Posts Tagged ‘library’

The Onondaga County Public Library (OCPL) Local History/Genealogy Department is in need of a new microfilm reader printer, and they have the opportunity to secure a grant of $8,500 from the Central New York Community Foundation who very generously makes $8,500 available annually to a worthy local area organization or project.

How can you help?

Very easy, just VOTE for OCPL on the page shown here:
http://mygiving.cnycf.org/cny85

*** Special Note!  The link above only takes you to the site.  It is not the actual vote.  After you sign in with your email address you then have to select “Onondaga County Public Library” from the list of candidates to place your VOTE! ***

Starting today September 1st, you may VOTE and each and every day in September you may vote again, once per day max.

There are many groups and agencies competing for the funds so if you really care about our beautiful Local History/Genealogy department I urge you to vote, and vote often!

You do not have to be a local resident to show your support and I would urge all you out of towners and out of staters to VOTE also, because with this new technology the staff will be able to make the highest quality scans and copies to send to you from your queries for research assistance from  OCPL.

Here is the email that OCPL sent out:

30 Days Has September

At some time in the past few years, you have contacted the Local History and Genealogy Department at the Onondaga County Public Library asking for our assistance. Now its time for us to ask for YOUR assistance.

We are in the running for an $8500 grant to purchase a new microfilm scanner/reader/printer. If you’ve used our current microfilm equipment or been through the tedious process of asking us to send you a copy from microfilm – such as an obituary – you know how desperate we are for new technology.

This grant is offered from the Central New York Community Foundation and awarded through a voting process; the project receiving the most VOTES will win the $8500.

We need you to vote. You can vote every day in September. We are counting on you to help us out.

To vote go here: http://mygiving.cnycf.org/cny85

Vote today and each day you can in September and help us help you be better researchers. 30 days has September….

Local History/Genealogy
Onondaga County Public Library
447 So. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-435-1900
http://www.onlib.org/web/lh/index.htm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ocpl.lhg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHG_OCPL
Instagram: LHG_OCPL

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ps: please forward this to your friends and fellow genealogists and genealogical societies.

Dick Hillenbrand

Yesterday’s post about the Broome County Library Vital Records Index caught the eye of Phyllis Rogan, a reference librarian at Steele and she wrote to say that they have the Vital Records Index also.

So then she sent me an announcement about some happenings at Steele and I am very happy to pass this information on to our readers.

It is with great pleasure that the Genealogy Department of Steele Memorial Library announces the acquisition of local early Catholic Church Records on microfilm. Beginning in 1848 to1910, most film consists of Chemung County Churches but also includes churches in Addison, Waverly, Trumansburg, and Watkins Glen. The records are available for immediate use and can be found on the second floor of Steele Library in the microfilm department.  This provides researchers with early records previously unavailable.

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Hi Everyone!
Sherry Nichols and I will conduct a free workshop, Beginning Genealogy, at the Hornell Library on Tuesday October 26, 2010  from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. We will discuss what you can find  in your central library’s (Chemung County Library District) website, on the web, and in the two databases that Steele and Hornell subscribe to – Ancestry.com and Heritage.com. This is open to all interested.

Phyllis Ryan Rogan
Reference Librarian
Head, Genealogy Dept.
Steele Memorial Library
101 E Church St., Elmira, NY
Roganp@stls.org

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On an additional matter about Steele, and I probably wrote about this several years ago on this blog, but it bears repeating. Back in the 1980′s I used to go to Steele on a frequent basis as they were the only place in Upstate New York, or at least closest to Syracuse, that one could find “ALL” of the U.S. Federal census on microfilm through 1880, and for NY State and Pennsylvania, through 1930.

This was a goldmine of data available all in one spot and I did not have to drive to Washington, DC or Salt lake City to access these films. I asked once why they happened to have such a huge collection and was told that after they suffered enormous damage to their collection in the Corning – Elmira Flood  of 1972, they were in the process of rebuilding their collection and a local citizen came in and asked, “What would you like to have for your library?”

The librarian’s response was something like, “Well we could always use some more federal census microfilm”. So this anonymous donor purchased the complete collection for them from the National Archives. Amazing!

In these days of automated digitization of the census film and being online at places like Ancestry, HeritageQuest, Footnote, FamilySearch and other locations, I might just add that it still pays to go and take a look at the actual microfilm yourself. You might just pick out some little hidden fact or clue that the super duper electronic digital gadget missed. There is no technology quite as good as an analog set of eyeballs!