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| Now that's a fancy family tree. The family tree of Ludwig Herzog von Württemberg (ruled 1568–1593), image taken by Jakob Lederlein [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. |
![Jakob Lederlein [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A900-158_Ahnentafel_Herzog_Ludwig.jpg){kind=link}
Taking a cue from my 3rd great grand aunt, family genealogist May Tibbetts Jarvis, I hope to donate my genealogy to a variety of respected places, including:
- the New England Historical Society library in Boston, Massachusetts (how to donate),
- the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (how to donate),
- the National Library at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in Washington, D.C. (how to donate),
- the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois (how to donate),
- the Central Library of the San Diego Public Library in downtown San Diego, California (their collection development policy as of 2016),
- the San Diego History Center (document archives),
- the Carlsbad City Library (how to donate),
- the local Family History Center in Mission Valley (or should I donate to the Salt Lake City one?) (how to donate),
- the Sutro Library in San Francisco (a branch of the California State Library) (California History room genealogy info).
That's a long list, yikes.
Not that I'm anywhere near done, but it is probably a good idea to start that planning now and work towards it. It will need to conform to each library's particular collection development policy.
Some of my work will continue on through what others have copied from me over the years, particularly at Ancestry.com, although I have made my share of errors and cringe when I see others pass those on. I would like my "final say" in the end to be reflected in my donated work.
Edited to add:
Commenter mbm1311 made a great suggestion for two more places:
- the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center (how to donate)
- the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, MO (how to donate)
© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.
nice list. What works are you going to donate?
ReplyDeleteThanks Randy! I am not sure yet. That is going to be part of the battle, deciding what to focus on and how far back.
DeleteWhat about the Allen County Library in Indiana? Also Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence MO? I'm a year out from donation. No where near done but want to get my work out in two books so my family doesn't ever have to think about what to do with all my binders. Maybe some can write blogs about the process of actually donating. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThose are great suggestions! I'll have to add those on my list. I'll try to remember to blog about the donation process when I do it.
DeleteIt is a good list, but I think you really missed a step about just what you are donating. Not dealing with you genealogy research and donating 5 filing cabinets to a repository is just NOT RIGHT. We need to encourage researchers to go thru there research and tell the stories of their families FIRST, using the research. Most respositories will toss out all paper records that can be found on the web as there is just a limit to how much space all these "donations" will take in a repository. Let alone all the volunteer hours they just don't have to make since of those 5 file cabinets. If our research is so important to spend thousands of hours in the search, isn't the story the comes from that research far more important to tell. A well researched story presented in a binder or published book format would be a far better donation in the end. I encourage all your readers to think ahead NOW to purge their donations first and find a repository second. I would also add to your list, that researches may need to find several repositories as each of your surnames/ancestors lives were focused in a variety of communities, not just one. Explore local genealogical/historical societies, with the exception to you East Coasters that have been in one area for 100 years.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great points! My current thought on what I'll ultimately donate will be a genealogy going back to my 6th great grandparents (8 generations), very similar to my 2nd great grandaunt's work (see on Ancestry: http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=19057), but also including some DNA analysis (mostly autosomal), some specialized studies within the families (like location, profession, ethnic, and possibly medical-related topics, using Legacy reports, as a way to see trends that otherwise weren't originally observed), and maybe some case studies on particularly difficult or controversial aspects (like illegitimate children, or the disputed claim of my Tibbetts folks who insist we are descended from Mayflower people when we aren't in that particular way). Maybe include some key works and resources for future study. So maybe two volumes, but yeah, definitely not a truckload of random collected stuff. I assume that repositories want high quality, curated, original work.
ReplyDelete