Some upcoming genealogy happenins'

Ancestry.com is offering free access to Immigration and Travel Records for the Labor Day weekend.   Good time to get some free info!

Also, a library in Michigan is giving a free course on Preserving Family Treasures: 

 MCLS invites you to view "Preserving Family Treasures" on September 9, 2013 at 6 PM (Eastern Daylight Time). You can attend in-person at the Delta Township District Library in Lansing, Michigan or online via live stream here: http://www.mcls.org/treasures. No log-in is necessary. This event will be recorded and made available in the future. This event is free and open to the public. We encourage you to share this information with your patrons and to host viewing parties at your library.

Do you have grandma’s wedding gown, a tintype of a great-great uncle during the Civil War or even the family bible from the old country? Family and personal historical collections are a diary of where we come from and what is important to us. Most of these collections are stored in attics, basements or under other conditions which constantly place them in harm’s way.

Internationally recognized preservationist and the ALA 2012 Ken Haycock Award winner Jeanne Drewes'  presentation will focus on appropriate storage environments, enclosure options for varying formats, steps to mitigate damage and handling instructions.  If you are a family historian or the caretaker of a small library or historical society collection this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from the very best. You may bring materials for recommendations from Ms. Drewes after her public presentation.

Ms Drewes currently serves as Chief of Binding and Collections Care in the Preservation Directorate at the Library of Congress and as Manager for the Mass Deacidification Program.

Librarian for Conservation and Digitization at the Library of Michigan Kevin Driedger will also join the conversation during the Q and A period of this event.

A chat from the new person

Oh my...look how time has been flying!  I fully intended to pick up this blog just where Marcia left off.  Ahhh...such good intentions.

The weeks (and months) since Marcia left have been busy.  I'll start with a brief introduction.  I am Amy Russell.  I was born in Niagara Falls, NY, but have lived in Kokomo since I was 2.  I am a graduate of Kokomo High School, Purdue University and Indiana University.  My library career began here at KHCPL (KPL then) fresh out of college as the County Bookmobile Librarian.  I left after 3 years to take a job in the Library at Haynes International.  I returned to KHCPL as a volunteer in 2010 and am now the Head of the Genealogy & Local History Department.  (Volunteers take note.  This is a way to a career path).

We have also added a new member to the Digitization portion of our department.  We were sad to let Janet Winrotte move on to a new adventure but delighted to welcome Melanie Vess.  Melanie came to us from the Adult and Teen Department and has been diligently learning the digi side of genealogy and local history.  Melanie ably supervised a summer student and is keeping some of our volunteers busy.  Of course Janice Blanchard and Ron Tetrick are still the friendly folks who greet you as you come in and will help with your requests.  You might also see a couple of our substitutes - Joe Rayl and Cindy Stover helping us with desk duties. 

We have lots of plans for fall and I will get to them in another entry.  Meanwhile, watch for announcements on a DAR workday (Sept 28), our 33rd NightOwls evening (Oct 18) and another trip to the Allen County Public Library (Nov. 9).