WLA 2008: Genealogy and Local History Resources at the Wisconsin Historical Society

A presentation by Rick Pifer, Director of Reference and Public Services, Library/Archives Division, Wisconsin Historical Society.

Richard Pifer said about genealogy info at WHS, "Start with the premise that yep, we have it."

Range of resources available at the WHS -- a paper trail of cradle to grave records created about people:

• Births: registrations, baptismal records, announcement in newspapers
• Childhood records: school records, attendance records from rural schoolhouses, school census
• Marriage records: newspaper announcements
• Property records - deeds (most are in the county Register of Deeds office)
• Tax records - assessment rolls & tax rolls for 19th & 20th century
• Census
• Divorce records - through the Circuit Court case files (date range varies on the county which provides the records)
• Prison records
  
• Naturalization records - 19th century to 1980's
• Death registration, church burial records, newspaper obituary, probate records, wills, probate case files
  

WHS has genealogy info on:

• Wisconsin
• U.S.
• Canada

Local history records:

• local histories
• newspapers - huge collection, perhaps 2nd only to the Library of Congress; largest Native American newspaper collection in the country; largest African American newspaper collection in the country
  
• personal papers
• organization records
• maps
• photographs

The Peshtigo Fire

• personal correspondence
• birds-eye maps of before & after the fire
• Harper's Weekly newspaper articles about the fire
• photos (also available online)

Finding info and records:

• genealogical information is geographically based
• local history information is geographically based
• combine place names with type of record
• Use Madcat to search for surname + the word family as a way to search for info; a "sloppy" search like this will bring up lots of records, but Rick says "specificity is the enemy of finding what you want"
  

WHS web site:

• Wisconsin Genealogy Index
• links to Madcat and ARcat

Richard suggests this search strategy in Madcat:
Go to the guided search and start plugging in words; put in a placename (as a phrase) + type of record

ArCat (Archives Catalog)
Some finding aids or registers are available online; it's a volume-level listing of what's in a collection; tells you what's in a collection volume by volume and box by box

Research Portal

• Wisconsin Magazine of History available full text online
• Dictionary of Wisconsin History links to Google Maps, has biographical info

Finding newspapers = use Guided Search to enter placename + type of record
You can navigate through title changes, within the bibliographic record

Virtually everything found in ArCat can be transported closer to you or your patron at a local Area Research Center (ARC), except for photographs and maps

Map collection = paper-based card catalog is the only way to find out what's in the collection

Photo collection useful for local history, 45,000 images online, entire set of Wisconsin birds-eye photos

WHS is a partner with Google Books

• the vast majority of WHS' family histories has been digitized
• MadCat will eventually be linking to the Google Books digitized version of the book
• copyright date affects whether the book is available full text, or snippet view

Interlibrary Loan is possible for works of local history that don't have genealogical content

WLA 2008: Constructing Questionnaires and Questions: It's Harder Than it Seems

This presentation by Thomas D. Walker (UW Milwaukee) covered the fundamentals of questionnaire construction.

Surveys are instruments to gather data for empirical analysis.

Some questionnaires can accidentally turn into "fishing expeditions", and ask too many questions.

There are three crucial tasks:

• sampling the population
• determining the medium - f2f 1 to 1, in groups, written form
• designing the questionnaire

Advantages to written Questionnaires:

• more cost effective than interviews, especially with large sample sizes or large regions
• most cost effective medium for large numbers of questions
• can be easier to analyze, depending on the construction of the questions; some aspects can be automated (#2 pencil)
• are a familiar medium
• can reduce bias associated with oral questionnaires
• can be less instusive than oral surveys (more anonymous)

Disadvantages to written questionnaires:

• lower response rates (equals lower confidence levels)
• questions are usually very focused -- no elaborations are possible ("well yes, but ..." qualified answers aren't possible)
• no visual cues (no body language observable by interviewer)
• hard to know who's fillig it out
• may not be suited to certain populations (jargon, reading level issues, language, etc.)

Developing a questionnaire:

• Define:
• what kind of info is required?
• from whom do you need data?
• Break down complex problems into very simple ones

Questionnaires:

• should be introduced to let the respondent know what the purpose of the survey is, who will analyze it, and whether the results will be made public
• should conclude by expressing appreciation
• should be designed at a relatively early reading level

Good questions are...
clear
concise

Non-threatening questions...

• seek truth on sensitive issues by using a clinical, anonymous distance
• gain the confidence of the subject
• do not lead in one direction or another

Seek one kind of info, not two or more:
"Are you satisfied with the hours and facilities of the library?"

If choices are provided, ensure they include all possibilities.
"Which of the following services do you use? -ILL - Reference -YA"

Offer mutually-exclusive choices; don't provide choices that overlap

Logical sequence

• group questions logically
• establish a logical flow within a group
• possible characteristics: general to specific; positives versus negatives; time sequence
  

Rewording to validate

• Some large-scale studies may benefit from the validation of data by means of question repetition
• Most of the time, surveys we do aren't this large

Make no assumptions
"How satisfied are you with DPL's provision of access to large-scale bibliographic databases?"

