Do you use the Pottsville Free Public Library to access federal government resources? If so, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) wants to hear your opinion!
The 16-question survey focuses on depository access, services, and collections. Results of the survey will contribute to the extensive efforts by the Government Printing Office (GPO) to address the value of FDLP membership.
The survey will be administered using Survey Monkey and it will run through the end of December. Access the survey at <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HSLCRRB> . All answers are kept confidential.
The Pottsville Free Public Library has been a member of the FDLP since 1967, and we provide access to both United States and Pennsylvania agency publications in print and online.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Genealogy Resources
Some people already know about the genealogy resources we have here at the Pottsville Free Public Library. But we thought we'd point out some of the newer additions in case you haven't visited our genealogy page at www.pottsvillelibrary.org/genie.htm in a while.
We recently uploaded a revised, enlarged Pottsville Republican obituary list. This list is now close to 125,000 names! We have also updated our obituary list for the Shenandoah Evening Herald newspaper. It's not nearly as large, but might still be useful for some.
There is also a link on our genealogy page for the full text of Schalck's History of Schuylkill County, Vol. 2. (Vol. 1 is more history-oriented, and does not appear to be part of the online collection.) It is part of Google Books, so you cannot print directly from the page. But you can download the volume as a PDF file to save on your home computer.
A new print addition to our collection is the Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Coroner's Inquest Records, Vol. One, covering records from 1811 (when Schuylkill officially became a county) until 1909. Entries give the date of the inquest, where it was held, the name of the deceased, the cause of death, and the coroner. We do not yet have an everyname index to this volume yet, but there is a last name index we can work from. If you've been trying to track someone down, maybe it's time to try this option!
And of course, any time you have questions about Schuylkill County genealogy, feel free to call or email us and ask away. If we don't have what you're seeking, we may be able to direct you to the correct office or society to help you out.
We recently uploaded a revised, enlarged Pottsville Republican obituary list. This list is now close to 125,000 names! We have also updated our obituary list for the Shenandoah Evening Herald newspaper. It's not nearly as large, but might still be useful for some.
There is also a link on our genealogy page for the full text of Schalck's History of Schuylkill County, Vol. 2. (Vol. 1 is more history-oriented, and does not appear to be part of the online collection.) It is part of Google Books, so you cannot print directly from the page. But you can download the volume as a PDF file to save on your home computer.
A new print addition to our collection is the Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Coroner's Inquest Records, Vol. One, covering records from 1811 (when Schuylkill officially became a county) until 1909. Entries give the date of the inquest, where it was held, the name of the deceased, the cause of death, and the coroner. We do not yet have an everyname index to this volume yet, but there is a last name index we can work from. If you've been trying to track someone down, maybe it's time to try this option!
And of course, any time you have questions about Schuylkill County genealogy, feel free to call or email us and ask away. If we don't have what you're seeking, we may be able to direct you to the correct office or society to help you out.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Help the Pottsville Library by Searching the Internet!
The Pottsville Free Public Library has joined GoodSearch, a project that gives a small donation to specified charities every time you do a search. GoodSearch has also teamed up with Amazon, eBay, and a few other retailers so that a percentage of your purchase from these sites, through GoodSearch, will go to your selected charity.
So how do you help Pottsville Library? First, go to the Pottsville Library's website at www.pottsvillelibrary.org. Then click on the box on our home page that says "GoodSearch". This will take you to the GoodSearch home page, and Pottsville Library is the selected charity for your Internet searches. The GoodSearch home page also lists some of the online retailers they work with.
Too many steps for you? You can also download a GoodSearch toolbar from their home page. Start at the Pottsville Library's site so the library is the selected charity, then follow the directions on the GoodSearch home page to download the toolbar (just scroll down from the search box that's at the top). The toolbar also provides direct links to Amazon and eBay so that your purchases can help the library.
So what does the library get out of it? Approximately 1 cent per search, and anywhere between .5% to 30% per purchase through a participating online store. You can see how much has been raised by clicking on the "Amount Raised" button on the GoodSearch home page.
Why are we doing this? Because this year, literally every penny counts. Budget cuts at the state, county, and local level mean we will be buying fewer books, DVDs, and CDs, may mean other cuts in services and maybe even cuts in hours. We need your help, and we need it now. This is just one small way you can help your local public library.
Thank you!!!
So how do you help Pottsville Library? First, go to the Pottsville Library's website at www.pottsvillelibrary.org. Then click on the box on our home page that says "GoodSearch". This will take you to the GoodSearch home page, and Pottsville Library is the selected charity for your Internet searches. The GoodSearch home page also lists some of the online retailers they work with.
