No ALE Searching on Monday in the Research Room

Visitors to the Research Room usually have access to a computer for searching the catalog and/or Ancestry Library Edition. An exception to this standing practice will occur on Monday, Jan. 23rd.

On Monday, Jan. 23rd, our systems specialist, Stuart Forrest, will be installing major upgrades to our PastPerfect software. The Friends of the Beaufort County Library originally paid for PastPerfect software for us way back in 2001. Since then, we've done several upgrades. Now, we have to upgrade from versions 3.5 to 4.0 and from 4.0 to 5.0 to move forward with our long-range plans for digitization of special collections materials.

Our ultimate goal has always been to share our holdings more broadly by using affordable technology to facilitate viewing inside our branch libraries of some of the "behind-the-wall" special collections materials we hold in trust. A successful installation to PastPerfect 5.0 is the long anticipated and necessary first step on our journey to reach out and share the wonders of the BDC with all our BCL customers, regardless of their branch library of choice.

While we apologize for the inconvenience to our Research Room customers on installation day, the upgrades will facilitate better services for Research Room, as well as "Virtual BDC," customers. It'll be so worth it.