Genealogy resources expanded

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Library Director Renee Paasch, left, is introduced to the “Family Search” website with the help of Pat Ashley and Patrice Hartman from the Southwestern North Dakota Genealogical Society on Wednesday at the Dickinson Area Public Library.

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The Dickinson Area Public Library has launched a genealogy service for library patrons.

It was named an affiliate library of FamilySearch — the repository of genealogical records managed by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

The library has collected billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land and court records from over 140 countries, according to a press release.

As an affiliate library, patrons will have greater and more convenient access to the genealogical resources available through FamilySearch, said Library Director Renee Paasch.

“I’m very excited about it — it provides an additional service the library can offer to its patrons and I think that’s exciting,” she said.

The service was proposed by Patrice Hartman, a member of the Southwestern North Dakota Genealogical Society.

“The Family History Center at the LDS Church is closed temporarily because of remodeling, so Patrice approached me about trying to become an affiliate so we can order materials for customers,” said Paasch.

The website — FamilySearch.org — may be visited from any computer having Internet access, but a work station near the library’s main desk will allow the staff to help library patrons, said Paasch.

Once the genealogical material is identified from the website, it can be ordered through interlibrary loan as microfilm or microfiche. This material must remain in the library.

“We purchased a new microfilm reader/printer — they can make copies off the film or transfer the images to a CD or flash drive,” she said. “It will be very handy for people doing genealogy research.”

Hartman appreciates the service because the library is open more than 60 hours a week.

“It will allow us more access of the records we need for research of our families,” she said. “It will allow us to to do research in areas out of our state — you can do research from Norway, Denmark, Africa, whereever.”

The Southwestern North Dakota Genealogical Society meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month in the library.

For more information about the meetings, call the public library at 701-456-7700.

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