Hi all,
We're behind Betty also.
Hope you all won't mind a view from another state. Like some of you, we've
been with the IN since the project started and know Betty is looking out
for IN. My great great grandparents on both sides of my family are buried
in IN, so my feelings/interests are far from casual. Like Betty, we too
wear SC shoes in our home state of KS.
The KS project is very fortunate to have the Kansas State Library as their
host. They have been extremely supportive in providing free space and
services as well as sharing desirable material for online presentation.
There is a strong movement among libraries across the US to gain a presence
on the web. IN is much like KS in that there are many rural communities
with small libraries with minimal holdings. Online reference material is
definately a plus for rural patrons. Through the efforts of the Kansas
Library Network Board, most of the libraries in KS now have Internet
access. Aging materials are being preserved as well as made more easily
available to all patrons.
My entire point in commenting on this discussion is to encourage you all to
at least explore the possibility of at least contacting a state agency
such as the Indiana State Library as a home for the INGenWeb State pages or
for that matter county pages. For those of you living within IN remember
that your tax dollars are already paying for services provided by state
agencies. Grant monies are also available to agencies such as state
libraries for such projects. We're all hoping that our volunteer efforts
will endure long after we've all returned to earth. Personally I can't see
a state library ceasing to exist and patron/voter usage/demand is going to
keep material available. Considering the marriage database already put
online by the IN State Library the INGenWeb would certainly seem to be a
worthwhile partner in their efforts. It's well worth a try folks.
Remember too that Larry Stephens at Indiana University pioneered the state
research mailing lists for genealogy and continues to provide a number of
those. Perhaps he might be able to assist with the INGenWeb project mail
lists.
Best wishes,
Tom
Hancock and Fayette Co
Tom & Carolyn WARD
P.O. Box 77
Columbus KS 66725-0077
(316) 429-3475
tcward(a)columbus-ks.com