Fostering Family History Services

Starred review from June 1, 2016

Interest in genealogy and family history continues to grow. As patrons delve into researching this topic, they frequently desire more details to their family's story. Many turn to libraries and archives for guidance and access to specialized resources. Library science professors Clark (Clarion Univ. of Pennsylvania) and Miller (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) provide librarians, archivists, and volunteers with a sound roadmap for assisting such users. The authors adeptly describe how even the smallest institution can foster interest in family research. They address all requisite subjects such as library policies, collection development, finding guides, preservation, online resources, local indexes, and interlibrary cooperation. Readers will appreciate the plethora of programming ideas presented throughout the work as well as the tips for creating a guide of other local organizations supporting family history research. This is much more than an introduction to genealogy such as David R. Dowell's Crash Course in Genealogy. Here the authors present a solid framework for creating and fostering family history services. VERDICT Anyone who wishes to develop or expand a family history program will turn to this resource again and again.--Lydia Olszak, Bosler Memorial Lib., Carlisle, PA

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.