Genealogy Interest Group - November 29, 2006 Meeting Notes
Present:
Sharon Angel (Retired), Wendy Dunn (Hamilton Lane Library), Nancy Horlacher (Dayton Metro Library), Leslie Jacobs (Clermont County Public Library), Arvind Kochar (Hamilton Lane Library), Cassie Rogers (Retired), Sarah Schaff (SWON Libraries), Janice Schultz (University of Cincinnati), Bridget Striker (Boone County Public Library), Laurie Wilcox (Boone County Public Library), Shawna Woodard (Dayton Metro Library)
Introductions and overview
Discussion of collections and duties of each library and department
- University of Cincinnati: wills from 1790 forward, naturalization records do in-person and mail reference
- Lane Library: Ancestry Workshops for the public
- Boone County Public Library: Genealogy and Local History
- Dayton Metro Library: A lot of email and mail correspondence, Historical Obituary Index (has about 75 years completed!), discussion of the Genealogy Society in Dayton, which is focused on cemeteries
Oral History
- Boone County Public Library is doing local history since they don’t have a lot of written history. They will ask for written histories and photographs to digitize and post on their website. This provides them with both a personal and cultural perspective. It is very expensive to put the various parts online!
- Boone County Public Library is doing a Genealogy program in the Spring; tentatively planned for March 17, 2007, at the Scheben Branch of BCPL. The program will be focused on beginners in the morning and more advanced researchers in the afternoon.
- Boone County Public Library is investigating heavy and in depth preservation.
Great Reads:
- To Our Children’s Children by Bob Greene: points out the importance of making sure the person being interviewed has an idea of what you’d like to discuss and suggests giving each session a theme.
- To Our Grandchildren: suggests doing 60-90 minute interviews at a time and don’t try to get everything, all at once.
- Handybook for Genealogists
- Ancestry’s Red Book
Interviewing Tips
- Back it up!
- Try to outline the script, transcribe it or at least take notes on the "Best of" the Interview
- Indexing: Here’s the general idea at 15 minutes, here’s the idea at 30 minutes, etc.
Links, Listservs, and More!
- Agenet: offers a nice article on why Oral History is important
- Genealib Listserv
Current Oral History Projects:
- StoryCorps with the Library of Congress: They will teach you how to record your own story and have equipment you can rent as well. Anyone can interview and be interviewed!
- Story Circles: Record a group of people talking about a specific subject. Another interesting idea is to videotape this same group talking about the subject.
Ideas for Oral History Projects:
- In Boone County, there are many rural schools that get together for class reunions every year!
- An archivist at the Dayton Metro Library edited a book on the Great Dayton Flood and did some oral history for this book.
- The Foxfire book in Kentucky did a bunch of interviews focused on Christmas
- Bring out the Photographs!
- Talk about specific topics, events, locations, etc.
- Make a second copy and put a copy in an archive, local library, etc., so people can use it in the future. You can always put restrictions on these donations!
- Keep in mind, you never know what someone will talk about!
- Always use signed release forms (see above)!
- Always document the stories you hear!
Format Obsolescence
- Discussion of what formats are currently in use and what our libraries can afford.
- Don’t use a micro-cassette recorder; just get a digital recorder to record something you’re going to write down later.
- Sound Forge software.
- Podcasting
- Discussion of quality and preservation issues
- Scanners: Always keep 2 files, one for the patron and one for archival use. Microtech is a useful brand, but cannot be moved to a different computer; 600 dpi tif in full color.
Digital Recording Standards:
- You want as much data as possible in the voice stream
- Inflection and tone must be preserved – higher quality is important to get all the sound.
- Latest and most accepted standards for preservation are found at the Society for American Archivists website.
- CD’s are no longer accepted.
- Ohio Preservation Council
- State Library of Ohio has a representative who can help.
- State Historical Society
Discussion
- Family History: the story that you tell and the interesting stuff (the “what”)
- Genealogy: Skeleton that you hang it on (the dates and the “when”)
- The stories are addicting and sometimes we have to tie it in with reality. Always try to prove your stories with facts and verify stories with census and marriage records.
- Cherokees: Why is everything always Cherokee?
- So much to read and so little time…Even just with the local stuff!
- Importance of having a local background: We want the facts behind the stories, and therefore it becomes important to keep track of your local resources and know to whom you should refer patrons.
- Kenny Burck, the President of the Hamilton County Genealogy Society wrote a great reference book, Index to Cincinnati, Ohio Death Records.
- Always keep a list of genealogical and historical societies in the area handy!
- Patriot Act: Closing Records
- Asylum Records
- Narrowing lists: Look at the ages, destinations, and professions
- Clermont County lost a lot of cemeteries: where should we go to find these records?
- Old German Script
Rutherford B. Hayes Index
- The Presidential Library in Freemont, Ohio, got a grant to create an index of obituaries and a participating library will send it to you.
Fees: What do you charge for research?
- $10 fee for research, copying and postage, up to 40 pages and $0.25 per page above 40 pages
- $0.25 per copy fee
- No charge at CCPL
- $0.10 per page and postage
- If a family sends their record to the library, the library will do the research for free and consider it reciprocity.
Lag Time?
- Officially, 4-6 weeks, but most turn-around is one week.
- Rationing time vs. rationing money: Cannot do more than 5 obits at a time, etc.
- Discussion of correspondence with patrons and keeping copies of what was sent and researched.
- Emailing and scanning materials
Local History Files:
- Keep a file of local histories, and when someone asks about a family, you’ll have the local info.
Historical Society Documents
- Ownership issues
- Collections within libraries
- Donations: if you are donating anything, make sure everyone can have access – so give it to your local library!
- Estates
- Many groups are finding that libraries are great depositories. We have better hours, better staffing, and more secure funding. The trend seems to be that this information is going to libraries.
- What about records that “can’t leave the building,” such as church records, baptismal records, etc.? Some libraries have taken a laptop and a scanner to the site and scanned the images for their users and collections.
- Policies?
Images of America Books
- Make deals with the “Images” authors and get the photographs and information for your collections…
Ideas for Programs and Classes:
- Genealogy 101
- Preservation
- Heritage Quest
- Ancestry
- Military Records
- How to use the Census
- How to use our collections
- How do you identify photographers>
- How do you identify this time period?
- Heritage Albums
- Bev Braun – local author
- Archives
- Adventures in Genealogy
- Day-long Genealogy Workshop
- Genealogy Lock-Ins
- Genealogy “Support Group” with regular meetings and discussion?
- Partner with other organizations to jointly promote programs, have historical society programs listed on the library’s website, or hold programs at the library.
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