Rochester Resources online! for the CNYGS April 2008

1. Rochester Resources online! for the CNYGS April 2008

2. Local History & Digitization • Rochester is becoming nationally known for it’s accomplishments. • What does this marriage mean and why are we doing this? • Here’s a short overview showing the effect of digitizing on family and local history materials and what we have made available up till now.

3. From the blog of“That History Day Gal”Tobi Voight of the NY State Historical Assn

4. A good question - Why should a public library go to the bother and expense of making digital copies of materials that already exist in hard copy formats? Because… 1. The more that they are used, the more your own success helps to destroy or deteriorate them. In most cases, you need the content, not the actual original format. 2. In a public library setting, you risk theft and mutilation since your archival options are limited. 3. Multiple users can see an item simultaneously, and obtain prints under controlled conditions.

5. What value does the library add? • Knowledge and usability via the creation of subject driven “pathfinders”. • People often find using the library a little mysterious. Libraries have their own language, but once you know that language, worlds of knowledge open up. Library staff have created pathfinders that provide the tools needed to research a particular topic and help the user find their way.

6. What are some Rochester initiatives? • We have tried since 1999 to make parts of our collection more accessible and useful to our users – mostly the general public – through the Rochester Images project, the online directories, Rochester History pamphlets, and by providing cataloging and descriptions of the materials that we hold. Additionally we have created pathfinders to feature specific collections.

7. Here’s a look at the current library pathfinder page: There are several choices and each takes the user to a sub section with more information and links.

8. Digital Collections Overview • There are several collections in pathfinder format which are up and running at present. All of the digital formatted items are individually available in the online catalog They include: • Rochester city directories – 1827 to 1930, every page of every directory; one of the foremost collections like this in the entire USA • Monroe County Directories – 20 of them • Historic monographs - early Rochester authors or local imprints

9. Historic newspapers Frederick Douglass’ Paper Monroe Democrat Moore’s Rural New Yorker North Star Northern Freeman Rights of Man Soldier’s Aid

10. Historical Serials (journals) and newspapers Hospital Review 1864-1866 Rochester Gem 1829-1843 The Rochester History quarterly pamphlets – Every issue since 1939, and the Local Rochester Newspaper Index - 85 volumes, 500,000 entries, searchable via O.C. R. software

11. What else is being worked on? • Rochester Life Records (850,000 + name birth, marriage and death indexes to entries in the local (Gannett) newspapers, 1957-2008. Compiled in house by staff, converted to a searchable database by a contractor. Copies of the referenced entries are sold via online ordering. Searching them is free.

12. Digital images • Photographs, slides and negatives from 10 regional partner institutions • Historic postcards from Rochester Public Library • Maps from Rochester Public Library and the Monroe County Historian’s Office • Manuscripts and ephemera from Rochester Public Library

13. Rochester Images – started in 1999. • Approximately 22,000 images of pictures, postcards, maps, etc. from the Rochester Museum and Science Center, town historians, city archives, and the Library's own collection. All cataloged to national MARC standards and are available on the web at the library web site. • Here’s some of our partners -

14. Albert R. Stone Negative Collection of the Rochester Museum & Science Center 13,500 entries in Rochester Images

15. Brighton Municipal Historian Collection 500 images

16. City Hall Photo Lab Contemporary Collection 1500 images

17. City Hall Photo Lab Vintage Collection 130 images

18. East Rochester Municipal Historian Collection 200 images

19. Hamlin Municipal Historian Collection 200 images

20. Hilton Municipal Historian Collection 250 images

21. Office of the Monroe County Historian Map Collection 40 images

22. Perinton Municipal Historian Collection 375 images

23. Rochester Municipal Archives Early Collection 400 images

24. Rochester Municipal Archives Modern Collection 700 images

25. Rochester Public Library Alson Shantz Collection [World War I] 120 images

26. Rochester Public Library Manuscript Collection 200 images, includes Susan B Anthony letters

27. Rochester Public Library Picture File 200 images

28. Rochester Public Library Map Collection 700 images

29. Rochester Public Library Postcard Collection 2500 images

30. Rochester Public Library Digital Journals

31. Rochester Public Library Directories 1827-1930 As far as we know, the longest continuous online run of any city in the nation

32. Online databases -

34. Rochester Public Library Digital Books

35. Rochester Public Library Historic Newspaper Indexes 1818-1897

36. Rochester Public Library Historic Newspaper Collection

37. Our newest online pathfinder is: MANY ROADS TO FREEDOM: ABOLITIONISM AND THE CIVIL WAR IN ROCHESTER

38. About the Project - • A digital online exhibition created by Rochester Public Library from their image and text collections in the Local History and Genealogy Division • Covers LOCAL people, places, events and writings of the period • Texts are provided in pdf format with the ability to be searched via optical character recognition software

39. PART 1: Rochester, abolitionism and the road to war -- 1830-1861 Portraits and biographical Information on local abolitionists such as Amy Post

40. Local stops on the Underground Railroad

41. Slave Narratives

42. Local anti-slavery newspapers

43. Anti-slavery books

44. Anti-slavery speeches: This image is from a Frederick Douglass Speech given at Rochester’s Corinthian Hall

45. Anti-slavery Songs

46. PART 2: Rochester and the Civil War – 1861-1865 Local Civil War-era newspapers and serials

47. CIVIL WAR MASTER INDEX Provides access to newspaper articles in the local papers.

48. Pictures of Civil War Soldiers

49. Currier & Ives prints

50. PART 3: Rochester and the Aftermath of war Veterans’ Reunions