Palaces for the People

 The podcast 99% Invisible is about the unseen things that make modern life, well, modern. The podcast recently released an episode about the evolution of libraries into an important, if not vital, part of our social environment.
The episode is well-produced, and a pleasant listen. I highly recommend "Palaces for the People," and the 99% Invisible podcast in general.

99% Invisible "Palaces for the People"

--MPC

Ancestry.com Texas

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission houses a vast collection of documents related to Texas government and history and provides a variety of reference services and materials for free public use at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty.

Free access to our records that have been digitized by Ancestry is available to Texas residents. This access requires you to create a free Ancestry.com Texasaccount.  Continue reading for further instructions.

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All the records made available through the Ancestry.com Texas partnership are included in your Ancestry.com subscription. Your search results will include all of the records available on Ancestry.com.

Why am I asked to set up a paid account?

Some Ancestry.com searches may lead you to records outside the free Texas material, at which point you may be prompted to set up a paid account. If you choose not to do so, you may return to the results of your previous search.

Onsite researchers may access the entire Ancestry (Library edition) database while at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

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Staff Meeting Notes 12 March 2019

In attendance: SK, FS, RS, SB, JO, MH, IBW, RG

Ice Breaker: RS - Question: if you could travel back in time, what time would that be?

5 Minute Resource - SB - Genealogical and Local History Books in Print (c.1997)

• A 4 volume set helpful for finding what family histories, local histories, and other source material was available at the time of publication (1997).  Although not exhaustive, it is useful for supplementing source searches for customers.  
• We know not all materials are digitized, so utilizing print sources, even with lapse in time between publication and current date can be beneficial.  
• It is important to go beyond researching a title in WorldCat; FamilySearch books; Internet Archive; etc. when looking for a publication for a family or location.  This source is also great for collection development titles, also.

Discussion Notes:

1. Telephone Etiquette: Workplace Discrimination/Harassment and Flyer / Business Card Posting on Bulletin Boards.

• Please follow recommend text when answering the phone.  Sheet was handed out to all, and all signed the unit sheet marking that this was received.
• Workplace Discrimination/Harassment (EO 1-50 sec7) covers Prohibited Harassment which includes: Impeding access by any employee or member of the public to a city restroom facility that is consistent with and appropriate to that person' expression of gender identity.   A copy of EO1-50 is on the staff room table to view.
• Please note that commercial entities are not allowed to post notices on the bulletin board or leave handouts.  If a product is being sold, this information is not applicable for posting.  No one should be selling a product on property. If someone want to book a meeting room and will be selling a product, please refer that meeting room booking to special events.  

2. Safety Marshall: 

• Melissa is the Clayton Safety Marshall and will be contacting Gwen Reynolds for duties.

3. Green Time on Schedule: 

• Green time is no longer part of the schedule.  As we have 8 hours for concentrated work on Mondays, and 3 hours on Thursdays, and the general schedule includes blocks of time for concentrated work, Sue has removed the assigned concentrated time for work from the daily schedules.  Please let Irene or Sue know if you need a block of time for a project, and we will make arrangements on the schedule for you. 

4. Heritage Quest: 

• As of 1 April 2019, the library will no longer have access to Heritage Quest.  The contract with TexShare was not renewed.  Please direct people to MyHeritage or FamilySearch (remotely) or to Ancestry.com in house.  There is currently a remote access problem with MyHeritage.  Sara Karow in LMS is working on the issue, and will let us know when the issue is resolved.

5. International Collection Presentation Project:

• Sue is working on an presentation highlighting the International Collection (books and microprint) for the Clayton Library Friends meeting 11 May 2019.  She will be sending an email requesting from everyone one title from the international collection with 5 -7 sentences describing the source and what it can be used for.  Individual choice on what to pick to highlight.  Extra credit for one book and one microfilm  Extra credit prize will be supplied.  

