With the rise in digital libraries and the digital age, local history collections become more accessible

and visible. Local history collections have seen a huge rise in usage due to the rise of widespread use of technology and the scope of the collections are becoming broader. Often old photographs and city hall documents are seen as consisting of the majority of materials which make up these collections, however as digital collections become utilized more, librarians are realizing what a great hidden resource they have in their possession.

In the last few years, there has been increase in people researching things that happened at the local level in the past and also genealogy. Libraries are or should be reexamining their collections to see if they contain the appropriate resources for library users. One typically thinks of public libraries as being the owners of most of these materials, but some academic libraries are even beginning to collect in this area. It is a unique way for them to stand out.

Many different types of people use a local history collection, for instance, historians, academic researchers, authors, individuals, companies, and journalists. This means that there are also many different levels of skills in the user group and librarians need to know how to address all levels. This local history wiki takes a look at various avenues to improving library users experience.

Amateur interest has also opened up different types of libraries to expand their previous mission/idea of local history collections. Today, it is not just the public libraries and the occasional research library. Larger scale academic research libraries are beginning to see local history collections as an opportunity to focus in depth on a unique area.

The wiki also examines various avenues for assisting library users. For instance, some researchers may want to take a look at historical events at both the local and national level. And a good way to do that today is to link your library website and digital collection to a national digital collection.

An interesting point to make is that local history collections are beneficial for the entire community. An awareness of historical events helps to put current issues into context. And having a well-managed collection provides important historical context for the local community.

BOOKS 1 Dewe, Michael (Ed.). (2002). Local Studies Collection Management. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. This book starts with a very good introduction to local studies and their importance in context of community. As Peggy Johnson (2003) states Local Studies Collection Management offers practical advice on local studies work and reports on developing areas, including family history and genealogy, digitizing local collections, and using the Web. The librarian is provided with an understanding of the values, which drive library users to this type of library collection. There are several contributing authors, each writing one chapter, while Michael Dewe also writes the last chapter. It recommends resource providers from essentially any background- from academic libraries to local art galleries. Cataloguing specifics and marketing advice are provided as well in order to give a comprehensive approach to the management of these collections. 2 Reid, Peter H. (2003). The Digital Age and Local Studies. Oxford: Chandos Publishing. The Digital Age and Local Studies is an excellent text for librarians seeking information describing the relationship between the digital age and local studies collections. It discusses questions such as why there has been the recent popularity in local studies areas, considering local history to be only a part of it. One chapter explores collection usage when users are non-residents, while another covers e-genealogy. Ennis (2006) sums the text up as, a well-written highly readable work by a knowledgeable and experienced author.

3 Phillips, Faye. (1995). Local History in Libraries. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. Faye Phillips book on local history is often cited in other works as something of a standard in the field. The fact that it discusses, in detail, collection development strategies, including everything from policy writing to manuscripts/archives appraisals, is the part truly worth paying attention to. As Alene D. Oestreicher (1995) of Baltimore Museum of Art Library says in her book review, *t+he suggestions offered are for the most part standard textbook; their usefulness lies in the thoughtful applications to this

kind of collection, as well as the sheer art of bringing them all together in one place. Overall, it is the thoroughness of the book that lends aid to the local history librarian.

4 Kyvig, David E. and Myron A. Marty. (2000). Nearby History. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press. Part of the American Association for State and Local History Book Series, Nearby History focuses on the history that happens at ones doorstep. A quote from Henry Ford, *h+istory is more or less bunk leads into an interesting assessment of the value of local history, both perceived and the reality of it. Rather than identify this past as local or community historyand limit *it+ to a concept of place, or call it family history and restrict it to a concept of relationship*or+ confine the discussion to objectsthe term nearby history *was selected+. This book is highly recommended for all librarians seeking professional instruction from outside the realm of librarianship, and from a decidedly historical stance. Cathy Rees cites one of the positive attributes of Nearby History to be the appendices located at the end of the book. The appendices seek to refer the reader to resources past the text at hand.

