GENESEE COUNTY HISTORY DEPARTMENT & RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Transcription

1 GENESEE COUNTY HISTORY DEPARTMENT & RECORDS MANAGEMENT 2013 Detailed Annual Report During 2013 the Genesee County History Department continued the development of the Research Library, County Archives and the Records Management program. [Note: the County Historian is the Records Management Officer for the County.] The major accomplishment during 2013 was the relocation of the History Department. Relocation of the History Department Beginning in April 2013 the County History Department started to prepare for the relocation from 3 West Main Street, the Engine House, to County Building #2 located at 3837 West Main Street Road. The logistic of this move was accomplished by the work of the Facilities Management staff. Prior to the move the new site had minor renovations which included the removal of two walls, repairing tile flooring, relocating wiring and painting. The Archival collection of 1,690 items is housed within 575 storage boxes. Before the boxes were packed onto 21 palettes, they were removed from the 59 units of shelving which had to be dissembled, moved and rebuilt. This process was completed within two weeks. The Research Library s collection of 3,082 books, 666 notebooks, 519 bound newspapers volumes, 23 bookcases, 39 filing cabinets and 3 map cases took another two weeks to relocate. In addition to moving and setting up the offices of the County Historian and History Research Assistant, four Volunteer workrooms were included in the project. A total of 7 large wall maps, 19 pen and ink drawings, 19 watercolors and 30 framed photographs were hung. This took a total of four days and the finished result is equal to any area gallery. Facilities Management also constructed a custom welcome counter which was located to the Research Library s main entrance. The new History Department includes increased storage, improved temperature and humidity controls, handicap access, ample parking and fewer worries about the flooding of the Tonawanda Creek. It was a great effort and the result is one the County will benefit from for generations. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN From the County s Comprehensive Plan for Parks, Recreation and Culture (PR01) the History Department is involved in supporting tourism and encourages people to visit the County; and within the Government Administration (GA16), the County Historian continues to interact with the area students. To accomplish both goals the Department established a Research Library, County Archives and continues to assist researchers of local history. The department s Volunteers create indexes which improves public access to our records, increases tourism and programs for area organizations. In addition, the County Historian has worked toward improving communications with the Tonawanda Indian Reservation (GA07) by including representation and encouraging participation with both the Genesee County Historians Association and the Genesee County Federation of Historical Agencies. The Genesee County Historians Association includes the Municipal Historians who represent every town, village and the City of Batavia. The Genesee County Federation of Historical Agencies includes representatives - 1 -

2 from the various historical societies, museums, historians and history organizations. The County Historian provides support and organizes the meetings of both organizations to coordinate history related cultural events (PR02). In an effort to provide support to the Municipal Clerks, the County Historian, as the Records Management Officer, provides assistance with Records Management issues (GA11). To continually meet with representatives of adjacent counties to discuss areas of common concern (GA09), the County Historian serves on the New York State Archives Region 8 Regional Advisory Committee for Records Management and is a board member of the Government Appointed Historians of Western New York State. CURRENT STAFF Susan L. Conklin, County Historian/Records Management Officer Judy Stiles, History Department Research Assistant Robin Goetze, Microfilm Clerk/Records Management 37.5 hours per week 37.5 hours per week 15.0 hours per week VOLUNTEERS AND STUDENT INTERNS Name Affiliation Project Hours Jim Carr RSVP Daily News Indexing and Special Subject Notebook indexing projects Mary Carr RSVP 2013 Daily Newspapers were clipped, * copied and filed Larry Barnes RSVP Processed Archives Donations * Bill Dougherty RSVP Baseball History * Carol Hertel RSVP Indexing the 1866 County Atlas Ruth Newton RSVP 1905 State Census indexing project * Leilani Spring RSVP 2013 Daily Newspaper was indexed * * Total R.S.V.P. hours = 802 Ashley Bateman Volunteer War of 1812 Pension Additions Civil War Letter Transcriptions Genealogy File Improvement Project * Rick Brewer Volunteer Continued working on the Roaring 20 s 84 Research Project Sharon Larson Volunteer Marshall Project files organizing 15 Doreen Wright Service Tuition Program Completed indexing the Gazetteer of Genesee County by Beers for the website 8.5 George McKeown Job Development Indexed Certificates of Authority and Mechanic Liens 310 Sarah Donovan High School Created a resource regarding presidential 40 Student elections / How Genesee County Voted Alan Peguero GCC Service Learning Student Municipal Files Improvement Project 11 Total hours donated = 505 During 2013 our Volunteers have worked a total of 1,307 hours and projects completed provide increased public access to the collection. (Projects of the Volunteers and students are coordinated by Judy and Sue.) - 2 -

