[Genealib] GEDCOM in the Library

[Heather McLeland-Wieser]

We recently removed the public PC that provided our GEDCOM access.  It had several problems.  
 
GEDCOM has changed over the years. And the current version is nearly 10 years old  If GEDCOM 6 is ever fully adopted as the standard it would require a conversion program to read GEDCOM 5 files since the version 6 uses XML instead of ASCII to store data.  
 
The other issue is storing data on floppies and CDs.  Our latest Public PCs have no floppy drives!  And we are discovering the CDs have only about a 10 year lifespan when stored in the less than ideal environment of the Public Library.  So we were having to convert files from 1 medium to another and then planning to convert again. We don't have the server space or the institutional desire to store all these files on a network server.  And that would still beg the question of how to provide access.
 
So we have stopped accepting material on floppy or on CD.  Back to the future.  Give us a paper copy!
 
 
 
Heather McLeland-Wieser
Manager 
Art Recreation & Literature
History Travel & Maps
206-386-4092


>>> "Susan Scouras" <Susan.Scouras at wvculture.org> 6/10/2008 8:40 AM >>>
How serendipitous!  I just started a conversation among our staff regarding such things this morning.  We don't have anything to offer at this point, so we would appreciate it if all would reply to the list and share advice.
 
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-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu [mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of Jane
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:54 AM
To: genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu 
Subject: [Genealib] GEDCOM in the Library


We recently received a manuscript collection (handed over across the reference desk) including a cd with a GEDCOM file. Does anyone have similar disks and how do you handle reading and maintaining them?  As it stands, we do not have any genealogy programs on the Library computers.  If we add a program somewhere and transfer the file, which would be best (easiest to use and update as time goes by)?
On a related note -- has the GEDCOM file type changed over the years?  Or are we ok keeping the data as a gedcom??
 
Thanks for any ideas.
 
Jane Pearson
 
 
 
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