Boynton Beach Library Continues to Cut Genealogy Resources

The following excerpt is yet another indication that the current recession (which the feds keep telling us ended long ago) is having an effect on genealogical research. The sad part about it is that libraries often fill a need for basic genealogy resources that low-income folks might not be able to afford. If the libraries can’t afford those resources, then some folks will find their research more difficult, if not impossible for now. I note that the Boynton Beach Library still has their NewsBank subscription, which is a great genealogy resource.

BOYNTON BEACH — In a region where all but a few are from somewhere else, it’s hard enough to track local genealogy. It’s about to get harder.

Under the city’s proposed 2011-12 budget, the library will stop all history and genealogy memberships. [I’m guessing these are genealogy and historical society periodicals]

The savings: $375.

What this mostly means is people won’t be able to read the organizations’ newsletters, chief librarian Craig Clark said.

“I can justify (keeping) it,” he said. “But I have to cut.”

History memberships are the least of it. The proposed budget for the library would cut $176,757.

Hours, cut last year from 62 a week to 54, would be slashed to 48, from

9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. weekdays, instead of 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Two vacant full-time spots wouldn’t be replaced and one full-time staffer and one part-timer would be laid off.

Teen programs would be all but eliminated.

Clark said he’d already closed the $2,000-a-year account for Ancestry.com last year. People seeking genealogy help now will be referred to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County or other groups.

Read the full article in the July 4, 2011 edition of the Palm Beach Post.

About Leland Meitzler

Leland K. Meitzler founded Heritage Quest in 1985, and has worked as Managing Editor of both Heritage Quest Magazine and The Genealogical Helper. He currently operates Family Roots Publishing Company (www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com), writes daily at GenealogyBlog.com, writes the weekly Genealogy Newsline, conducts the annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour to the Family History Library, and speaks nationally, having given over 2000 lectures since 1983.

2 Replies to “Boynton Beach Library Continues to Cut Genealogy Resources”

  1. This is atrocious. How can those folks stand idly by and let the county/city budget officials walk over their rights to access. Maybe they should seek to cut off the pay for the county/city budget officials. Go for it.

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