Too many steps for you? You can also download a GoodSearch toolbar from their home page. Start at the Pottsville Library's site so the library is the selected charity, then follow the directions on the GoodSearch home page to download the toolbar (just scroll down from the search box that's at the top). The toolbar also provides direct links to Amazon and eBay so that your purchases can help the library.
So what does the library get out of it? Approximately 1 cent per search, and anywhere between .5% to 30% per purchase through a participating online store. You can see how much has been raised by clicking on the "Amount Raised" button on the GoodSearch home page.
Why are we doing this? Because this year, literally every penny counts. Budget cuts at the state, county, and local level mean we will be buying fewer books, DVDs, and CDs, may mean other cuts in services and maybe even cuts in hours. We need your help, and we need it now. This is just one small way you can help your local public library.
Thank you!!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Presidential Campaigns in Schuylkill County
How many presidential campaigns have made their way through Schuylkill County?
John F. Kennedy spoke in Garfield Square in Pottsville on October 28, 1960, gathering a crowd estimated at 12,000 people. His visit was followed almost immediately by the GOP Truth Squad, notable for flying in the first large-size commercial airliner ever to land at Joe Zerbey airport. Most people know about this visit, but other candidates have stumped in the county as well.
President Harry S. Truman was in Pottsville on October 21, 1952, traveling via an 18-car train and speaking at Veterans’ Memorial Stadium to a crowd of 8,000 shivering listeners. An editorial in the next day’s Pottsville Republican newspaper stated, “Schuylkill county people feel honored by the visit of President Truman last night even though a majority here cannot agree with him politically.” This was the first (and only) visit of a sitting President of the United States to Pottsville and Schuylkill County.
Richard Nixon visited Schuylkill County on October 24, 1968 to campaign. That same day, Edmund Muskie, vice presidential candidate on the ticket with Hubert Humphrey, also spoke to local voters.
Vice Presidents have also made the trip to the anthracite region.
Vice presidential candidate Lyndon B. Johnson visited Ashland, Frackville, St. Clair, and Pottsville on October 18, 1960 for the Democrats, while v. p. candidate Henry Cabot Lodge was in Pottsville and Shenandoah on November 4, 1960, campaigning for the Republican Nixon/Lodge ticket.
Vice President Dick Cheney spoke to 2,000 ticket holders at a Republican rally in Martz Hall in Pottsville on August 25, 2004. His visit was marked as much by the protests as by what he said to his supporters.
And don’t forget the former presidents campaigning for their parties.
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt visited Schuylkill County twice, October 26 and 28, 1914. On the 26th he “toured the county, stopping at the leading towns for five minute addresses and leaving his train in Pottsville for one hour to make an address in the Hippodrome.” His visit to Pottsville on the 28th was only a 10 minute speech given at the railroad station.
Then there was William “Bill” Clinton’s visit to the Girardville St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 29, 2008. An estimated 30,000 people were in town that day for the parade and his appearance, and it took him 2 ¼ hours to walk through the borough. He was campaigning for Hillary Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate.
Read more about these visits from newspaper clippings in the library’s Vertical File collection.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Online Resources from the Pottsville Library
Have you clicked on the "Online Resources" link on our homepage lately? Here you can find the link to the library's catalog, the POWER Library, the statewide reference service, authoritative health information, and an Internet subject guide created just for Schuylkill County users.
Salem Health and POWER Library are trust-worthy resources that you can use just by typing in your Pottsville Library card number.
Salem Health is an online database that covers two resources, Magill's Medical Guide and Salem Health: Cancer. Both of these reference books are in the Pottsville Library's Reference Department, and the online version is identical to the print. So if you have a late night medical question and want a reliable source to turn to, give the Salem Health site a try.
The POWER Library continues to provide online tools to users around the state. It includes Auto Repair Reference Center, which has repair information for car models going back to 1945; AP Images, which provides photographs and other graphics from today all the way back to the Gettysburg Address in 1863; Contemporary Authors, which provides information about writers and their books; and Readers' Guide Select, which covers 200 general interest magazines.
AskHere PA is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week reference service that allows you to ask a reference librarian a question any time you need to. This service is provided by the state of Pennsylvania in cooperation with public and college libraries around the state.
The Subject Guide to the Internet was created by Pottsville Library reference librarians, based on questions we have received over the years for web sites for specific kinds of questions. Check out the "Consumer Information" section for great sites on evaluating charities, getting a (really) free copy of your credit report, or to find out if what the politicians are saying is really the truth. The "Government" section can help you find a specific federal or state agency, while local governments and tourism guides can be found in the "Regional Information" section.
