Keeping the books, maps, microfilm, and fiche in the right places in the Midwest Genealogy Center is not for the faint of heart. Our employees, known as Pages here at MGC, form an unbeatable team. For instance, four of our Pages joined us after retiring from other places of employment. We are the benefactors of their years of experience. Currently, they are diligently indexing the Kansas City Star obituary books. They also help us by replacing damaged labels, finding lost books, and retrieving holds (books requested for check out by Library customers).
How can ten people keep a library in tip top shape? By being tip top people to begin with! The Midwest Genealogy Pages are a hard-working group of individuals but also a very eclectic group.
For instance, one of our Pages has her Master’s degree in diplomacy and just did a nine month teaching assignment in Honduras. Another comes to us after being raised in Lima, Peru. She also served as a missionary in Uruguay and Venezuela, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and fluency in Spanish.
Have you ever returned a book to any Mid-Continent Public Library? Have you ever requested a book from a MCPL branch? Have you ever taken a book off of a shelf and returned it to a book return cart or to the front desk? I can guarantee if you have done any of the above mentioned activities, you have engaged one of the hardest working groups of our employees…our Pages.
The pen is mightier than CDs, email, Twitter, and other electronic communication! I was listening to National Public Radio and heard a story about a packet of letters found along the New Jersey Shore after Superstorm Sandy. They were tied with a pink ribbon and were from the 1940s. The people who found them wanted to do all they could to return them to the owners.
Ordering Microfilm from the Family History Library
All genealogists know about the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and about their wonderful website. But did you know that you can order microfilm online and have it sent here to the Midwest Genealogy Center? Start by searching the catalog on www.familysearch.org to see what is available. Below find a summary of the charges and instructions for ordering:
Happy New Year! Throughout the month of January, MGC will be highlighting the work of some of our most treasured staff -- our pages. Please enjoy the following introduction to what our Library pages do and check back for more throughout the month:
For me, Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, may be the time of year when I feel most connected with my ancestors. I remember them through the traditions that I brought to my own household from my dear childhood. I try to keep these traditions alive to honor my parents.
We hope you have enjoyed the holiday stories that we’ve shared with you in our last few blogs. From all of us at MGC to all of you, we wish you the very best for a merry and safe holiday season.
Please enjoy the following genealogist's version of a Christmas tale:
'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse.
When I was little, the magic of Christmas for me was putting up our tree. Every year I would get so excited coming home from school after Thanksgiving wondering, "Is this the day? Is mom putting up the tree today?" We would put it on top of our console TV, you know the ones that had the screen in the middle and the speakers built into the sides? It was a gigantic piece of furniture in our little apartment, which I used to watch wrestling, but that’s another story for--never.
When my father-in-law passed away, we inherited boxes full of family history information. While digging through one of the boxes, we found a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings. The clippings were not labeled in any way and really were not in chronological order.
