07/17/2003 -- Are Libraries Obsolete? My column last week generated a lot of e-mails and letters! What a great discussion. This important issue as it relates to genealogical research and the future of libraries and books. Here are a couple of representative comments from my readers: Jeannie Henning of Wheeler, Texas wrote, I live in a little town of about 1,200 people. We have a small library that has some local genealogy. I use to help other people sometimes. I am not originally from Wheeler so it doesn't help me in my own research. The nearest town with a good size library with a good genealogy dept is nearly 100 miles from us. I work 6 days a week and that only leaves Sunday and most libraries are not open. I would like to be able to join an online library if there is such a thing. Lou Parris shared, Well, I certainly hope not! I am very afraid that the current approach to genealogy searching (quick and easy via the Internet) is generating a lot of false data. Scholarship is still scholarship - regardless of the means of access - and everything stills needs to be properly verified. Librarians know how to do this - and other folks see it as a real drag. I for one will continue to trust those who have spent their lives and careers studying genealogical research methods - not the quick answers provided by the Internet. OK, I have to say that: 1) I really haven't done a lot of genealogical research. My cousin, a history professor, has done quite a lot of meticulous research, and I'm leaning on his work, and 2) gulp, yes, I am a librarian (though not a genealogical one)! Thank you to everyone who responded and hopefully this topic will generate discussions at your local genealogy or historical society meetings. = = = = = = Upcoming Speaking Engagements Thursday, 24 July 2003 - 1960 PC USERS GROUP GENEALOGY SIG - TOPIC: Civil War Resources - 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Cypress Creek Christian Church & Community Center, 6823 Cypresswood Dr., 2nd Floor Room #30, Spring, Texas 77379 (off Cypresswood Drive, near Steubner Airline). For more information visit: < http://www.1960pcug.org/~genealogy/ >. Monday, August 4, 2003 - MONTGOMERY COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY Meeting TOPIC: Basic How to Get Started in Genealogy - 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Montgomery County Library, 104 I-45 North (Hwy 2854 & I-45), Main Meeting Room, Conroe, Texas. For more information visit: < http://www.rootsweb.com/~txmcghs/ >. Thursday, Sept. 11, 2003 HARRIS COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY Topic: 20th Century Military & War Dead Research 7 p.m. in the Community Room at the Pasadena Town Square Mall, Harris & Pasadena Blvd. (formerly Tarter St.) For more information visit: < http://www.hcgs.org/ >. Sunday, Oct. 19, 2003 GREATER HOUSTON JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY FAIR 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Beth Israel Synagogue, 5600 N. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, Texas. For more information visit: < http://www.texsys.com/ghjgs/ >. FYI Congregation Beth Israel will be celebrating its 150th Anniversary from September 2003 through May 2004. For more on this historic Texas Synagogue, visit: < http://www.beth-israel.org/ >. Friday & Saturday, Nov. 12 & 13, 2003 VIETNAM WAR SYMPOSIUM organized by the University of Houston Center for Military History Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the University Center (UH Entrance 1 off 4800 Calhoun Rd.). Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture (UH Entrance 16 off Cullen Blvd.). Keynote Speakers: George C. Herring, keynote and University of Kentucky history professor; Gen. Nguyên Khánh Nguyen Khan, ex-prime minister of South Vietnam; and Robert Buzzanco, UH history professor. The two-day symposium will have a variety of presentations on military history and exhibits. It is free for students and $25 for the general public. In addition, from Nov. 6-14, the Vietnam Veterans' Moving Wall will be on exhibit at the Univ. of Houstons Intramural Soccer Field, corner of Cullen Blvd. & I-45 South. The public will have 24-hours free access to this memorial. - - - - In this column, I will be glad to highlight and review any family history, genealogy, county history, or similar book, free of charge, if you donate a copy of the book or item. After it has been highlighted and reviewed, on a space available basis, it will be donated to the genealogy section of a library. You will receive an acknowledgment of the donation from the library. Mail item or book to me at the below address. To read back issues of this column, go to < http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm >. Regretfully, I cannot help with individual genealogical research. However, you can submit queries that will be published on a space available basis. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions for column topics, genealogy or historical society announcements, please contact me at: P. O. Box 16604, Houston, Texas 77222-6604 or e- mail: < [email protected] >. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Lynna Kay Shuffield P. O. Box 16604 Houston, Texas 77222 telephone: 713/692-4511 e-mail: [email protected] ---My webpages--- 'Our Loose Ends' Genealogy Column by Lynna Kay Shuffield http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm 'My Loose Ends' Family Tree Database by Lynna Kay Shuffield http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi- bin/igm.cgi?db=friday Note above URL wraps around onto the next line, cut & paste it onto the end of the first line in the 'location box' on your browser. 'Milam County War Dead Project' http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/ County Coordinator for the Milam County TXGenWeb http://www.geocities.com/milamco/ County Coordinator for the San Jacinto County TXGenWeb http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/SANJAC-01.htm TX-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/CEMETERY-001.htm
Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan will be sponsoring two all-day genealogy computer workshops in October 2003. These hands-on workshops will be on 17 and 18 October 2003 at the college. Registration for each day is separate and registration is limited. 17 October 2003---Family Tree Maker 18 October 2003---Genealogy on the Web Presentations will be made by Michael John Neill, columnist for the Ancestry Daily News and the FGS Forum, and Course I Coordinator at the Genealogical Institute of Mid-America. More information can be found at: http://www.rootdig.com/henryford.html Thanks. Michael --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.