6. Renovation / Rental Space Update

• Plans for the first floor renovation are still on SPACES radar.  The Texas State Genealogical Society is having their annual conference in Houston 11-13 OCT 2019.  There is going to be extended hours reception sponsored by CLF.  The SPACES renovation team is working on the renovation of the first floor with that in mind.  In the mean time, Thursday 14 MAR 2019, two ranges of additional shelving are going to be installed in the international/US section of books.  Irene and Melissa will be working on the shifting plan from that date.  
• Rental occupants January Advisors, a data science consulting company will be renting out the second floor processing area for a least 6 months, beginning on or around 15 March 2019. 
• We will close the house as usual, however, we will not set the alarm, only close and lock the front door.  January Advisors will have keys and codes and will arm the building when they leave.  Steven has let the volunteers know of the new residents.
• McCarthy construction, will be renting the Guest House probably through June.

7. Field Trip 18 March 2019

• The field trip will be rescheduled to April 2019.  TechLink is going through some renovations, the date of reopening has been pushed back to 30 March.  Additionally, our trip to HMRC to view the Memory Lab based on the Washington, DC public library model will also be postponed and will coincide with our trip to TechLink as in the original plan.

8. Team Updates

• Melissa mentioned that any help looking for materials to purchase up to 1950, and especially during the Dust Bowl days would be welcome.  

Please let Sue know of any additions, corrections, or changes.

Submitted by SK 12 March 2019

LDS Church Donates two million Dollars to International African American museum

The LDS Church donated two million dollars to the International African American museum at Rootstech in Salt Lake City on February 27th. The donation will go towards the building of a family history center devoted to African American genealogical research on the site of the planned museum located in Charleston, South Carolina. Construction on the International African American museum begins in May and is expected to open their doors to the public sometime in 2021.



RS

Maps related to US African American History - NARA

These maps and plans provide only a glimpse into the records of the Cartographic Branch of the National Archives that relate to African American history.  The website gives an examples of some including: 

Map of Virginia Showing the Distribution of its Slave Population from the Census of 1860. RG 77, Fortification File, Drawer 150, Sheet 7. NAID: 6860733. ; 

Freedmans Village near Arlington, Hights [Heights] Virginia, July 10, 1865. RG 92, Post and Reservation Maps, Map 110-A-5. NAID 305826. 

Read more here  

SK

UH Digital Library adds LGBTQ Newspapers

More than 30 years of Houston LGBTQ history is preserved and presented in this digital collection from the Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History (GCAM). The collection contains over 150 LGBT newspapers from central Texas, the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and other Texas regions, from the 1970s through the early 2000s.

Click here to view the collection.

The Gulf Coast Archive and Museum's mission is to collect, preserve, and provide access to historical items from the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Over the last 20 years, GCAM has collected a broad variety of published materials relating to LGBTQ issues, both at the local and national level. Titles in this collection include The Star (Austin/San Antonio), South Texas Community News, and Bar Talk San Antonio. Mid-1970s issues from Gay Austin and Community News (Fort Worth/Dallas) are some of the earliest publications found in the collection.

The original materials are owned by the Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History. (http://gcam.org/)

JO

From Fraktur to German to English

If you run into German language documents written in this elaborate font, take a deep breath and consult a Fraktur chart.

Many German-language documents of the past were written in a type of font called Fraktur. It was also commonly used in German-American publications, such as newspapers.

While many letters are immediately recognizable, a few are misleading to English readers.

A capital I or J looks like a T: 


A capital T looks like an I: 

You can easily find a Fraktur chart online and use it to transcribe to a non-Fraktur font, and then translate the German to English. Keep in mind that printed letters may vary slightly from printer to printer.

If you'll be reading a lot of documents in Fraktur, you may want to learn common words written in the font so as to easily recognize them.


A search for the surname Aufdermarsch on ChroniclingAmerica.loc.gov came up with this result in the January 16, 1913 edition of Tägliches Cincinnatier volkblatt, a Cincinnati, Ohio newspaper.  The description of Henry Markmeier's will mentions several Aufdermarsch. It concludes by saying any remainder of the legacy should be evenly distributed between John Buhrlage and the five Aufdermarsch sibling.