Does not suggest an answer; doesn't lead the person to an answer

Avoid jargon and acronyms

Should not be tied to other questions; avoid especially in written questionnaires

Adhere to the Rule of 5

• Likert scale 1 - 5
• Rankings

Direct questions:

• True / false
• Multiple choice
• Likert scale
• Ranking

Advantages to direct/closed questions:

• easy to answer
• easy to code
• responses are uniform
• success of closed quesitons depends on the quality of the questions

Scaling

• Likert scale
• spectrum between two poles

Open-ended questions

• unstructured
• sentence completion
• word association

Advantages of open-ended questions:

• more flexible
• richer data (hard to analyze)
• may lead to other variables (other questions you want to ask in a future questionnaire)

Disadvantages of open-ended questions:

• hard to code/analyze

Confidentiality:

• statements assuring confidentiality are desirable and may be required
• inform respondents that thier responses are voluntary and their anonymity is assured
• if children are involved in any way, extra precautions must be taken

Question order:

• don't start with sensitive questions
• lead logically and unthreateningly to sensitive questions
  
• request demographic data at the end
  

Return rates from online surveys of distance education students are dismally low.

The sun always shines on the WLA Conference

It's a gorgeous day in Middleton as people start gathering for the WLA conference. I just sat in on the WLA Board meeting (I know -- glutton for punishment) and was impressed, as always, with the work of the board and the WLA staff. A tip: make sure you attend the WLA business meeting on Thursday afternoon so you can hear Phyllis' ALA Councilor's report.

Cheryl gave a good report of the attendance for the conference and some of the interesting things that will be going on. Conference committee members will be wearing green wristbands; keep an eye out for one if you have questions.

ALA encourages you to participate in Presidential debates

ALA President Jim Rettig reminds ALA members to submit questions to the Commission on Presidential debates via a new Web site, www.MyDebates.org. This site will become available in the days leading up to the first Presidential debate on September 26. The more questions submitted, the more likely a library question will be asked. This is an opportunity for the library voice to become an important part of the 2008 Presidential election.

On Tuesday, October 7, one of the three 2008 Presidential debates between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain will be held at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. This debate will be a town hall format moderated by Tom Brokaw. The moderator will call on members of the audience as well as select questions submitted online. You can make a difference!

Milwaukee's proposed budget includes library cuts

Calling it the "toughest budget we have ever faced," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett presented a budget this morning with $20 million in spending cuts and the elimination of 180 full-time positions, according to a report in WisPolitics.com. Among other cuts, the budget would require closing two libraries, cutting two fire companies and 56 police officers. Barrett also presented an alternative, "preferred" budget that included a 4.8 percent increase in fees and property taxes for the average homeowner. With the fee increase, there would still be $13 million in cuts, but no library closures, though hours would be reduced. His preferred budget also would freeze cost of living adjustments for managers, eliminate 100 positions, trim $1.5 million from the library system and reduce some public works services. While there are many cuts, his preferred budget also includes a $5.4 million increase for street maintenance, $1 million for the Villard Street library improvement project, $325,000 for a youth jobs program and $2 million for an automated materials processing and checkout system for the Central Library.

Business of Childen's Publishing program at Carthage College Oct. 17-18

The Center for Children’s Literature at Carthage College in Kenosha will present an inside look at “The Business of Children’s Publishing,” October 17th and 18th, Hedberg Library, 9am to 2pm. This year’s program features: Publisher Dinah Stevenson, Marketing Manager Jason Wells, Agent George Nicholson, Editor Susan Pearson, Art Director Marijka Kostiw.

For more information, contact John Warren Stewig, Director, Center for Children's Literature, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha, WI 53140, (262)-552-5480.

First Lady invites libraries to participate in statewide book club

Read On Wisconsin, the brainchild of First Lady Jessica Doyle, is a statewide book club for students and book-lovers across the state. Mrs. Doyle invites libraries to get involved in Read On by encouraging children to read the recommended books, then discuss and blog about them. This year’s top picks are recommended by students and educators across the state. Online tools and a book list for each age group are available at http://readon.wi.gov/.

ALA launches Web site upgrade

ALA reports that it has launched its new, more user-centered Web site. The upgrade is the result of a two-year, member-driven redesign process. For more information, click http://www.pio.ala.org/visibility. Visibility @ your library provides librarians and library supporters with news and information about important communications issues from ALA’s Public Information Office and the Campaign for America’s Libraries.

UW-Madison libraries adapt to changing student habits

Libraries at UW-Madison have added space for student seating, better views - and at College Library, even a coffee shop - in order to meet changing student research and study habits, according to news reports. Articles in the Wisconsin State Journal and Chicago Tribune discuss trends in campus libraries, which UW-Libraries director Ken Frazier says also result from the availability of information in digital form.

Lab Safety moves Highsmith operations to Janesville

The Capital Times reports on September 5 that Lab Safety Supply of Janesville, which acquired Highsmith in July, will close the Fort Atkinson plant this fall and eliminate 86 jobs, moving the remainder of approximately 200 positions to Janesville. Highsmith, founded in 1956, distributes supplies, furniture and equipment to all types of libraries and schools. Lab Safety officials say they intend to build upon Highsmith's solid brand position. The company has also been a generous sponsor of ALA and WLA programs and activities, including the WLA Foundation's Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries.