- ---------------------------------------------------------------- FORWARDED MESSAGE Subject: Re: [ARCHIVES-L] Re: Pierce County USGenWeb page - ---------------------------------------------------------------- >>Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1999 11:01:13 -0700 >>Subject: Re: Pierce County USGenWeb page >>From: [email protected] Hi, Despite what many people assume at first thought, online publishing does NOT compete with paper publishing of genealogical information. On the contrary, online publication complements and supports the paper publishing effort in several ways. Most genealogists have a strong desire to have information about their ancestors "on paper." Many people hesitate, especially with the current high prices, to purchase publications if they are unsure the people they seek are listed. When they become sure of this, a large number wish to own the publication. Another factor severely limiting the market for these publications is that relatively few people know of their existence. Online publishing acts as effective, free advertising which reaches a wide audience on behalf of society publications. When a much larger audience becomes aware of the availability of these publications, and especially when they know of a certainty that their people are there and their money not wasted, sales go up. Sales also increase when the market expands for other reasons. The explosive growth in the availability of online genealogical information has created a huge increase in interest in genealogy and family history. The more genealogists that are "created," the larger the market for genealogical information. Many of the more progressive genealogical societies are now cooperating with the US GenWeb Archives to place online some or all of their information. When this is done in such a way as to state where and how the society publications may be ordered, it has proven to work very well for the benefit of everybody. Contrary to predictions of doom and gloom, in case after case across the country there has been no decrease in sales of publications, and in fact the usual result has been an increase in sales, sometimes a dramatic one. Some of the societies here in Washington are now doing this, and as far as I know there have been no adverse effects. I am glad you mentioned the Tacoma Public Library. At one time there was great resistance in certain societies to the idea that "their" information would be available to the public free of charge in a library. When it was found that this actually helped sales of the publications, this objection faded away. Posting the information to the public online is a very similar situation. Despite the fact that the reader has obtained the information free, there is a powerful urge to own his own copy in book form, as this feels more "official" to most of us. From: [email protected] I can certainly attest to this phenomenon as this happened in North Dakota. Joe, the Assistant State Coordinator and North Dakota Archivist approached the Red River Genealogy Society about putting their cemetery indexes on line for the county he hosts in the northeast corner of the state. They worked with him to accomplish that - once it got there, it must have created this same surge in sales because two things then happened: 1. they offered all their cemetery indexes that cover the eastern 1/3 of the state 2. they must have told the other ND societies of this because they are now all clamoring to put info online If I've misstated any of this, I ask Joe to correct me, but this is a short synopsis of how working together the USGenWeb Project and societies can receive a mutual benefit. Tim