I recognized the five Aufdermarsch siblings, but what was their connection to Henry Markmeier? Their mother's maiden name was Mathilda Buhrlage, and she passed away in 1906.  In the 1870 census I found a 10 year old Mathilda Bohlage living with a Henry Marksmeier. I have yet to discover the specifics of their relationship, but I have a relationship to investigate. And now that I know about Fraktur, I'll be able to tackle more German-language documents!


JO

The Indian Pioneer Papers

The Indian Pioneer Papers aka Indian Pioneer History Project.

This collection is worth mentioning to customers who's ancestors were early settlers in Oklahoma. Individuals were interviewed by the Oklahoma Historical Society and the history department of the University of Oklahoma through a grant form the WPA.

This massive collection is digitized and available through the following links:

http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/pioneer.  The University of Oklahoma Western History Collection.

http://www.okgenweb.org/pioneer   Index to the Indian Pioneer Papers.

http://goodoowah.50megs.com/indpio    a separate index of the Indian Pioneer Papers.

Take a look.  Customers can find more details about this collection in the Family Search blog.
Customers might find that missing link or hop over a brick wall by looking through this online collection. Don't forget to mention this collection. Native Americans were interviewed as well as early settlers. It's Free!



MH

Meeting Notes

1-9-19 

Attending:  Sue, Melissa, Irene, Frank, Steven, Joy, Rodney, Becky

Ice Breaker=Frank

Questions asked were:  Would you rather fly or breath under water? and Would you rather see into the future or Redo the past?

5 minute resource=Melissa

Digital Public Library of America (https://dp.la) now has Virginia and West Virginia African American Collection.  There is also an email list on the website that you can sign up for emails.

Importance of communication=Sue

Need to respond rather than react.  Make sure all fact are known before reacting.  Sometimes situations do not the way they seem.  Also try to communicate with fellow staff members to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Shelving=Sue

Please be aware of shelving and scanning needs.  Sometimes there is no volunteer, so staff needs to be aware of this.  Sue will look into a spreadsheet for keeping statistics on scanning if needed.  Make sure that when coming across a periodical that you make a ticky mark on sheet next to scanning computer for tally.

Bathroom Checks=Sue

When checking bathrooms at closing, make sure that stalls are checked.  That way if something needs cleaning or repaired, we can contact the appropriate people to take care of the situation.

Orphan Works=Sue

Family Search is scanning materials from 1924-1964.  They are also waiting on lawyers response to be able to release these materials on line.  If you notice a book that may qualify, let the volunteers know.

Kronos=Irene

Kronos is only changing on manger's and supervisors side.

Century of Black Mormons

"Century of Black Mormons" is a historical database that records basic biographical information on over 250 Blacks who were baptized into the LDS faith from 1830 to 1930.  The first person of African descent to be baptized into Mormonism was a former slave named Pete in Kirtland, Ohio on November 1830 by missionaries. Some of the biographical information includes years of birth, residence and sometimes parents. The database can be found at https://exhibits.lib.utah.edu/s/century-of-black-mormons/page/welcome

Mildred Bernice Ellis was born 1913 in Salt Lake City, Utah to a LDS father and non-convert mother. She was baptized in the LDS church on the 26th of January 1924 and the 5th generation of her family to be Mormon.

RS

Digital Library on American Slavery People Not Property - Slave Deeds of North Carolina

 The UNC Greensboro University Libraries recently acquired a grant to digitize 10,000 slave deeds and sale records from counties across North Carolina over the next three years. The goal of the "People Not Property" project is to create a searchable, digital database that will be indexed by location and the names of all enslaved individuals. This database will create a new genealogical resource for African-American researchers with Pre-Civil War roots in North Carolina.
https://library.uncg.edu/slavery/deeds/


RS