March 1, 2012
Susan Hayden, adult services consultant for the West Virginia Library Commission, will explain how West Virginians can use the Newspaper Archive database to conduct genealogy and historical research beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in the Division’s Archives and History Library on the grounds of the State Capitol Complex.
The database, which is available to all state residents through www.wvinfodepot.org, includes more than 1 billion articles from publications throughout the world. Hayden said the database makes finding information about family histories easy and provides fascinating news gleaned from obituaries, birth announcements, comics, and more that were published in newspapers dating back hundreds of years.
A native West Virginian, Hayden has a diverse professional background in libraries, marketing, publishing and grassroots activism. She studied at Vanderbilt University and the National Center for Family Literacy. She holds a master’s degree in library science and strongly advocates the importance of the library’s role in our democratic society. Hayden is an instructor for the Newspaper Archive, which is available to all West Virginians through licenses that include academic, K-12, and public libraries.
For planning purposes, participants are encouraged to register for the program, but advance registration is not required to attend. To register in advance, contact Robert Taylor, library manager, by e-mail at bobby.l.taylor@wv.gov or at (304) 558-0230, ext. 163. Participants interested in registering by e-mail should send their name, telephone number and the name and date of the session. For additional information, contact the Archives and History Library at (304) 558-0230.
The Archives and History Library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. The library is closed on Sunday.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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