We the People: More historical records available on Internet

The Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library and FamilySearch's Family History Library in Salt Lake City announced a joint project in August to digitize published family histories, city and county histories, historic city directories and related records on the Internet.

Curt Witcher, Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center manager, stated he believed the most immediate, substantial contribution of this collaboration will be the addition of local history materials. These well-known, well-used and well-loved institutions working together is a terrific benefit to the genealogical community

When complete, the results will be the most comprehensive collection of city and county histories on the Web and can be accessed free online at www.familyhistoryarchive.byu.edu. The digitized collections will have "every word” search capability that allows users to search the collection by name, location, date or other field. The search results are linked to high-quality digital images of the original publication.

FamilySearch, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources online at www.FamilySearch.org. They are providing the computers, scanners and camera operators required to complete the project. New records will also be noted and hyperlinked on this Web site after they are digitized.

Footnote.com has an agreement with the National Archives and Records Administration to digitize millions of historical documents housed in the archives. It also has agreements with the Pennsylvania Archives, FamilySearch, the Center for Research Libraries, local archives in Goffstown, N.H.; South Boston, Va.; Harris County, Texas, and others.

The first project with FamilySearch will be to digitize 3 million Revolutionary War pension files and place them online. The files include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns and other miscellaneous personnel pay and supply records of American Army units from 1775-83. Footnote.com is also accessible for free in all FamilySearch operated centers worldwide.

As part of their partnership with Allen County Public Library, the library's digitized collection will be available at the library for free and can be accessed from a personal computer with a Footnote.com membership.

Footnote.com has also created a site where people with similar interests come together to share their discoveries and insights. Visitors are encouraged to annotate documents, tell their stories and upload content, all for free.

If you have a question, event, idea or an experience you wish to share, e-mail Sharon Burns at sburns@oklahoman.com.