[Genealib] Charges for Obituaries

[Paul Keroack]

At Norwalk Public Library we do not charge for obituary requests but do ask for a "small donation."  Some will donate and some will not.  I keep a list of those who do.  We get requests from all over the U.S. for colonial times up to the present.  We usually receive only a few a month so it is not burdensome.  We feel that an attempt to institute charges would result in record-keeping and bookkeepping duties which we have no time to handle as we are busy reference department with a local history collection. 
As to sources, we have the local newspaper on microfilm from 1895, indexed  from 1983.  However, our city directory collection provides death dates for adults from 1925 through 1979.  The newspaper itself published city vital records monthly in the early decades of the 20th century.  We have the Barbour Index for Colonial to 1848 vitals and microfilmed city vital records from 1848 through the early 1900s (FHL).  So we can supply many names and dates, but few obituaries exist from the mid to late 19th century.
As the genealogy "point person" I enjoy trying to fill requests.  However, if our volume increased, we would probably have to institute charges to compensate for use of staff time.
Paul Keroack, reference librarian       
  
I am curious as to what other libraries charge for copying obituaries.  I am interested in the fees for requests by mail and email that you would receive at your library.
Cathy Cottone
Genealogist/Clerk
  
Lyon
 Township Public Library
27005 S. Milford Rd. 
P.O. Box 326 
New
 Hudson , MI
 48165 
  
Telephone: 248-437-8800
Fax: 248-437-4621
Web: www.lyon.lib.mi.us
  
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