Local History Reference Collections for Public Libraries

A collection of local history materials is useful to a wide variety of library users, from genealogists and family historians, to patrons researching the history of their home or church, and local students searching for class project resources. Speaking from their own experiences, while also sharing examples and ideas from other libraries around the country, the authors present a librarian's start-to-finish guidebook for creating a local history reference collection that your community will embrace and use regularly. Written in a to-the-point manner that facilitates easy implementation, this book shows why a local history reference collection is important, how it fits into a library’s mission statement, and offers tips for getting stakeholders on board. By using materials already in your library or easily available to you, creating a local history reference collection can be easier than you think, and this book shows you how.