5 Kammen, Carol. (2003). On Doing Local History. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press. Chapters in this book vary a bit from other books on a topic such as this. Some of the examples include revising history, censorship and an interesting comparison between journalists and local historians. The comparison between these two groups is not likely to be found in other local history volumes and automatically shows how it stands apart from other texts. The author, Carol Kammen, takes on a chatty tone, which helps the reader in feeling an understanding of the authors position. She reminds librarians that one of their complex objectives is to be all encompassing, yet as Mike Strom who reviewed the book says, *w+hile Kammen offers no solution to this dilemma, reading her book may provide ideas about the kinds of material that might prove most valuable to historians.

JOURNAL 6

Miller, Anne. (ed.). The North Carolina Historical Review. North Carolina Office of Archives and History Raleigh, North Carolina. Begun in 1924, this journal about North Carolinas history includes scholarly articles as well as book reviews and an annual North Carolina related bibliography. The NCHR is published quarterly. Ulrichs Periodicals Directory lists NCHR as an Academic/Scholarly journal.

JOURNAL ARTICLES 7 Barnett, Andy, & Litzer, Don. (2004). Local History in E-Books and on the Web: One Library's Experience as Example and Model. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 43(3), 248-257. This article highlights a case study of a public library in Wisconsin. The author, Barnett, investigates the use of web collections at this particular institution through the lens of some general questions such as how important is local history to libraries? (2004). The study also takes into consideration that libraries have an instinctive desire to be repositories of the collective memory of their communities. The details pertaining to this specific institutions experience with local history web collections would prove useful for the librarian developing or considering the merits of developing a web collection.

8 (2006). Guidelines for Establishing Local History Collections. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(1), 85-86. This source is a checklist of guidelines to follow when preparing to develop a local history collection. Produced by the American Library Association in 1979 originally, and most recently revised in 2005, this outline is the go-to source for librarians starting from step one. 9 Litzer, D. S. (1997). Library and genealogical society cooperation in developing local genealogical services and collections [Ohio survey]. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 37(1), 37-51.

The dynamics between genealogical societies and libraries are explored in Litzers 1997 article. A survey was conducted to determine these dynamics and an example of some of the findings were that informal agreements between parties are most frequent, while negative attitudes at libraries are minimally cited. Litzer also seeks to explain why genealogy has gained such popularity citing one cultural reason to be Americans seeking a firmer identity in an increasingly consumerist, homogenized, and culturally vacuous society. He provides a literature review and suggestions for further study. 10 Shaw, Elizabeth J. (2000). Building A Digital Library: A Technology Manager's Point of View. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 26(6), 394-398. The University of Pittsburgh began the Historic Pittsburgh Project in the 1990s and this article takes a look at the process that it undertook to become a digital library expressing the distinctive history of that geographic area. The University of Pittsburghs holdings include materials distinctive to that geographic and cultural area. It involved professionals who were interested in using the Internet to collocate dispersed materials that existed in several different physical locations... The author describes the channels through which funding became available, and the technological skills, which were necessary to get the project off the ground as well as to continue maintenance of the digital collections. There are also references to institutions that the University of Pittsburgh endeavored to emulate in procedural standards.

WEBSITES 11 (1996). Library of Congress American Memory Project. Retrieved from http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html This website takes historical material from the Library of Congress and showcases it to researchers wanting to gain additional sources to supplement their research. While the Library of Congress American Memory Project contains mainly state and national information it does posses some limited local documents. Furthermore, no local history collection can stand devoid of the larger historical context. Digitizing local history collections is a rapidly growing medium to deliver information and individual libraries would do well to refer library users to a national source regardless of the breadth of their local history collection.

12 (2008). American Association for State and Local History. Retrieved from http://www.aaslh.org/ The American Association for State and Local History website has much to offer the librarian who wants to provide resources for library users beyond the physical walls of the library. The website provides professional development aids, links to national initiatives and programs. All of this is dedicated to state and local history and would need to be used as a reference source, when beginning to examine the current state of a local history collection in ones library. It would be beneficial in connecting the local level with the state and national level; lacking that connection beyond the local level is a frequent apprehension of local history collections. As their website says, *i+t is the only comprehensive national organization dedicated to state and local history. The American Associate for State and Local History also provides pointers on marketing state and local history.