3 AmeriCorps Project: Ruth Koch was our 8 th Genesee County History Department s AmeriCorps Member and her project was to document the 1920 s by creating a Newspaper Articles Collection. Project activities included copying Daily Newspaper articles complied by a department Volunteer and arranging them into binders. Four notebooks containing January 2, 1919 thru May 16, 1924 were completed. Once finished this project will be a unique resource of the county. This AmeriCorps project ran from September 2012 to September 2013 and was sponsored by the Genesee County Historians Association, which provided the needed funding of $2,200 to support the 900 hour project. Fund raising projects were coordinated by the County Historian. During 2013 Ruth worked a total of hours. Ruth also assisted with the relocation of the History Department and worked on the 1876 County Atlas and the 1915 State Census for Genesee County indexing projects. RESEARCH LIBRARY & COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT Assisted the public with genealogy and local history research: Total assisted during 2013 with request for genealogy and local history = 1,748 [Break-down includes: 31 written requests, 79 , 1,638 walk-ins and phone calls]. The History Department s website has continued to develop with assistance from the IT Department. (Judy & Sue) Revenue generated by answering genealogies and requests for local history: Total of $1, was submitted in revenue. [The revenue includes the User Fee for noncounty residents accessing the Research Library, payment for conducting research (total of 30 paid requests in 2013) and the cost for copies.] (Judy) Genealogy Collection was increased by the addition of 225 new family files. (Judy) Donations to the History Department: totaled 79 separate donations and included 6 books, 124 photographs, 15 pamphlets, 32 yearbooks, 4 maps, 4 scrapbooks, 5 research papers, 17 pieces of artwork created by local artists, 185 glass plate negatives and a 1921 Genesee County Fair sign. All items were added into the collection and are available for research. This increase in donations is directly related to the relocation and improved facility of the History Department. (Sue and Volunteers) Projects Completed: The Archives Finding Aids project began in 2012 as an effort to improve access to the entire History Department collection. The aids were developed by topic and may include copies of the bibliographies from the Research Library cataloged books, the Archives catalog, files listings, photographs inventories, archival box file folder listings, collection indexes, maps and general reference materials. In 2013 twenty one Finding Aids were created. This project was completed with the final total of 27 Finding Aids. (Sue) - 3 -

4 Subject collections were organized from the files into binders to improve public access. Taverns/Hotels/Inn which was started in 2012 was completed. This resource includes bibliographies, inventory of the photographs collection, newspaper subject listing, newspaper articles, and photos/postcards. The information is arranged by town. (Sue and Volunteer) Batavia s International Peace Garden subject binder documents the formation and development of the organization and the garden was also created. (Sue) Research regarding the arsenals in Batavia during the War of 1812 was conducted at the New York State Archives and was added to the War of 1812 collection. (Sue) The indexing of the 1915 State Census began in 2012 has been completed. A department Volunteer transcribed the handwritten records and typing the information into a database. As each town was completed, it was proofed and a listing was placed on the website for public access. A printed copy, sorted alphabetically by household, was also created for researchers. (AmeriCorps Member and Judy) The Miscellaneous Notebook Collection (containing 15 binders) was divided into separate subjects (marriage, birth, death, military, etc.) are being indexed. During 2013 a total of 7.5 binders were completed. This project will improve public access to the collection and replaces the former obsolete filing practice. (Judy) Indexing of the County Atlases (1854, 1866, 1876 and 1905) began in 2012 and thus far the following have been proofed, added to the department s website and printed copies were created for researchers: 1854 atlas map, 1876 atlas for Alabama, Alexander (Town & Village), Stafford (Town & hamlets of Roanoke and Morganville), Batavia (Town & Village) and part of Bergen. (Judy and Volunteers) Website is continually being updated and indexes are added as created. (Judy) In 2013 the County s anthem written for the Bicentennial was included and features images that accompany the lyrics. (Sue) New Projects Started: The indexing of the 1905 State Census began in A department Volunteer is transcribing the handwritten records and typing the information into a database. The Towns of Bergen through Darien have been completed and are being proofed before being added to the department s website for public access. A printed copy, sorted alphabetically by household, is also being created for researchers. (Volunteer and Judy) Subject Files Improvement Project began in Project activities include reviewing the file, placing information in chronological order, photocopying newspaper clippings, removing misfiles and duplicate copies. GCC student assisted with the Municipal files [Alabama through Elba], department Volunteer with the genealogy files and staff (Judy) with the County files [Agriculture through Organizations / 4H of the County files have been completed]

