#GenealogyTailgating Anyone?

Wireless Internet from MCPL parking lot

We want to let everyone know of a "holiday gift" of sorts for Macomb County Genealogy Group members, Mount Clemens residents and those in the Macomb County area.

Our favorite library, Mount Clemens Public Library, has adjusted its public internet access at its temporary location (300 N. Groesbeck Highway) so that its FamilySearch Affiliate status is now active and accessible again.

Mount Clemens Public Library first received its FamilySearch Affiliate status in October 2019. It was the first and we believe it is still the only library with FamilySearch Affiliate Status in Macomb County. But the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and later the library renovation began moving the library to a temporary location and more limited internet resources for patrons. It has been a long time without this resource our members quickly learned to value.

From MCPL Parking Lot: Unlocked!

There is now a table for one person to use inside the library for use with the internet connection. Masks are recommended when in the library. But there also is the option for what MCGG is calling, some #GenealogyTailgating if you are up for it. Or if you prefer not to be in a public space for longer periods.

Yes, baby it's cold outside and it will be for awhile. But you can connect to the library's wireless internet and sit in the comfort of your warm vehicle while parked in the parking lot. (Just make sure you have a enough gas in the gas tank if you keep the vehicle running and crack a window for some fresh air.)

We tested this out Sunday afternoon when it was a bright and 30 degree day and Wednesday afternoon when it wasn't so bright and we have these suggestions. 

The signal seems stronger towards the side/rear of the building closer to the dog park. (We didn't try the parking spots facing the baseball field, just the ones facing the building.) 

Internet Connection Options for MCPL

There are a few internet connection options for the library. There is the LibraryPublic-2.4G-ext; the LibraryPublic - parking lot; and LibraryPublic-5G-ext. What you see will depend on your device and likely seem to vary depending on where you park so you may see all or only a couple connection options. Signal strength may vary too.

Don't be impatient! When we tried Sunday the 2.4G connection was very slow and we didn't see the 5G connection option from either the first standard parking spot next to handicap or from a parking spot facing the building closer to the dog park. When we tried Wednesday, both connections were working well though we did have one connection drop briefly. We were fine after that.

Digital Images Accessible

On our Sunday visit the FireFox browser worked better than Chrome but on our Wednesday visit both browsers worked well.

What we are trying to stress is to be patient and try different options. Results will vary by device.

Other suggestions:  Remember to make sure your device is fully-charged before you arrive. 

To save time since the connection can be slower, while at home bookmark the FamilySearch catalog pages for what you want to view so you don't have the lag/wait time while the website tries to load a search query. The drop-down search entries seemed to be really, really slow at loading on our Sunday visit. And again remember your patience and allow the page to load before trying to click on to the next step. 

From Home: Locked Digital Microfilm

On our Sunday visit the library's wireless would not load the library's website. But on our Wednesday visit the library website did load in both the FireFox and Chrome browsers. Once the library website loads you can go to the Major Genealogy Databases page and access the library's Ancestry Library Edition, Detroit Free Press 1831-1999, Fold3.com, and American Ancestors subscriptions.

This re-connection for patrons is just in time because the temporary, remote access to Ancestry Library Edition ends December 31, 2021. Happy Holidays and have fun researching!

Access Major Databases Too!

Regarding a separate matter, at this time the local databases (i.e. the obituary index, etc.) on the library's website are still unavailable. We will let everyone know when the error message is fixed and the databases are working again.

So ... 

#GenealogyTailgating Anyone?

See you soon some day at our favorite library!
LE