----- Original Message ----- From: "Pam Klipsch" <[email protected]> To: "Cindy Hayes" <[email protected]> Cc: "Elizabeth Link" <[email protected]>; "Karen Duree" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 3:20 PM Subject: Genealogy Collection at Jefferson County Library > I have asked Cindy Hayes, the branch manager of the Northwest Branch of > Jefferson County Library to send this message on my behalf to the Jefferson > County Genealogy list. > > Dear Jefferson County Genealogists: > > First, let me introduce myself: my name is Pam Klipsch and I am the new > director of the Jefferson County Library. Cindy Hayes, the manager of our > Northwest Branch Library, drew my attention to a series of messages recently > posted on your genealogy listserv, concerning the Jefferson County Library > and its policy regarding genealogy materials. > > Some years ago, when the Jefferson County Library was established, a > decision was made to centralize the genealogy collection at the Northwest > Branch Library. The rationale was that if all the materials were housed in > one location, it would be easier for people who wanted to use the > collection, since they would only have to go to one location. If materials > were scattered among several locations it would be harder for people to find > what they wanted. Since many genealogy materials are rare and/or expensive, > the library could not afford to duplicate these resources at several > locations. Also, since the staff who manage genealogy collections usually > have special training that allow them to provide maximum assistance to those > consulting the materials, it made sense to have the materials in one > location under the supervision of such a specialist. St. Louis County > Library, for one example, has centralized its genealogy collection at its > Frontenac location, one of over two dozen libraries in their system. People > from Florissant, Bridgeton, Chesterfield, and Oakville (to name just a few) > must all go to the Frontenac location to access these materials. St. Louis > Public keeps its extensive genealogy collection at the Central Library > downtown. > > The Northwest Branch manager, Cindy Hayes, and the Genealogy > specialist, Chris Merseal, are always happy to consider donations that will > expand the depth and scope of the Jefferson County Genealogy Collection > housed at the Northwest Branch Library. Local genealogy materials that > trace the history of Jefferson County families are valuable resources for > the history of the County. We appreciate and support the efforts of > Jefferson County genealogists to prreserve these important historical > records for posterity. > > > Sincerely yours, > > Pam Klipsch > Library Director > Jefferson County Library > 3021 High Ridge Blvd., High Ridge, MO 63049 > Phone: 636-677-8689 Fax: 636-677-1769 > E-mail: [email protected] > >