[Genealib] RE: Declining use of collection

Fri Dec 8 10:05:35 EST 2006

We are seeing a declining use of microfilm here at KCPL.  Our attendance at classes has increased over the past few years.  Also, the number of hits on our web page has increased dramatically.  We have made a great effort to scan local documents/photographs and place them on our web page.  Last month we had over 54,000 hits on our local genealogy Internet resources. Although we can't compete with Ancestry and Heritage Quest in scope, we can provide access to many local/unique records online.  A contact online is no less valid than a contact in-person.

We also have placed many indexes on or web page.  People find hits on the indexes and then request the entire document(usually by e-mail).

I think we just need to be more creative in how we reach patrons - be it online or in-person.  

Dave Schroeder

 On Friday, December 08, 2006  9:40 AM, Susan Scouras wrote:
>
>Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 09:40:30 -0500
>From: Susan Scouras
>To: "Librarians Serving Genealogists" <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
>Subject: RE: [Genealib] RE: Declining use of collection
>
>We are receiving more complicated questions by mail, e-mail and walk in
>patrons, but they are complicated only because the person has not done
>the "homework" before coming.  Not only do they have no idea how to
>approach research, they do not realize that research is necessary and
>once they do understand, are not willing to learn.  I am sorry to say
>this includes college juniors and seniors who are history or political
>science majors, or taking a class in historic preservation.  I have to
>blame their professors for not teaching much about methodology, because
>we have entire classes of students come in with the same assignment and
>no clue how to approach it, even when given a list of resources to begin
>with.  They have no concept of primary research and they want to be
>handed "the book" on the subject.
>
>We have had an increase in the number of people unwilling to do the
>actual work of reading page after page of poor microfilm of damaged
>record books that have never been transcribed and/or indexed, scanning
>large tomes of local history books without indexes, and searching
>bibliographies and collection guides for potential resources.  We have
>people who want to be told what exact sites to go to in order to find
>everything they need on the Internet, and we have others who won't or
>can't learn to use a computer and want us to do all their Internet
>searching for them.  
>
>The other side of the coin, as has been discussed on this list this
>week, is that more people are satisfied with what they find in their
>"easy" Internet searches, and do not come into the libraries to pursue a
>more complete and more accurate family history.  These people do not
>progress to the truly complicated research questions that arise from
>pre-pre-pre-pre-19th century research, when records are fewer and inconsistencies in
>name usage and spelling are greater, or they don't research their people
>pre arrival in North America beyond determing country of origin.  Fewer
>and fewer are delving into migration patterns, industrial histories, the
>history of agricultural and financial disasters and booms, etc., to try
>to figure out where their ancestors may have migrated from, or why their
>ancestors moved from one place to another frequently and how to trace
>probably moves in hopes of locating records.  One of my favorite
>researchers who sends me research requests by mail for a fee has been
>tracking the development of the lumber industry and railroads in PA, VA,
>OH and WV, so he can find logical localities to check for birth records
>for the children of an ancestor who worked in the lumber industry and
>moved frequently between censuses.  This gentlemen has educated himself
>about both industries, after realizing they were closely tied, and that
>realized that if he found out where a rail line was expanding, the
>lumber industry, and therefore potentially his ancestor, was not far
>behind. His strategy has resulted in finding only one birth record so
>far, but that is one record he would have been far less likely to find
>if he had to pay for a multitude of random searches of birth records in
>hundreds of counties.  
>
>I know, I know, not everyone is addicted to the hunt as I and my
>colleagues are, but what saddens me is that so many people don't think
>it is worth the time and effort (and I admit sometimes expense) to find
>answers to their puzzles and to do it as accurately as possible.  Then
>again, maybe intellectual curiosity was never as common as we thought it
>was.  
>
>Susan Scouras
>Librarian
>WV Archives and History Library
>The Cultural Center
>1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
>Charleston, WV  25305-0300
>(304) 558-0230, Ext. 742
> 
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: genealib-bounce at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
>[mailto:genealib-bounce at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of Megan Lewis
>Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 8:07 AM
>To: Librarians Serving Genealogists
>Subject: Re: [Genealib] RE: Declining use of collection 
>Importance: Low
>
>
>A colleague and I were talking about this yesterday.  We are finding
>that the 
>genealogists who do come visit/send us email are asking more complicated
>
>questions.  Are other insitutions experiencing this?
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:32:02 -0600
>>From: Jack Simpson <simpsonj at newberry.org>  
>>Subject: [Genealib] RE: Declining use of collection   
>>To: genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
>>
>>We've also seen a decline in genealogy researchers over the last 8
>>years, and I agree with the points Eric made explaining decline in use.
>>Basically, over the past decade, many of the most-used genealogy
>sources 
>>in our collection have been digitized- because of this, users don't
>need 
>>to visit to use the most basic resources, such as the U.S. census.
>>
>>Last year, though, we saw a slight rise in genealogy researchers. We
>>started holding (and advertising) a free monthly orientation for 
>>genealogy users, and I think this was responsible for the increase in 
>>use. So if you don't have a regular orientation, you might try that.
>>
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Dave Schroeder
Interim Director
Kentucky History Librarian
Kenton County Public Library
502 Scott Blvd.
Covington, KY 41011
http://www.kentonlibrary.org/genealogy