The Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana has launched a new genealogy web site. The aim is to make it easier for people to find out about their family ancestry without actually visiting the library's Genealogy Center.
The new web site, located at www.genealogycenter.org, includes several free databases and portals including the African American Gateway, Family Bible Records and Our Military Heritage that have been developed by the Genealogy Center.
The Genealogy Center’s website includes other resources, including full-text books that have been digitized by Internet Archives, the Center’s Pathfinders to various areas of research, and the Community Album, a collection of historical photographs for the surrounding area.
I also noticed that the site has some excellent "how to get started in genealogy" tutorials, a calendar of future events being held at the Allen County Public Library, past issues of "Genealogy Gems," an e-zine which lists information about the department's collections and useful research tips, and more.
Perhaps the most valuable online service of all is the "As a Librarian" section. As stated on the new web site, "Uncertain whether we have a record you’re seeking? Need a quick pointer on what to do next in your research? Ask a Genealogy Librarian and get a quick response. Answers to your questions about our catalogs, collections, databases, programs and other services are just an email away. Contact us at Genealogy@ACPL.Info for additional information about The Genealogy Center or a quick pointer to help you advance your research. We’ll make every effort to respond to your general queries within 48 hours."
The Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department, located in the Main Library Branch of the Allen County Public Library, is the second-largest genealogy department in North America. It is home to more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items of microfilm and microfiche. Only the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, a private institution, is larger.
The new web site is a wonderful resource, one for other genealogy libraries to emulate. You can see all this and more at http://www.genealogycenter.org
