Hi Everyone: It is now a year after the last Texas legislative session drastically cut funds to the Texas State Library. That cut affected TexShare. The State Library is now trying to make an effort to maintain some of the databases on TexShare, specifically, Heritage Quest which is very valuable to genealogists. With a Texas library card a genealogist can use Heritage Quest from the home computer without having to actually go to their local library. Heritage Quest contains the whole US Census 1790-1930 plus index, Over 25,000 digitally scanned and fully searchable family and local history books, plus PERSI which is an index to thousands of genealogical periodicals published since the early 1800s. To keep Heritage Quest alive the TSL needs $243,000. They have requested libraries across the state subscribe to the database. The subscription is based on the population where the library is located and range from $500 for a town of 10,000 to $35,000 for cities with 1.5 Million. Since many libraries are in financial straights it is hoped societies, individuals and other organziations can help raise the funds in the name of , or in conjunction with, the library. It is a little late and with short notice but maybe we can pull it off. Contact the officers of any society in which you are a member. Have them contact the librarian of your local library. The librarian will be familiar with teh problem and will know the amount of their library subscription assesment. The librarian can suggest how and where genealogists and soccieties may contribute to the TexShare fund for your library. TexShare is a consortium. If the $243,000 can be raised Heritage Quest will be saved for another year. When I say consortium, I mean any library in the TexShare system will be able to access HQ no matter how much or little they paid into the fund. If the $243,000 is not funded TSL will have to renegotiate with HQ for another price and only libraries who pay the new fee will be able to access the database. This is called TexSelect. So, contact your local library. Your librarian will surely be aware of the situation. See what your subscription would be and try to work with others in yoru community to raise the funds to keep Heritage Quest available to all in Texas. I will reactivate the TexShare page on my website at http://micbarnette.bravepages.com as to post any new information. Check there periodically for any new news. Below is a portion of my unedited column published in the Houston Chronicle Saturday (April 10, 2004). It may be read online on the Chronicle website (death pages, of course) at http://www.legacy.com/houstonchronicle/LegacyHome.asp Scroll down and click on my name on the right side of the page. FUNDS SOUGHT FOR IMPORTANT DATABASE Funding of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission was cut deeply during last year's legislative season. Consequently, TexShare grants have suffered greatly and TSL has begun a pledge drive to retain Heritage Quest as one of the databases in the 2004-2005 TexShare database repetoire. Sponsored by the TSL TexShare is a rich collection of digital knowledge databases available to over 700 participating academic, public and clinical medicine libraries located across the state of Texas. One of those databases is Heritage Quest. HQ is a major genealogical and historical database available only on the Internet through library subscription. It is not available to individuals by private subscription. HQ subscriptions currently contain three important rich in genealogical and historical information databases. The first contains the complete United States Census and corresponding index, 1790 through 1930. The second contains Proquest's Genealogy and Local History Collection which consists of over 25,000 digitally scanned family and local history books each of which is every word searchable. The third is PERSI, a comprehensive subject and name index covering thousands of United States and Canadian genealogical periodicals published since the early 1800's. Included with any newly negotiated database will be the Sanborn Insurance Map Collection. In the near future ProQuest Newspaper Obituaries, the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files and the Freedman's Bank Records are anticipated to be added to the HQ databases. The cost to TexShare for the HQ databases next fiscal year is $243,000. The TSL does not have the funds for HQ and is asking libraies across the state to contribute funds to cover the subscription. Estimated library subscription pledges are based on population and range from $500 for a town with a population of less than 10,000 people to $35,000 for cities with more than 1.5 Million people. Obviously Houston's suggested contribution would be $35,000. Not only is the TSL short of funds, so are the coffers of other libraries, including the Houston Public Library. With this in mind individuals and organizations are being asked to help by contributing to the Heritage Quest pledge drive. Contributions should be funneled through a TexShare stakeholder library usually one's local public library. In Houston contributions should be made through the Houston Public Library's Houston Library Board which will coordinate contributions. For additional information about donating to the Houston Library Board, contact Caroline Reeder at caroline.reeder@cityofhouston.net or by telephone at 832-393-1368. Time is of the essence. The HQ pledge drive has a deadline of May 1. If the monetary goal is not met the HQ databases will be converted to TexSelect whereby the databases will be available only to those libraries willing to pay to subscribe. Under the TexSelect method subscription prices will be higher than under the consortium negotiated reduced method used with TexShare.