Random Genealogy

The Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX) has news of a unique way to help raise money for the Van Zandt Library of Genealogy and Local History (located in Canton). They are publishing a softcover book with nearly 300 pages of material concerning Civil War veterans who lived in Van Zandt county. It’s material that many genealogists researching in that area would find very useful – records, family histories, etc. are included. The book is $25, and proceeds go to support the Library of Genealogy and Local History (which is operated by volunteers).

You can find more information at the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society’s website, specifically their Publications Page.

This would be a great “gift” for libraries and genealogy centers around Texas as well as regional libraries and genealogy centers – to purchase a copy and donate it to the library of your choice.

If you are looking to raise funds for your library or genealogy research center, it’s also something to think about – you would be providing an excellent value to others if you sold books with genealogy information/data from your area. There is also the side benefit of spreading the information, so that it can’t be lost or destroyed if something happens to the main location.

Scotsman.com’s Genealogy Clinic delves into research involving ancestors that worked the railways. A reader asked about an ancester that worked for the London and North Eastern Railway after leaving the service, and the Genealogy Clinic covered the types of records available to those looking up ancestors that worked for the railways.

Excerpt:

Records of the railway companies which have operated in Scotland can be found at the National Archives of Scotland (NAS). These include the records of all the companies that operated in Scotland prior to nationalisation and the records of the Scottish region of British Rail.
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For more information on railway records check out Railway Ancestors by D T Hawkings and Was Your Grandfather a Railway Man? A Directory of Railway Archive Sources for Family Historians, by Tom Richards.

There’s an article in the Palm Beach Post (FL) by Ron Hayes, about the Palm Beach County Genealogical Society and their quest for space – the city is planning for a new “City Center” complex that will hold the city hall and city library. Unfortunately the Palm Beach County Genealogical Society is not a part of their plans (PBCGS’s collection would take up the space the library needs for future expansion), and are going to have to find room somewhere.

Excerpt from the article

Today, the society’s collection totals about 12,000 volumes, with no space provided for them in the floor plans for City Center, the new, $104 million city hall/library complex planned for the northwest corner of Dixie Highway and Clematis Street.

“Officially, at this point, we’re not part of the plan, and we have to make other arrangements,” says Margaret Riddle, who became the society’s president in April…….

In a gesture of respect for the genealogical society’s past relationship with the library, and support for its mission, Smith says that “some components of the genealogy collection could be included (in the new library) but it would be impossible to accommodate the entire library.”

If you have a solution, I’m sure they are more than willing to listen: Palm Beach Genealogical Society’s Website