MCPL's Local History & Genealogy Room Temporarily Closed; Limited Operations Until Further Notice

We've had an update on the Local History & Genealogy Room of our favorite library, Mount Clemens Public Library. 

Unfortunately, the Local History & Genealogy Room will be closed for the foreseeable future. Waterproofing outside needs to be completed before the inside repairs can be done. No materials have been damaged.

In the meantime, the LH&G Room will be under limited operations from the Boardroom (located near the elevator directly across from the LH&G Room) Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. There will be two computer terminals for patrons to use, but no microfilm machine access, digital equipment or access to the materials in the room. This likely means a delay in fulfilling research requests as well.

Remember, patrons can access the library's various subscriptions and databases from anywhere in the library by accessing the library's wireless internet with their own devices. If you plan to use the library's computer terminals remember to bring a USB device to download your research finds.

Volunteers may or may not be fulfilling their volunteer times during this limited operations period. Call or email the library to check if a volunteer will be in to help patrons.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Quick Follow Up: MCPL's Local History & Genealogy Room Temporarily Closed

We were notified early this morning that the Local History & Genealogy Room at Mount Clemens Public Library will remain temporarily closed this week due to some construction issues. 

We will let everyone know when we hear of a reopening date.

If you are just looking to use the various subscriptions and databases rather than the equipment or materials in the room, you can access those subscriptions and databases from anywhere in the library on the library's wireless internet access. So fear not, researching can still be done! Maybe you will find a new second favorite place to utilize while in the library.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MCPL's Local History & Genealogy Room Temporarily Closed; Update to Follow

We just found out the Local History & Genealogy Room at Mount Clemens Public Library is temporarily closed due to some construction issues. They hope to reopen Monday, July 15.

We will let you know if the estimate holds true.

If you are just looking to use the various subscriptions and databases rather than the equipment or materials in the room, you can access those subscriptions and databases from anywhere in the library on the library's wireless internet access. So fear not, researching can still be done! Maybe you will find a new second favorite place to utilize while in the library.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Genealogists Prepare! It's Back-to-School Sale Time! Time to Restock Your Genealogy Supplies

 It's time for our annual reminder ...
Back-to-School Sales on school supplies are not just for kids! These sales are for genealogists too!

Just a few of the many supplies a genealogist would use.

They're here ... Back-to-School sales are out there. So prepare yourself for these sales AND for Amazon Prime Day 2024 which is July 16 & 17 this year.

Anyone who uses a lot of common office supplies should keep their eyes and ears open for some extreme savings that are only around this time year for certain supplies. So be smart and pay attention to those Back-to-School Sales going on for the next couple months so you can partake in the savings too. 

What would interest a genealogist? The first things that come to mind are USB Flash drives (large sizes at great prices and small sizes at even better prices); printer/copier paper; pens and pencils; pencil lead (for those mechanical pencils); highlighters; file folders or pocket folders; paper and binder clips; index cards for those that like old school ways; plastic file boxes (keep that water damage away); sticky notes; binders; paper; computer accessories (like mice, computer bags, external hard drives for backups and backups for the backups or to just expand your file storage capacity, printers, software, large monitors, and more); etc. Even office desks and chairs can be found on sale. 

Yes, for some things it is best to make sure you get acid-free versions, but that can get expensive and sometimes compromises must be made. Note acid-free copier/printer paper is easier to find nowadays. 

Also, at about this time of year (July/August/September) computer manufacturers are about to release their new models so good to great prices can often be found on this past year's models. (If your computer is really old and can not upgrade to Windows 10 11 because of old hardware or low-memory issues consider these sales. Also if your computer is more than five years old consider the changes currently taking place in Windows 10  11 updates that will not account for older hardware.) Why risk continuing to use old hardware -- step into the modern technology world. Just remember to get as large of hard drive and as much memory as you are able to afford, and keep an eye on processor speed/power. There are other factors to consider when buying a computer -- these are three key ones. While desktop computers are a little less expensive, laptops have the advantage of portability meaning you can take them with you to the library or researching. 

Laptops with DVD/CD readers/burners are getting harder to find but you can find them though it may mean a larger laptop. Or consider getting a stand-alone DVD/CD drive to go with the laptop. Chrome books and tablet/laptop conversions can be cheaper but may not run your programs/applications. Make sure the device you are considering can handle your must-have program/applications. 

