Do you wake up each morning to coffee, toast and the obituary page? Of course, you feel the need to be aware of any family, friends or aquaintances who may have slipped out of this life…or maybe you have an addiction to things macabre? The obituary page may be the only reason you buy a newspaper. Or it may be the only thing you have time to read before you fly out the door.
If this is you, then perhaps you may want to consider volunteering for our newly forming Dead Beats Society.
For the genealogist, the obituary is perhaps one of the most exciting finds. Obituaries usually contain birth information, family information, interests, relatives, military service and even a picture–obviously painting a more vivid sketch of a deceased ancestor. Our genealogy department is constantly receiving requests for obituaries from all over the country. Obituaries are integral to the success of any genealogy department. With the limited time that I have available for working in the genealogy department, I am overwhelmed with the collection and keeping of obituaries. My goal is to ultimately digitize these records so they will be more easily accessible. I am looking for volunteers that are willing to donate their time to helping me with this task. The work is so simple. It mainly requires clipping obituaries, copying them, typing the date they were published, and filing them in our binders in alphabetical order.
If you are interested please sign up at the front circulation desk. A training meeting will be held Tuesday, June 10th at 6:30 pm.
Michelle Ann Kratts
Filed under: Adults, Genealogy Room, Library Events, Uncategorized
