How can you improve access to local history resources for library patrons?

To enhance access to local history resources for library patrons, consider digitizing historical documents, creating online databases, organizing virtual tours, and hosting community events or workshops to engage patrons in exploring local history.

The first way to assess local history resources in your collection is to assess how your library (institution) has been part of local history. This is foundational to establishing an archive of unique local history that calls connect your library to other local history collections. Look for publications by employees, programs, and published material about your community collected over the years. You will identify historic material reflecting historic local strengths and diversity. If you come across scrapbooks and photographs these are important. The public library in Rohnert Park, California, is working with community members who discover a scrapbook of the towns early history… this is a city archive. What we need is where we are.

In addition to assessing what you currently have, do a thorough assessment of your community's history to see what has been historically left out. History is written by the winners and that includes your local history. Have a team do some thorough research on what has happened in your community historically. Hook up with local community groups dedicated to niche groups and causes. Odds are you have decent coverage for the expected and well-known history, and it might need to be updated with higher quality or better condition materials, but largely you will see gaps if you put the effort into this kind of assessment that will go far to bring inclusivity to the collection.

Build a relationship with local historical societies and organizations. If you are able to, elevate those connections to State and National resources (State Parks/Historical Sites), National (national park service, trust, etc). Invite those groups/orgs to conduct presentations of interest at your library.

By?harnessing digital technologies, collaborating with local organizations, creating dedicated sections, organizing programs and events, initiating storytelling projects, and developing online platforms, libraries can transform the way patrons engage with their local history.?

Our library maintains a local history blog with weekly posts highlighting interesting stories from our city's past. These blog posts help shine a spotlight on local history resources available at the library such as our collection of local newspapers, photographs, and online databases. The blog posts are also shared on our social media accounts and cataloged in our OPAC so that they will turn up in search results when users search for relevant local history topics. They can click on a link in our library catalog that takes them straight to the blog article covering the topic they are searching for. Digitizing old papers, letters, and photos and making them available online is another great way to promote items in local history collections.

Por mi experiencia lo que se desconoce no se consulta. En mi biblioteca, hemos catalogado meticulosamente todos los documentos históricos y la colección patrimonial, utilizando esa información para desarrollar ingeniosos materiales en redes sociales. También la creación de una guía detallada que narra la historia de los documentos principales y la colección en su conjunto funciona muy bien.

When you're dealing with archival materials, you often can make it more accessible because you are working out of expired copyright coverage. If you have an archivist on staff, that is going to be your best option. You can also bring one in temporarily as a consultant to look at what you have and what you have the all clear on to digitize.

This goes back to working with your local community groups as mentioned above. Link up with the groups in the community that are focused on the topic. Bring them in as volunteers. Engage them in sourcing materials from the community. In many cases (especially if you are not in a major city), they are going to be your greatest point of access for this kind of information. They also are the ones who know all the locals can tell you who has access to what resources and history.