A new thing to consider is the number of USB ports included in the laptop/desktop and even which other ports are included. Many of today's computers are now using USB-C (that smaller port) rather than traditional USB so you also want to keep an eye out for a USB hub or docking station which allows you to expand your plugin options using just one USB-C port. Some hubs simply give you more USB ports others also add HDMI ports, SD-card ports, ethernet ports, audio/mic port, etc. there are many combinations out there. And, do not forget about those external hard drives for additional storage space AND for backing up all your data. Lastly, you can always add a large-size monitor to make viewing the screen easier.

And for those who shop Amazon. Hopefully, you see this before the 2024 Prime Day begins. If not you might want to wait for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.  Put what you are eyeing in a shopping list and watch it for a while to see how the price drops or rises. Great deals can be found so keep an eye out for those short term deals but remember to do your due diligence and make sure your sale price is indeed a good one.

May you find the deals on what you need, not on what you don't need. 

See you at our favorite library! 
LE

Archives of Michigan Releases a New Collection; Making Some Updates Too!

How about some news about the Archives of Michigan?

 
1. Through a partnership with the Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters (DAR) of Michigan, the Archives of Michigan is proud to release a new online collection on Michiganology.org -- the Michigan World War I Veteran Service Cards.

These are informational cards created in 1921-1932 about Michigan veterans who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marines from 1917-1919. They provide a wealth of information for family historians, including place and date of birth, current residence, rank, assignments, battles, and injuries. Given the near-total loss of federal WWI service records from a 1973 fire in St. Louis, Missouri, state-level collections like this one are an effective alternative! You can search the collection by name, birthplace, army serial number, city, county, state, and birth date. (Note: some cards just have an age or approximate age rather than a birth date.)

As of this time Michiganology's homepage does not reflect the collection's release. But it is there.

2. The Archives of Michigan is and has been updating its Michiganology.org website. Now when you go to preform a search, you are actually taken the Michiganology search interface on the preservica.com site. Besides the tailored search interface for Michigan Death Certificates 1897-1952, there are now somewhat tailored search interfaces for Michigan State Census 1827-1894; Surveyor Field Notebooks 1815-1918; Survey Maps 1816-1860; General Photograph Collection ca. 1860-1990; Archives of Michigan Map Collection ca. 1810-1970; State Government Records; Local Government Records; and the World War I Collection.

From the Michiganology.org homepage if you select Browse Digital Collections, you are taken to a landing page telling you about the changes happening to the search features of the Michiganology website. Essentially, "The Archives of Michigan has recently updated its metadata indexer. These changes will add new metadata fields for upcoming collections, allow for sorting results, and improve overall searchability. A full re-indexing of all digital collections is being complete to ensure every collection is up to date with the new indexer. As collections are being re-indexed, you may experience some irregularities when searching. These should resolve once all collections are fully re-indexed. We appreciate your patience as we work to improve your search experience on Michiganology."

You can then select a specific collection from the icons at the bottom of the page or select Advanced Search and then pick a collection.

Using the World War I Collection Service Cards as an example, we searched using just a surname. (See above.) The results were presented with filters on the left, or you can just scroll the list. 

After selecting a result, the resulting page shows what was abstracted and images of the card's front and back. Use the icon above the abstracted information and image (circled in red in this image below) to download a PDF with the card's images.

3. The Archives of Michigan's second floor Reading Room will be closed to the public starting June 24 for some remodeling updates and will reopen July 15. But the public can access materials from a temporary location.

From the Archives of Michigan website page, "The Archives of Michigan will be closed to the public on Monday, June 24, 2024, due to remodeling. Starting on Tuesday, June 25, the reading room will be temporarily located in the Morris Learning Center on the first floor of the Michigan Library and Historical Center's east wing. Researchers can access books, microfilm, and archival material from this temporary location during the remodel. Please be patient as retrieval times may be longer than usual. The Archives of Michigan's second floor reading room will reopen to the public on Monday, July 15, with new carpet, tables, and chairs."

Have a great summer researching!
 

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Mount Clemens Public Library's Local History & Genealogy Room will be Closed Wed., July 3rd; the Library will be Closed July 4 - July 7 for the July 4th Holiday

Just an FYI ...

"American Flag" by JeepersMedia is
licensed under CC BY 2.0. Altered: cropped.

The Local History & Genealogy Room at Mount Clemens Public Library will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, July 3rd, so the staff can work on some projects.

And, the Mount Clemens Public Library will be closed for the Independence Holiday from Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 7. The library will reopen on Monday, July 8.

Enjoy the Independence Holiday! Be Safe!

See you at our favorite library!
LE