Dear Researchers,
I have not been able to do much genealogical correspondence
lately, but I am honored now to have the opportunity to broadcast the
on-line availability of the treasured Hollingsworth card collection at
the
Sylvania Branch of the Screven-Jenkins Regional Library!
Please go the Screven-Jenkins Regional Library System website:
http://www.sjrls.public.lib.ga.us/
I am hopeful that this website address will be added to the genweb sites
for
Screven, Effingham & Bulloch Cos GA with a notation about the
Hollingsworth
cards. At this website an announcement for the cards is at the center of
the screen under "What's New - Look for your Screven County ancestors.
The
Dixon Hollingsworth Surname Cards are now available for online
searching."
There is a link at that spot, as well as another under "Genealogy" in the
menu on the left. With that link, the next screen gives this
introduction
to the collection:
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
The Dixon Hollingsworth Surname Cards Collection (This is a large
database.
It may take a few minutes to load.)
The Hollingsworth Surname Card Collection of 3x5 cards contains names and
information about families in Screven County, Georgia. Dixon
Hollingsworth,
and his parents, Clyde and Essie Hollingsworth, created this collection.
They owned the local newspaper and were the local historians for the
area.
Both Dixon and Clyde Hollingsworth published books about the history of
the
area. This collection includes information they collected from numerous
sources in many different states. Dixon Hollingsworth died in September
1994, so the collection contains material collected prior to that time.
There are 15,374 cards and 63,589 names on the cards. You can type the
first letter of the name and click on the down arrow and the list will
start
with that letter. When a name is chosen, a list of the cards with that
name
appears on the screen. The user can then choose a link to a card and an
image of the card appears on the screen.
This project is funded by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board,
Georgia Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
My note: The card collection is heavily weighted toward the families of
Screven Co GA, but much from adjacent Effingham & Bulloch Cos GA is also
represented (well-suited for my own BES, Bulloch, Effingham & Screven Cos
GA, research area). I should also let y'all know that, because the now
digitized cards are available as on-line images (they have large file
sizes
and use Adobe Acrobat), interaction with the website is best with a
faster
connection. I tested the site at the Sylvania Library itself, as well as
at
libraries in Effingham and Chatham Cos GA. Their connections seemed
better
suited than my own slow modem at home, but I was able to work well with
the
digitized card collection, searching and printing, at home and at the
library. I had few problems (a few actual card images did not appear,
although the listing of names occurring on the card did appear below
where
the image should have appeared-- additionally, I did not know how to get
the
flip side of a card that indicated "over"); those difficulties did not
detract from my thankfulness at having the resource available so easily!
Having made use of the actual physical card collection (as well
as
the other Hollingsworth collected and prepared papers) at the library on
several occasions (before and after increased security*), the
availability
of this resource on-line -- without the need to travel to Sylvania -- is
quite a blessing. I know other researchers have made trips from quite a
ways off (FL, KY, TX, &c.) to have what we can obtain now online! The
librarians in Sylvania have been very kind to me over the years, as many
of
you have been, and I look forward to visiting there again. Incidentally,
the other Hollingsworth papers, while not available on-line, are now
organized and contained in helpful shelvable file boxes (of manageable
size)
with a great finding aid. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Screven
Jenkins
Library System for their management of these resources (particularly in
securing them a few years ago when the trusted public showed a
disappointing
lack of trustworthiness*), and particular thanks to Mrs. Judy MAYS, the
Assistant Director of Public Services, for having prepared and pursued
the
grants which made the on-line availability of the cards (as well as the
organization of the other Hollingsworth papers at the library itself)
possible. May God Bless You All and Your Families.
Familially (in almost all cases) yours,
John Robert PEAVY
Post Office Box 1559
Rincon GA 31326-1519
jrpv(a)netzero.net
*Note: Should any of you have copies of the cards for the surname WHITE
from this collection, we need your help -- evidently some WHITE
researcher
found it easier to remove the all the WHITE cards, every last one of
them,
than to make copies of them and pay for the copies (I do not know what
other
cards or papers may be missing). Today, the digitized database of cards
contains data for the surname WHITE only where they are cross-referenced
from cards for other surnames. As a descendant of Christopher Gadsden
WHITE, those missing WHITE cards are very much a disappointment.
Expanding
the idea, if anyone has copies of ANY cards that are not part of the
present
digitized database, posting them on the mailing list would certainly be
helpful.
________________________________________________________________
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