[WEB4LIB] local history online

[Bill Teschek]

> Are there any libraries out there who provide online, searchable
> access to local history resources (eg. photos, oral histories)? If
> so, could you please post the url of your site? 

We have a huge amount of local history on our website, searchable 
from this starting point: 
http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history.htm
 
> How do you provide access to the resources?  For example, are you
> using your library web catalogue to enable online access, or do
> you have a separate database? 

We use the Links database builder by Gossamer Threads to build 
links to various sections of our historical web pages. Some books 
that we have transcribed into web pages are included in our PAC, 
but most of what we have consists of pamphlets or 
newspaper/magazine articles that are not in our PAC. We also are 
partly responsible for a large linked genealogical database. It used 
to be on our site but has always been maintained by a volunteer 
who now has offered to host it on his site as well. It's still 
technically "our" database however.
 
> Who is responsible for maintaining and adding to the online local
> history collection? 

In addition to the genealogy database volunteer (who lives in 
California while we're in NH) we have an in-house volunteer, a 
retired local historian who comes in more than 20 hours a week 
and has his own computer station to work at. He's learned html 
and scanning and does just about everything. I supervise his work, 
make suggestions for new additions, and take care of access to 
the pages from other parts of our website. We couldn't do it without 
these two gentlemen.
 
> Does the collection belong to the library or a local historical society?

The materials that we have added to our website have come from 
several sources. I am just now in the process of creating a local 
historical photos database.

Be sure to post the full list of URLs you receive to the list. I'd love 
to see what others are doing.


Bill Teschek
Assistant Director
Lane Memorial Library
2 Academy Ave.
Hampton, NH 03842
bteschek at hampton.lib.nh.us
(603)-926-3368
(603)-926-1348 (fax)
http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us