Friday, November 7, 2008

Genealogy Consultants Rock!

We have a dedicated core of folks who volunteer as genealogy consultants at the genealogy desk at the library. This is a wonderful way to positively impact library patrons who are pursuing their family histories, and it is a wonderful way to learn how to improve your own research. We need more people to get involved with this effort so I want to tell you a bit about what the consultants do.

They are called consultants because their primary purpose is to provide guidance to patrons working on their genealogy. Consultants aren't expected to actually do research for patrons, but instead they familiarize them with the sources the library has to offer, they assit them in operating the computers to do their research (always a source of confusion for new researchers), and they give ideas and directions on how patrons can proceed to find what they are looking for. If time permits, they also assit in doing some of the many tasks that contribute to keeping the genealogy department running smoothly.

We are proud of our consultants and the job they do. They are one of the most visible parts of our society since they are "out front" interacting with the public, and by their actions they influence people to become involved with the PGS.

Now that you know a little bit about consultants, please consider becoming one. You can set your own hours (generally people volunteer for a 3 hour period anywhere from once a week to once a month), and you will get all of the training you need. When possible, we will pair you with an experience consultant until you feel comfortable doing the job. And did I mention that one of the benefits of of the job (in addition to the good feelings you get by helping out) is that you learn a lot for yourself in the process of helping others with their research.

If you are interested or have other questions, contact me at ppsummers@yahoo.com or phone 727-353-3093. Join this special group of people...help others...support the PGS...sharpen your own research abilities.

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