22 August 2011

Updates to Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry Library Edition includes over 7,500 databases, delivering billions of records in census data, vital records, immigration records, military records, and more.

The BDC spends almost 1/3 of its materials budget allocation to provide this resource for our library customers to use inside our library buildings on our equipment. (Unfortunately, we cannot provide WIFI or off-site access to Ancestry.com products. Their rules, not ours.)

ALE is the 2nd most accessed database the Beaufort County Library provides to our customers. To put this in perspective: the "hits" from DISCUS, EBSCO, and Reference USA come from inside and outside our buildings - and still ALE holds the 2nd spot. Given that you can't get it outside our buildings and only from our specific IP addressed computers, that's quite some statistic!

New, notable collections recently added to the ALE subscription database include:

o U.S. Compiled Service Records, Post-Revolutionary War Volunteer Soldiers, 1784-1811
o U.S. Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
o London, England Wills and Probate, 1525-1858
o West Yorkshire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1813-1921; Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985; Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1512-1812; Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
o New South Wales, Australia, Records of Appointments to Government Offices, 1814-1825; Public Service Lists, 1858-1870
o Motion Picture Studio Directories, 1919 and 1921

Ask any of our ALA-accredited, Master's degree reference librarians for assistance in getting to the ALE database.

Keep an eye out for our next BDC led ALE database workshop, too. It'll be announced here in Connections first!

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