2/6/2007
The West Virginia Archives and History Library of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History is offering a winter series of genealogy- and history-related workshops on selected Tuesday and Thursday evenings in February and March. The sessions will take place in the library at the Cultural Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston, from 6 - 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
The workshops will focus on specialized resources available in the Archives and History Library and how to use them. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and will be offered hands-on examples or instruction with the materials and research issues involved.
On Tuesday, Feb. 13, Joe Geiger, staff historian and assistant director of archives and history, will discuss “Exploring the West Virginia Archives and History Web Site. On Thursday, Feb. 15, Dick Fauss, moving images archivist, will present “Home Movies and Video.” This workshop will address the care and preservation of various formats of home movies and video, including some strategies for transferring the images into a contemporary format and the best way to store the original media to ensure its longevity.
Additional workshops will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 27, and March 13, with staff librarian Susan Scouras presenting “Cemetery Research in West Virginia.” She will discuss the resources available in the Archives Library and on the Internet for locating a specific cemetery or burial place for specific individuals, as well as how to find other sources of information.
The winter workshops will wrap-up on Thursday, March 8 and March 22, when Greg Carroll, staff historian, will present two opportunities to learn “How to Apply for a West Virginia Civil War Medal.” The medals were authorized by the state legislature in 1866 as “tokens of respect” for Union veterans of West Virginia military units, but many were unclaimed and eventually were turned over to Archives and History, which began a program to distribute remaining medals to descendants who file a documented line of descent proving direct lineage.
Advance registration for the workshops is not required, but is encouraged to help plan seating arrangements and handouts for the sessions. Genealogical and historical societies are invited to hold their regular meeting or to plan a field trip in conjunction with any workshop.
For more information about a group visit or to register in advance, contact Robert Taylor, library manager, at (304) 558-0230, ext. 163, or by e-mail at bobby.taylor@wvculture.org. Participants interested in registering by e-mail should send their name, telephone number and the name and date of the session they will attend. For additional information about the workshops, contact the Archives and History Library at (304) 558-0230.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the state capitol complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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