Since the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library at KHS houses the largest genealogy collection in the state, the majority of our visiting researchers are actively searching for their ancestors. One thing we encourage around here: Ancestor Selfies. When you find your ancestor within the pages of a book, or deep within the strips of microfilm, feel free to snap a selfie! We’ve all had those wonderful moments, when the elusive ancestor finally makes an appearance in the search. In fact, we’ve heard more than one shout of “yippee”, or whoops and hollers when someone finally catches another dead relative. Why not celebrate that moment? Cameras are welcome in the library, and our only rule is that you refrain from using the flash setting. So, if you find one while researching in our library, just post to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag: #AncestorSelfie!
With the wide range of record types we have, there is a good chance you can find an ancestor in our stacks. Even if your Kentucky roots don’t go very deep, we have a large collection of published material from other states. For those of you with lengthy Kentucky pedigrees, you should make sure you put our library on your “must-see” list. With extensive material from each of our 120 counties, surname files, Bible Records, photographs, letters/diaries, family trees, and published family histories, our library can save you a lot of time. It’s not quite a one-stop ancestor shopping trip, but with the transient nature of our ancestors, and the evolution of county boundaries, it is hugely convenient to be able to switch county searches appropriately when necessary, without having to get in your car.
Besides, as mentioned in yesterday’s post, our extensive collection of archival material means you may find one of those gems that doesn’t exist anywhere else. The family below comes in from time to time to introduce the younger generations to a Civil War diary left by their ancestor, A.C. Dicken. It was donated to KHS years ago for safe keeping, but the family knows it’s here and takes time to visit as a way of keeping that heritage alive and well. If you want an ancestor selfie to add to your collection, come on down for a visit. You never know WHO you will discover!
Well, that concludes National Library Week! Thanks to everyone who stuck with the series. If you missed one, just click on the “National Library Week” tag at the bottom of this post. For more information about National Library Week, visit the American Library Association website: http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek To see how others were celebrating this week, search for the hashtag #NationalLibraryWeek on Twitter!
free sample just need to keep in mind that the that nix will transform.