LIBR 548G: Genealogy for Librarians WINTER SESSION, 2007-2008, TERM 2 School of Library, Archival and Information Studies The University of British Columbia

Assignment 3: Public Library Case Study

Length: 3 pages
Due:  Friday, Friday, April 11, 4:30 p.m.(via e-mail)
Weight: 30%

For this assignment, you will review library services offered to genealogists by one Canadian public library. Subjects will be assigned individually in class.

Purpose

The popularity of genealogy presents a challenge to Canadian public libraries. For this assignment, you will explore the public library response to this challenge through a study of genealogical services offered by one Canadian public library.

Instructions

1. The library’s website is your primary resource for this assignment. Please note that while the website may not provide a fully accurate and complete picture of the library’s genealogical services, it is not necessary to contact the library directly for more information or clarification.

   For a sense of the range of genealogy services available at public libraries (as presented through their websites), you may wish to briefly review the following U.S. examples:

   • Mid-Continent Public Library
     Example of a public library with an exceptionally high commitment to genealogy.
   • Seattle Public Library
     Example of a public library with a strong commitment to genealogy.
   • San Francisco Public Library
     Example of a public library with a modest commitment to genealogy.

2. Identify the library clearly, including its URL.

3. Review the library’s website and summarize your observations under each of the headings below. (In the Collections category, please also check the holdings of the titles listed). The “Points to consider” are not prescriptive or exhaustive. It is not necessary to provide a specific answer to each question.

   Information services
   Points to consider:

   • Does the library provide a clear statement regarding the level of service provided to genealogists?
   • Does the library offer one-to-one genealogy consultations?
   • Is a fee-based service available for in-depth personal genealogy research?
   • Does the library direct users to local freelance genealogy professionals?
   • Is an inter-library loan service available for genealogy microfilms and other resources?
   • Does the library refer users to external agencies such as Family History Centres?

   Collection
   Points to consider:

   • What is the library’s genealogy collection development policy?
   • Does the collection have one or more areas of special focus (e.g. geographical, chronological, ethno-cultural etc.)?
   • Does the collection include primary sources of genealogical information?
   • Has the library created local non-book collections and indexes of genealogical information (e.g. obituary clipping file, historical photograph collection, cemetery index, etc.)?
   • Required: Search the library catalogue to see which of the following 10 titles are owned by the library. Check edition information where applicable. (Bibliographic details are available in the Desert Island Genealogy Books handout distributed in class).
     • Ancestral trails
     • Canadian genealogical resources
     • Evidence!: Citation & analysis for the family historian
     • Genealogy in Ontario: searching the records
     • The dictionary of genealogy
     • The genealogist’s internet
     • The source: a guidebook of American genealogy
     • Tracing your Irish ancestors
     • Tracing your Scottish ancestry
     • Unpuzzling your past

   Online access to primary genealogical data
   Points to consider:

   • Does the library subscribe to Ancestry Library Edition?
   • Does the library subscribe to other databases of potential interest to genealogists?
   • Has the library created specialized electronic databases of local genealogical data?

   Website
   Points to consider:

   • How does genealogy appear on the library’s website? (i.e. is there a direct link on the home page? Is there a separate page or section for genealogy?
   • Is information about genealogy resources and services easy to find?)
   • Does the website provide genealogy user education in the form of online research aids (e.g. pages on how to conduct research, detailed information about key resources, etc.?)
   • Does the website provide a useful set of links to genealogy sites?

   Programming
   Points to consider:

   • Does the library offer genealogy programs?
   • Are the programs presented by library staff?
   • Does the library collaborate with external individuals and organizations to offer genealogy-related programs and activities?

   Staffing
   Points to consider:

   • Does the library have specialist genealogy information staff?

   Facilities and equipment
   Points to consider:

   • Does the library have a physically separate genealogy area?
   • What equipment is available to genealogy patrons (i.e. microform readers, copiers, etc.?)
   • Are their costs and restrictions on using the equipment?

   Publications
   Points to consider:

   • Does the library produce genealogy publications? (e.g. genealogy guide, compiled data sources, newsletter?)

4. Evaluation
   To conclude, please provide a short assessment of this library’s genealogy services.