History book submission deadline extended!

If you didn't submit an entry to be published in the "Butler County, Missouri Family History Book, Vol. III", you have another chance!  I have been informed the deadline for submissions has been extended to June 30, 2012!

The Butler County Genealogy Society is sponsoring, compiling, and publishing a new book, "Butler County, Missouri Family History Book, Vol. III".  This book will include the history of Butler County in the form of family histories, communities, churches, schools, businesses, farms, memorials, tributes, clubs, organizations, and much more.

Flyers are available in the Genealogy Reference area.  Information is provided on how to submit an entry and ordering information to purchase the book in advance.  A limited number of copies will be printed, determined in part by prepublication orders.  Don't miss out!

Additional information and questions may be submitted to committee chairman Brenda Sheridan at butlercountyhistory@gmail.com.

TRCC Donates Genealogy / Local History Books

The library has once again benefited from the donation of items by the Rutland Library.  These are being added to the Genealogy/Local History Collection.  Stop by soon to see these items!!

Willow Springs and Surrounding Communities 1869-1969 Centennial
Springfield, Missouri - Forty Years of Growth and Progress 1945-1985
Pictorial Folk History of Jefferson City, Missouri 1890-1900
Experience Cape Girardeau: faces and places 1850-1950
The old Gravois Coal Diggings [St. Louis]
Gazetteer of the State of Missouri. [reprint of 1837 edition]
This is our ... Saint Louis
Joseph W. Folk of Missouri
In the Arkansas backwoods: tales and sketches
Lexingon, Missouri Sesquicentennial, 1822-1972.
Home town sketches. [Boonville, Cooper County 1926]
Our Jefferson County heritage: reminiscences of early Missouri.
Cape Girardeau: biography of a city
Mansfield, Missouri - The First Hundred Years 1882-1982
History of Randolph County [Arkansas]
Cape Girardeau Sesquicentennial - 150 Years - 1806-1956

Museums and Historical Sites Across Southeast MO

Whether you're looking for a quick day trip to getaway without spending a fortune on gas or just backtracking the steps of ancestors, Southeast Missouri has lots of possibilities.  VisitMO.com, a site maintained by the Missouri Department of Tourism, lists events and places to visit by region across the state.  They have a listing of 29 museums to visit just in Southeast Missouri.  Learn about railway travel at the Mo-Ark Regional Railroad Museum located here in Poplar Bluff to the evolution of the vacuum at the Vacuum Cleaner Museum (who knew!?) in St. James to military history at the Stars and Stripes Museum and Library in Bloomfield.

As you can see from the above map on their website, there is something close to everyone across the area. Visit their homepage for a full list of museums and events not only in Southeast Missouri but the rest of the state as well.  Happy traveling!!

Any 1940 Census success stories?

How is your searching in the 1940 Census going?  Are you waiting for the name index to be completed or have you waded deep into the Enumeration Districts in conjunction with the images, taking a chance on finding relatives more quickly?

What has surprised you so far?  How do you think the information compares to previously released Census data?

I'm enjoying being able to easily download and save images of an entire E.D. to browse through at a later time. No earth-shattering discovers have been made yet but I still have more searching to do!

A thousand thanks!!

This blog has reached it's first numerical milestone!  1000 hits in less than four months!!

I would like to thank everyone for visiting and hope you're finding the blog informative.  If you enjoy it, please pass on the website address or share it via the buttons below each posting.  Options for sharing include: email, Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, and Google+.

Don't forget you can always leave feedback by leaving comments on postings or send questions via email.  They just might end up being a future topic!

Thanks again to all the wonderful readers of Genealogy @ the Library!!

Library Photos of Yesteryear

Please enjoy the following photos from the library's past as we continue to celebrate our 96th Anniversary and National Library Week.

This photo shows the library's Circulation / Reference desk as it appeared upon opening in our current location in October 1936.

The original stage in the Auditorium of the library.  It was removed to make room for the Children's Library.  A new stage has been constructed in its place after the latest renovation.

Business as usual in this photo from 1966.  Notice the vinyl LP's in the foreground.

Librarian Helen Caine providing assistance.

The "Wonderful World of Books" reading theme in the Children's Library circa 1967 with Mary Belle Snider, Children's Librarian.  They are standing in the area that was formerly the original stage downstairs.

You Belong @ Your Library - 96 years of service

This week, the library celebrates its 96th Anniversary coinciding with National Library Week, April 8-14, 2012.  The theme is "You Belong @ Your Library".

From our quarterly newsletter / program guide, "Off the Shelf":

Why do you belong at PBPL? Your library provides you with access to the latest technology, a genealogical and cultural heritage collection, books in print and electronic formats, resources for job seekers, computer and technology assistance, special children’s programming and many other creative and practical resources.

You belong @ PBPL: National Library Week events:
Anniversary Scavenger Hunt:  Poplar Bluff Public Library is celebrating 96 years of community service with a special week-long scavenger hunt! During National Library Week, you’ll have a chance to find “96” printed on different objects throughout the library. If you find them all, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a special celebratory surprise!
iKids Launch and Special Story Time:  Join Poplar Bluff Public Library for the launch of the new iKids area at a special story time at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 12. The story will celebrate Drop Everything and Read Day! Additionally, adults and children alike are invited to explore the library’s iKids area, where they can interact with the latest technology in a hands-on, interactive setting.
Edible Book Contest:  You’ll have a chance to bite into a good book with the Library’s Edible Book contest! Community members and library staff are invited to participate.  Whip up any kind of culinary creation representing a book and bring it to the library on Thursday, April 12. Everyone will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite creation and the winner will be announced at 10:30 a.m.  Need an idea? Google images has lots of examples.

For more events throughout April, May, and June, visit our quarterly newsletter online or pick up one on your next visit to the library.

1940 has arrived!!

The genealogy world is partying like it's 1940!  Moments ago, the 1940 Census became publicly available for the first time as the clock struck the magic hour of 9 AM Eastern Daylight Time.  It's the genealogical equivalent of the New Year's Eve countdown in Times Square but occurring only once a decade.

Start your research NOW at the 1940 Census National Archives website!

Good luck and best wishes in your research!  This genealogist is hanging out the Do-Not-Disturb sign for the day.

Oh, and by the way, only 10 more years until the release of the 1950 Census in 2022!  Are we there yet?  :)

1940 Census: Then and Now - How Has America Changed

If you enjoy numbers, facts, and figures, you'll love the following link from the Census Bureau.  Comparisons from Census data are made between the America of 1940 and the last Census conducted in 2010. 

1940 Census: Then and Now - How Has America Changed

In just a few hours (8 AM Central), we'll have the all the data sheets to review for ourselves firsthand. No longer will the information of individuals be locked away and provided only en-masse as the 72 year rule fades into history for the1940 Census.