Try these resources out, and as always, let us know if you have any questions!
Salem Health and POWER Library are trust-worthy resources that you can use just by typing in your Pottsville Library card number.
Salem Health is an online database that covers two resources, Magill's Medical Guide and Salem Health: Cancer. Both of these reference books are in the Pottsville Library's Reference Department, and the online version is identical to the print. So if you have a late night medical question and want a reliable source to turn to, give the Salem Health site a try.
The POWER Library continues to provide online tools to users around the state. It includes Auto Repair Reference Center, which has repair information for car models going back to 1945; AP Images, which provides photographs and other graphics from today all the way back to the Gettysburg Address in 1863; Contemporary Authors, which provides information about writers and their books; and Readers' Guide Select, which covers 200 general interest magazines.
AskHere PA is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week reference service that allows you to ask a reference librarian a question any time you need to. This service is provided by the state of Pennsylvania in cooperation with public and college libraries around the state.
The Subject Guide to the Internet was created by Pottsville Library reference librarians, based on questions we have received over the years for web sites for specific kinds of questions. Check out the "Consumer Information" section for great sites on evaluating charities, getting a (really) free copy of your credit report, or to find out if what the politicians are saying is really the truth. The "Government" section can help you find a specific federal or state agency, while local governments and tourism guides can be found in the "Regional Information" section.
Try these resources out, and as always, let us know if you have any questions!
Monday, April 26, 2010
THE INDIANHEAD ROCK
Between Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven, on Route 61 between the Mount Carbon exit and Cressona Mall, there is a large painted red and white object, which has been a landmark since well before Pottsville was planned. It’s easily visible up on the steep hillside. It’s on private land and it is not recommended that anyone attempt to actually go up there.
In his book Black Rock: Mining Folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch, (call number 398 K844) the author George Korson vaguely attempts to link the Indianhead Rock with a series of settler murders in the 1780s, committed according to legend by local indigenous residents.
What we know for certain about the rock is that in 1923 the Pottsville Chapter of the Afternoon Delphian Society, at that time under the leadership of Mrs. H. O. Bechtel, adopted the rock as a significant local landmark. The bushes surrounding the rock were cleared and a sign was erected on what was at that time Route 122 pointing out the existence of the rock high above the road. When the road was expanded the sign was removed, but the bushes mysteriously continued to be trimmed.
The rock has always been red, but it has been painted even redder over the years and the portion of the rock which might represent the feathered bonnet surrounding the face was painted white. There is no mention anywhere as to when the flag was erected just above the rock.
In addition to the book, there was an article written by Walter S. Farquhar in his regular column Editorial Musings, on April 9, 1956 in the Pottsville Republican. The article is titled “The Old Indian Profile.” He makes a big deal pointing out that there is no historical significance to the rock, except for its original booster, Mrs. Bechtel, and a series of intrepid painters are named. This article can be found in the Vertical File collection.
Follow this link for a picture of the rock formation:
In his book Black Rock: Mining Folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch, (call number 398 K844) the author George Korson vaguely attempts to link the Indianhead Rock with a series of settler murders in the 1780s, committed according to legend by local indigenous residents.
What we know for certain about the rock is that in 1923 the Pottsville Chapter of the Afternoon Delphian Society, at that time under the leadership of Mrs. H. O. Bechtel, adopted the rock as a significant local landmark. The bushes surrounding the rock were cleared and a sign was erected on what was at that time Route 122 pointing out the existence of the rock high above the road. When the road was expanded the sign was removed, but the bushes mysteriously continued to be trimmed.
The rock has always been red, but it has been painted even redder over the years and the portion of the rock which might represent the feathered bonnet surrounding the face was painted white. There is no mention anywhere as to when the flag was erected just above the rock.
In addition to the book, there was an article written by Walter S. Farquhar in his regular column Editorial Musings, on April 9, 1956 in the Pottsville Republican. The article is titled “The Old Indian Profile.” He makes a big deal pointing out that there is no historical significance to the rock, except for its original booster, Mrs. Bechtel, and a series of intrepid painters are named. This article can be found in the Vertical File collection.
Follow this link for a picture of the rock formation:
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WME2N
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Spring Cleaning
Even libraries have to clean things up sometimes. Right now we're trying to clean up our website! While we have updated the information on the pages, the site itself is looking a bit dated. So we're trying to clean things up, spruce them up, and generally make our site more usable for our library patrons. If there's something you'd like to see on our site, please send us an email at potref@pottsvillelibrary.org and let us know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
