08 September 2014

Sadly, Another Genealogy Room Has Closed ...



You may remember that just the other week we reported on Reference Room Closing -- Oregon State Library.  We just recently read of another library which is down-sizing its genealogy collection -- Library removes genealogy, history room.

So it is with the Garland County Library, where patrons who had previously relied on its genealogical and historical troves to trace their origins can now do it remotely through online databases. No longer a necessary intermediary linking the past to the present, the Hiram Whittington Arkansas Local History and Genealogy Room lapsed into a forlorn space, The Sentinel-Record reported (http://bit.ly/1lsuPeS).

Though the materials previously in the library will be moved to local societies and continue to be available to the public (via The Melting Pot Genealogical Society and the Garland County Historical Society), they will now be less centralized and I was surprised to read that the holdings included “Ledgers bearing original minutes from Hot Springs’ earliest city council meetings in the 1870s and 80s ...”  These sound like neat records.

Though we understand that need (or lack of utility) drives many of the decisions to close facilities, it is still painful to read about.  It also, indirectly, perpetuates the “myth” that everything needed to trace one’s origins can be done “remotely through online databases.”  We all know that is NOT true!

And, as I read about this, I also learned that the History and Genealogy Reading Room (Connecticut State Library) re-opened yesterday after undergoing renovations!  That at least was a dose of needed “good” news.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter


No comments:

Post a Comment