Sangamon County, Illinois Genealogical Society to Shut Down Next Month

After 40 years in existence, the Sangamon County Genealogical Society is shutting down next month. Declining membership and dues revenue, as well as the abundance of genealogical information available on the Internet, all contributed to the group’s demise, its leaders said this week.

Want a quick guide to marriages in Sangamon County from 1821 to 1840? No problem. How about an index of estate records in the county from 1821 to 1907? Easy. Who was buried in the Sangamon County Poor Farm Cemetery in Buffalo? Only the SCGS can tell you.

Over the years, the society has created about 70 such indexes, bringing to light long-forgotten residents whose identities might provide that vital clue to a family history — or history itself.

Sadly, the Sangamon County Genealogical Society will not publish any more such indexes.

Further information may be found in the State Journal-Register web site at http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x776463003/Genealogical-society-to-shut-down-next-month.

Comments

[Karl]

It's actually Sangamon County, Illinois that's shutting down.

[Karl]

see http://www.sj-r.com/news/x776463003/Genealogical-society-to-shut-down-next-month

[Taneya]

I have a friend whom I've been helping w/ her family tree and she has roots to Sangamon County. This is terrible news. Surely I would think this would be a great opportunity for the society to transition to an online presence to be a resource for county researchers. I've emailed the Illinois Genealogical Society to offer a suggestion that they help if they can.

[Carole]

Since the SCGS has 250 members who have stayed with the society, the Illinois State Genealogical Society is interested in transitioning those members to the state society. Contact has been made with Dan Dixon, the president of SCGS in the hopes of making such a transition possible. The response was doubtful. If there is someone from the society who wishes to contact me regarding this issue, please email ISGSConference@comcast.net
Carole McCarty
President, Illinois State Genealogical Society

[Janice Meredith]

As a long-time member and then leader in our local genealogical society, I understand completely the challenges local genealogical societies now face. It was not always so. Our forty-three year old organization was an early pioneer, as were many others, in promoting genealogical reseach. Our members collected information, published a periodical and books, assisted beginners, collected genealogical materials (leading to a now significant library), and encouraged and utilized the use of computers and the internet. Now our members and genealogical community enjoy access to data bases and digitized documents of which we never dreamed. But this also has resulted in many "researchers" believing it can all be done on the internet. Our genealogical society is also facing the reality that fewer of our members are able (or willing) to become directly involved in leadership and/or committee work. Many of our long-time members are finding it harder (or impossible) to continue in their earlier endeavors. I believe this reality has also resulted in many county, state, and national genealogical organizations experiencing lower attendance at their workshop/seminar offerings, lower membership in their organization, fewer workers in tneir efforts to collect, publish, and share, -- and their eventual demise. Who will be left to publish information that the public (including public libraries) can purchase? Some local counties and areas have never done this. But for those of us are are still willing, what happens if and when we can no longer do so? Think about it!

[Kate Foote]

When one thinks of Sangamon County, Illinois, the image of Abraham Lincoln looms instinctively large - yet when I think of Sangamon County I delight in the many ancestors who lived near, socialized, pioneered, and fought along side Lincoln in the Blackhawk War. Gathering information on their everyday lives is utterly entwined with the history of Sangamon County. This news is heartbreaking - it serves as a poignant reminder that all our of local societies require our diligent support.

[dennis]

As I started reading the article in the paper, I expected to see that a vibrant org had dwindled to minimal members.

Instead, I see a drop of about 50% over the past 14 years to over 200. This is still a large group, and bigger than our local one where I am the newsletter editor (thanks to Dick Eastman for lots of material - he gets credited in each issue). We are no different in that only 25-30% attend our meetings, and get involved in any way.

Over 200 members, and they disband. We have partnered with our County Library System for years. We are the force that gets books contributed; they provide space for the library materials and some monies for purchases; and we provide genie volunteers for over half of the library hours. This avoids our gen society from having rents; something which I assume is a very common arrangement, as I have seen it personally on my travels.

Sure, the internet provides lots of info, but there is a role for local genie societies to present a local forum, and also to research local material. I don't get it. JMHO.

[Linda Swisher]

Regarding membership, just because a society has more than 200 members does not mean 200 people are willing to serve as officers, volunteers, indexers, et al. From those 200, subtract long-distance members who joined just because their ancestors were from Sangamon County; then subtract those whose health/responsibilities do not permit them to volunteer. What's left are those who are ABLE to volunteer; of those, probably a fraction actually DO. Of course, your members need not live locally to volunteer (one Indiana society has a webmaster in Idaho!) but a society does need warm bodies — reliable, dedicated ones (and knowledgable ones, if they're to assist researchers).