13 (2011). Reference and User Services Association, History Section. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/history/index.cfm The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is both a part of the American Library Association and its own association. And the history section of RUSA is the part where in this case, attention has been drawn. This association supplies members with discussion groups for genealogy, local history and history librarians. These discussion groups alone give support to the individual librarian seeking to revamp their collection. Highly specific resources and professional development are another part of this very useful source. An excellent section titled Using Primary Sources on the Web tells the local history librarian how to evaluate websites effectively.

14 (2011). Public Library Association, Discover Your Roots: Genealogy and Local History. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/elearningatpla/plaselfdirected/discover.cfm The Public Library Association continuously hosts a self-guided course for librarians, and it is not limited specifically to public librarians. At the top of the webpage it begins by asking several questions pertaining to genealogy and local history, such as, [i]s helping

residents in your community to Discover their Roots a service priority in your library now? Do you think it may become a service priority in the future? This course would be great for the professional beginning to evaluate their librarys genealogy and local history collection. Assessment and evaluation tools are provided, as well as some networking potential with other registered participants and the instructor.

15

(2010). North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Retrieved from http://www.history.ncdcr.gov/ The purpose of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History is to collect, preserve, and utilize the state's historic resources so that present and future residents may better understand their history. And their website is a wonderful source for all levels of historians and researchers both. On their website one will find a myriad of North Carolina resources and information on North Carolina historic sites and museums. Even if there were an area of interest not particularly well fleshed out under their supervision, which is doubtful, the researcher would be referred to other reliable sources. For instance, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources is greatly relied up. BOOK SERIES 16 (2011). American Association for State and Local History Book Series. Retrieved from http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/ Published jointly by the American Association for State and Local History and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, the American Association for State and Local History Book Series is written specifically for those who manage small museums and historic sites; librarians certainly could not go wrong by reading current literature like this series at hand. Topics in the book series range from personal biographies to oral history to the philosophy of cultural heritage.

DATABASES 17 ArchiveGrid CITATION

Available through NCLive.org, this database markets itself as being able to open the door to history. Many types of institutions have added descriptions of their institutional materials to this database. It is a wonderful source for all, but particularly individuals without access to a particular academic institutions resources since it searches many institutions simultaneously. The database keeps the contact information for individual institutions for researchers to arrange visits if they desire to do so. 18 Heritage Quest Online CITATION Heritage Quest Online has six initial entry points for information seekers. They range from census data, Revolutionary War era documents, sources pertaining specifically to African Americans who lived between1865 and 1874. For instance, researchers can type in their family surname in the census data field and then proceed to view primary census records (handwritten) that have been digitized. For the amateur or professional genealogist, Heritage Quest Online would prove to be an integral online resource.

19 In the First Person CITATION Library users will enjoy using this database, which provides a unique experience for them. The main identifying feature of the collection is the oral histories. There are letters, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies and narratives as well. Also, it is easy to search by location, being broken down by country, state, county and then town. The range of topics is varied.

20 DigitalNC CITATION DigitalNC partners with cultural heritage institutions in North Carolina, making digitization available to collections, some of which may not have been able to do so on their own. According to their website, [t]hrough its free or low-cost digitization and online hosting services, the Digital Heritage Center provides libraries, archives, museums, historic sites, and other cultural heritage institutions with the opportunity to publicize and share their rare and unique collections online. Among the contributors are academic institutions, public libraries and historical societies.

Reference(s) Ennis, L. A. (2006). [Review of the book The Digital Age and Local Studies]. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 57, 3, 443. Available from Library Literature and Information Science Full Text: http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2072/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e376f00f6 8b9c7047a986a72271795cc602dc49be75bd85a8e808904f893a674a&fmt=C Johnson, Peggy. (2003). [Review of the book Local Studies Collection Management]. Book Reviews/ Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 27, 367-374. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1464-9055(03)00079-4 Oestreicher, Alene D. (1995). [Review of the book Local History in Libraries]. Library Journal, 120, 17, 97. Available from Academic Search Premier: http://libproxy.uncg.edu:7147/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=120&sid=942ab38b08d7-46e4-81df-b7658ef356b9%40sessionmgr112&vid=6 Rees, Cathy. (2008). [Review of the book Nearby History]. Southeastern Naturalist, 7, 1, 186. Strom, Mike. (2004). [Review of the book On Doing Local History]. Libraries & Culture, 39, 2, 240-241.