5 PUBLIC RELATIONS (Promotion of Local History) Two historical marker grant applications were written by the County Historian and awarded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. These markers arrived in the fall and were dedicated in November. The first commemorates the opening of the Genesee County Poor House located in Bethany and was attended by 20. The second marked the Eastern Boundary of the Holland Land Purchase which is located in Stafford and was attended by 22. The dedication ceremonies were coordinated by the County Historian who also provided dedication speeches. (Sue) A total of seven presentations were provided to promote local history. Topics included the History of the County Home, the Impact of the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 and the War of The total attendance was 401 (Sue) The IT Department provided the History Department with a power-point projector and lap-top computer. Presentations updated to power-point included the History of the County Home, the Impact of the Spanish Flu Epidemic of (Sue, Robin and Judy) A total of 16 tours of the new History Department facility were provided. These tours allowed community members and out-of-county visitors with an opportunity to see the new location, the improvements and highlights of the collection. On November 13 th the History Department was formally dedicated with an open-house and tour. The public response to the new facility has been overwhelming positive. [Sue (12 tours 105 attendance) and Judy (4 tours with 12 attendance)] Between March and September the History Department had a display booth at the major community events within the county to promote the department and projects of the Genesee County Historians Association. A total of 1,802 visitors viewed the displays. [Sue (5), Robin (3), and Judy (2)] The History Department with the Genesee County Historians Association sponsored a free three part lecture series in the fall and two of the annual Ghost Walks. A total of 39 attended and the lecture topics were the History of Batavia, the Impact of the Civil War on Alabama and Elba, the History of the County Home. (Sue) In an effort to promote training for area Historians and Records Management Officers the County Historian hosted three NYS Archives workshops with an attendance of 24; and training session for the Federation members on Accessioning artifacts in which 15 representatives from our County s museums attended. (Sue) The County Historian worked with Batavia Cemetery and 12 Batavia High School Students during the annual Make a Difference Day and coordinated a clean-up effort accompanied with history facts regarding the cemetery. (Sue) - 5 -

6 RECORDS MANAGEMENT GENESEE COUNTY RECORDS CENTER Records Center Activities for 2013 Departments Dispositions within Records Center Transfers Requests Disposition within Offices Animal Shelter 1 Central Services Cooperative Extension 5 3 County Attorney 0.3 County Clerk Co. Manager & Assistant Co. Manager Court - Family 7 Court Supreme & County District Attorney DSS EMS 2 Facilities Management 2 3 Genesee Career Center Genesee Justice 3 15 GLOW 3 History / Records Management 2 Health Human Resources 6 IT Legislature Mental Health 1 Nursing Home 86 Office for the Aging Planning 1 Probation Public Defender Sheriff Soil & Water Treasurer Worker s Compensation 1 Youth Bureau Grand Totals Total number of boxes currently being stored within the Records Center is 3,

7 Microfilm Lab Department Cubic Feet Film Created Loaded Fiche Probation 2009 Case Files / Retakes Jackets Probation 2010 Case Files Jackets Treasurer 2010 Tax Rolls 3 5 n/a Treasurer 2010 Retakes 1 1 n/a Totals Jackets Note: Formula for Fiche = there are 2,500 images per roll x the number of rolls divided by 70 images per Fiche Jacket = the number of Jackets used. As a result of filming the Records Center does not have to store 28 cubic feet of records. The reduction in the number of rolls created is a result in the reduction in the hours of the employee due to budget cuts. Disaster Management Plan The Vital Records Listing for all County Departments was completed and includes a Vital Records Chart of volume per department and building. The Building Site Survey was organized and building floor plans were added to the intranet for increased access. A Vital Records workshop was offered to all County Departments and was conducted by our Regional Advisory Officer from the New York State Archives. Microfilm The microfilm storage of 1,858 rolls of film from 13 departments was improved and an inventory created. Three metal storage cabinets were repurposed to provide improved storage for 1,034 rolls of film. The Advisory Board met and discussed the future of the microfilm service. It was decided to continue providing the service and new equipment was purchased by the IT Department which included a planetary camera and microfilm reader/scanner. In 2013 the County Historian served on the following committees: 1. Genesee County Historians Association met seven times during the year. Meetings are coordinated by the County Historian and the organization, composed of the Municipal Historians, annually works on projects to generate interest in local history. 2. The Genesee County Federation of Historical Agencies completed its fourth year which included three meetings, a training session on accessioning artifacts and our first History Day open-house which was held at GCC with an attendance of Genesee County Historian serves as the first Past Executive Council Chair for the Government Appointed Historians of Western New York (GAHWNY). The fifth full day meeting/training was once again hosted in Batavia and was a great success with 75 historians from 10 counties attending this event. This organization is dedicated to the promotion, research, interpretation and preservation of history relating to the western portion of the State of New York. GAHWNY has developed a website and coordinates two annual meetings / programs that encourage the betterment of historians through - 7 -

8 education and training. In 2013 the County Historian received the prestigious Julia Reinstein award for distinguished service to the community and dedication to local history. 4. Genesee County Records Management Advisory Board 5. Park, Recreation & Culture Focus Group / County s Comprehensive Plan 6. New York State Archives Region 8 Regional Advisory Committee and was appointed Chair. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to: Those who donated, for their generous gifts are greatly appreciated. The History Department continued to receive generous donations of research material from the public. It is thanks to these donations that our collection has grown and developed; All our Volunteers, for without them the History Department would not be able to complete so many projects; The Genesee County Departments and the Records Management Advisory Board for their support with Records Management; The Genesee County Legislators for their assistance and support with both the History projects and Records Management; Facilities Management for their talent and expertise during the relocation and for their assistance with transfers and the annual disposition of records; The IT Department for their continued support and guidance with the website and for the microfilm and power-point equipment; And especially; To the Genesee County Historians Association for their encouragement and financial support for the History Department s projects and for their preservation of local history. Respectfully Submitted, Susan L. Conklin County Historian & Records Management Officer January