Regarding the usefulness of societies, we're researching in a vacuum, where many newbies don't see the need to join societies. When I first started in genealogy in the mid-80s, genealogists joined societies to share their enthusiasm with like-minded souls. Societies were where you went to learn the ropes and use the resources. Then you learned that SOMEBODY had to create the indexes and finding aids, and in most cases, it was a society. Nowadays, pajama-clad genealogists can find Great-Aunt Emma at 2 a.m. Got a gripe or query? Check the online forums.

I'm sure many societies were in the middle of indexing projects (censuses come to mind), only to see the same project completed first by one of the major online providers. Societies whose income was from research requests are seeing that income stream shrivel as more materials come online. If I were a society officer, I'd hesitate before undertaking a project or publication: 1) I'd be afraid my society could not complete it as quickly as the major provider; 2) the provider can market it to a wider audience than my society can; 3) the provider has the technology to make the information available. All are areas in which my society just can't compete. What's the answer? I don't know that there is one.

Is it feasible to maintain a separate library? That's a tough one. My local society also has its own library. When the society had to relocate, a search committee investigated several options before deciding to relocate the society and also its library.

Merging with a library isn't the best option for every society. What type of society is it: county, or covering just part of a county? What relationship does the society have with the library? Are there "turf wars"? Do they play well together? Ignore each other? What ability does the library have to absorb the collection — do they need the shelf space for their regular holdings? Do they lack personnel to input the catalog information or otherwise process the materials? Are there personnel issues that do not permit society members to volunteer (for instance, if library workers are unionized)?

Just my 2 cents. I'm employed in a library, and also served local and state societies as an officer, board member, newsletter editor, and conference chair.

[Linda Swisher]

Just because a society has 200 members does not mean it has 200 workers. Subtract the out-of-area members, and those whose health or schedules do not permit volunteering, and what's left are those who are ABLE to volunteer. Of these, a fraction actually DO. That's where the problem lies. (Of course, one need not be local to volunteer. A society in Indiana has a webmaster in Idaho!)

Genies now operate in a vacuum. Newbies can "do it all" online (they think), and don't see the need for societies. When I first started, a society was the only place where you'd find someone who understood your passion for cemeteries and microfilms.

Whether the society should maintain its own library depends a lot on both the society and the local library. Not every society should fold its collection into a local library. Maybe there have been "turf wars." Maybe the society and library do not have a relationship. Maybe the library cannot afford to devote the shelf space to genealogical holdings, or it cannot afford the personnel to process the holdings, or its policy does not permit nonsalaried volunteers to render research assistance.

Just my two cents' worth. I work in a library, and have served on the local and state society level as a board member, officer, and newsletter editor.

[Martynne]

Wow not another one! I hope they have the good sense to donate their great collection to either their public library or the Illinois State Archives preferably the latter.

On another note the societies don't have working members because you have people who are way too protective of genealogical information. It only takes one Society hoarder to ruin years of research and collections.
I have walked into more than one Genealogy Society to have my head bit off by some old bitty who thinks they know it all even if I have legal proof in my hands showing their donated record is wrong. So many of the Society's are so paranoid of the INTERNET they are willing to let their information deteriorate to dust or let it be thrown out.

Pay it forward people pay it forward!

[Carol Heap]

The Genealogical Society of Palm Beach, recently moved to the Palm Beach County Main branch. We are trying to attract more people to come into the library. We offer Ancestry & Hertiage Quest through the library. Can anyone suggest another database we can offer our members? We were thinking of a Newspaper Data Base, but need one that will accept a Gene Library as a member.

[Betty Heryford]

This is a very sad situation.

Our Small daytime socieity meets on Thursday from 1:00PM to 3:00 PM, and we have about 37 members and six life time members. I am the President.
We are struggling to keep our rent paid and liability Insurance paid which is $1,000. a year, and then obtain speakers, I have been teaching or lecture most meetings. It is no easy task, but not ready to close our doors.

We can shut down, and not give up our non profit statue, until we can locate less expensive quarters, this way we do not have to pay the $500. liability insurance.

We would contact one of several churches and request that they might allow us to use their facilities while we re group and rebuild. Times are hard and things are difficult, but not ready to give up.

Betty Heryford