KYLAUREL-L Archives

Archiver > KYLAUREL > 2000-08 > 0965333570


From: Rita Stanifer Maggard <>
Subject: [KYLAUREL-L] 200 years worth of Lexington newspapers
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2000 16:12:50 -0400
In-Reply-To: <012e01bffd0f$74963100$75c8e4d8@herbetjo>



> From: "Herbert Jones" <>
> Resent-Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 22:47:37 -0700
>
>>
>> Why does one need a library card to search online records?
> Found the URL ok but I need a CARD. I'm several thousand miles
> away.***************************************************************


When I got the above message, I wondered myself! I went to the web site and,
sure enough, no library card... no access.

Never having been accused of being overly shy, I decided to just email the
library and asked them. I have just received the following response...


Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 13:03:42 -0400
To:
From: "J. Horton" <>
Subject: LPL Local History Index
Cc: , ,

Ms. Maggard-

Thanks for writing, and for your interest in our Local History Index (LHI).

You note came at a great time. After the Herald-Leader article
concerning the LHI, we've received quite a few queries like yours
(from all across the country--it's amazing how people use the
Internet to find information!)

All of your points are very valid, and we agree with you. We've been
in discussion about this for the last two weeks, and just today we
decided that we would "open the doors" to everyone. We will soon
make the Local History Index available to any visitor to the
Library's Web Site, whether from Lexington, KY, or Lexington, VA, or
Lexington, MA. No library card necessary. We will have to change
some technology, but we hope to have the change made within the next
10 days.

Thank you for your letter. I've copied it to our Reference Manager,
Ida Cornett, and to our Assistant Director, Geneva Pullen. I am sure
they will be glad to hear your enthusiasm for our Local History
Index. We think it is a unique and valuable resource.

If you have any questions about the Local History Index, you can call
Mrs. Cornett, at (859) 231-5520. If you have any technological
questions, please feel free to call me personally, at (859) 231-5577.

All best-

J. Horton
LPL Web

This was my email to them...

>*******************************************************************************
>name: Rita Stanifer Maggard
>email:

>comments:
>
>This site was promoted in a Herald story for having 200 years of
>Lexington newspapers online.
>
>As the Laurel County KY coordinator for a national online genealogy
>project I announced the newspaper article to a mail list of online
>researchers. The article did not say anything about any restrictions
>to the availability of the information. However, I am now receiving messages
from the researchers that they cannot get to the information without a
library card.
>
>These people live in all parts of the country, indeed the world. The
>only access to this information that they will ever have is through
>your website.
>
>Can some provision not be made for an "online only" library card? It
>would be a tremendous benefit for many people... and you wouldn't
>even have to worry about books not being returned!
>
>Please let me know how to respond to these people... either that
>they can get access somehow or that it is just impossible.
>
>Thank you.


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