George Coon Public Library officials are preparing to open the doors of the city’s new genealogy center, a facility that, like the library itself, will be boosted by the recent provision of wireless Internet service in both buildings.
The Glenn E. Martin Genealogy Library is essentially complete, said Library Director Judy Boaz.
The facility, located at 201 West Main St., just around the corner from the main library, has been renovated from its former use as a retail business into an open, accessible space for visitors to access historical records and files from the county’s past.
“All that’s left is to move in,” Boaz said.
Library staff members plan to move the files and archives currently housed in the library basement into the genealogy center during the next three weeks, with an unofficial goal of opening the facility in early September, she said.
Those coming into the genealogy library through its main entrance will find themselves in the library’s main research room, with shelving housing the bulk of its genealogy information.
Computer terminals will be set up for digital file access, accompanied by microfilm readers nearby.
The library’s microfilm collection will be housed in a century-old cabinet donated by the county circuit court clerk’s office.
The cabinet was refinished and restored by Paul Escue and members of a Pennyroyal Industries crew, which did the work at no charge.
The building’s other furniture is also in place, including handmade wooden tables designed to complement the building’s green and natural-wood color scheme.
Two smaller, enclosed sections are available as work rooms or conference rooms for groups conducting genealogical research.
A small kitchen area is available with a refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave for those involved in projects requiring long hours in the facility, Boaz added.
Renovated office space at the rear of the building will be used to house historic court records donated by the circuit clerk’s office.
An index of those records will be available in the library’s main research room. Patrons wishing to view particular records can have them retrieved by one of the genealogy library’s staff members.
The genealogy center is already drawing interest from individuals expressing new interest in the field, Boaz said.
“We’re getting people interested now that have never shown any interest in genealogy — people who have never been in the old genealogy library,” she said.
Nineteen people have already signed up for an Aug. 15 genealogy workshop led by professional genealogist Brenda Joyce Jerome, Boaz said.
The library has also made technological improvements, both to its main facility and in plans for the Martin genealogy library.
The main library is now offering wireless Internet access to its patrons, after system work by local crews from Computer Consulting Services.
Library patrons with laptops can obtain a wireless encryption protocol (WEP) key code from library employees, enter the WEP into their computers and be able to access the Internet from anywhere inside the library.
The key code will be changed once a month, Boaz said, and those using the Internet must adhere to library policies regarding offensive content.
Wireless service will also be available inside the genealogy library once it opens, she said.
