectinos for "Genealogy Blog," "Research Methods," "DNA Analysis," "AI in Genealogy," and "Genealogy Community").  The last three "Key Topics" are from a second interview with Lisa which has not aired yet.  

In the right-hand panel of the screen above is the top of the "Genealogy Blog" summary and analysis created by NotebookLM based on the source text provided.  I can Save the summary information to my computer clipboard and copy it into a text document if I care to.  Note that there are Source indicators in some paragraphs - these refer to a specific section of the uploaded text.

3)  Here is the text  for the "Genealogy Blog" summary and analysis by NotebookLM:

Here are the key elements of Randy Seaver's website and how he has used his blog to develop his own genealogy research and engage with a wider community:

• Website Content: Seaver's website, www.GeneaMusings.com, features weekly themes covering a wide range of genealogical topics:

  • Curation: "Best of the Geneablogs," genealogy and DNA news roundups, genealogy education roundups, and lists of new and updated records on platforms like Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, and Findmypast.

  • Personal Research: Transcriptions of probate records and deeds, analysis of birth, marriage, death, military, tax, and other records, genealogical sketches of relatives and ancestors, family photos, Seaver family obituary transcriptions, and weekly summaries of his genealogical activities.

  • Technology and Tool Analysis: Exploration of new software and family tree features, new features on record provider websites, and new DNA or AI features.

  • Entertainment: Weekly "Saturday Night Genealogy Fun" challenges, exploration of famous cousin relationships, and genealogy poems and songs generated by AI based on life highlights.

• Blog's Impact on Seaver's Research:

  • Improved Accuracy and Identification of Gaps: Writing about his research helps Seaver ensure accuracy, identify gaps in his knowledge, and maintain high standards for source citations and attribution.

  • Consistent Progress: Adhering to weekly themes allows Seaver to continuously produce content and make steady progress in his research, reflecting his "Chunk Theory."

• Community Engagement and Benefits:

  • Collaboration and Assistance: Seaver's blog serves as "cousin bait," attracting readers who provide research assistance, suggestions, and inquiries about shared family lines.

  • Professional Recognition and Opportunities: Seaver's blog has raised his profile within the genealogy community, leading to opportunities to test and provide feedback on new features offered by genealogy companies.

  • Educational Value for Readers: Seaver's content aims to inspire readers to explore new genealogy resources, try different databases, and adopt best practices like using source citations.

In addition to these key elements, Seaver's interview responses highlight his perspective on the evolution of genealogy blogging, his experiences with research, and his adoption of DNA analysis and AI tools in his work.

4)  Here is the summary and analysis for the "Research Methods" section of the text by NotebookLM:

The sources, primarily excerpts from Randy Seaver's interview, offer insights into his research methods, particularly in genealogy. However, they do not provide a formally structured explanation of his research methodology. The information provided centers around his practices and experiences rather than a defined framework.

Here's a breakdown of the research methods implied through Seaver's actions and statements:

• Systematic Documentation and Analysis: Seaver emphasizes accuracy and source citation in his work. He meticulously documents his findings, transcribes records like probate and deeds, and analyzes various genealogical records such as birth, marriage, death, military, and tax records. This suggests a methodical approach to research, valuing accuracy and reliable sourcing.

• Technology Adoption and Utilization: Seaver's comfort and expertise with computers play a significant role in his research. He leverages genealogy software (RootsMagic), explores online databases, utilizes AI tools for tasks like transcription, translation, and photo enhancement, and embraces the evolving landscape of digital resources.

• Collaboration and Community Engagement: Seaver actively engages with the genealogy community, participating in societies, attending conferences, and interacting with fellow researchers online and offline. He acknowledges the value of "cousin bait," where his online presence attracts distant relatives who contribute information or research assistance. This highlights a collaborative approach to genealogy, recognizing the benefits of shared knowledge and diverse perspectives.

• Persistence and Long-Term Exploration: Seaver's dedication to genealogy spans decades. He describes having "major unfinished projects" and continuously seeks new information, reflecting an understanding that genealogical research is an ongoing process. This dedication to long-term exploration is crucial in uncovering hidden connections and expanding family narratives.

While the sources don't explicitly detail Seaver's complete research process, they illuminate key aspects: his meticulous documentation, technology adoption, community engagement, and enduring dedication to unraveling family histories.

Frankly, I could never have described my blog and my research methods in such detail.  While NotebookLM inferred this information from what I wrote in my uploaded text, the analysis is, I hope, accurate.  Did NotebookLM hallucinate or embellish the summaries and analyses?  I can't tell!

5)  I will publish the additional results of the interview in a later post, and perhaps will add to my text docxument before I do that.  The discussion with Lisa for the second part was not as pre-planned and I know I said more in the second part of the interview than I have in my text.  I wish I could get a transcription of the podcast interviews!

6)  For a first attempt at using NotebookLM, I think this worked out pretty well.  I need to remember to start a new Notebook every time I upload a different text!  I made the mistake of not starting a NEW Notebook and uploaded my 23 page Autobiography (that I updated in early 2024) into this Notebook.  Therefore, some of the summarization and analysis above may reflect information in that text also.  

=============================================

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/10/googles-notebooklm-can-summarize-large.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.