Generally cloudy. High 82F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..
Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
The Hayner Genealogy & Local History Library offers a spacious, quiet, organized atmosphere.
Lacy McDonald is the Genealogy & Local History Library manager.
The library has collaborated with the Alton school district to produce two books.
The Hayner Genealogy & Local History Library offers a spacious, quiet, organized atmosphere.
Lacy McDonald is the Genealogy & Local History Library manager.
The library has collaborated with the Alton school district to produce two books.
The Alton area is freighted with more historical significance than any other community of its size in the Midwest. Its role in the Underground Railroad, its prominence as a stage for the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the presence of landmark abolitionist Elijah P. Lovejoy, Robert Wadlow’s renown as the tallest man in the world and even its reputation for hauntings and supernatural occurrences are just a few of the historical items leading many to inquire about the facts and events which have marked the town’s long legacy as well as their own family histories.
The Hayner Public Library District Genealogy & Local History Library offers a wealth of genealogy-related and local history resources which can support the research efforts of anyone wishing to explore their family’s history or examine events of the area’s storied past. A vast collection of information is available both at the library location and online. The spacious, quiet, organized atmosphere of the library can serve as inspiration to anyone from the novice researcher to seasoned historians. A piece of Elijah P. Lovejoy’s original printing press is even on display in the entrance lobby of the building.
Lacy McDonald is the Genealogy and Local History manager at the facility. McDonald received her master’s degree in library information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and also holds a graduate certificate in rare book and special collections librarianship from the same institution.
“We welcome anyone into our library,” she says. “We’re always happy to help with genealogy or local history research, but the Genealogy & Local History Library is a great place for writing, study, printing documents, or even just checking your email. If you do not have a Hayner library card, we can provide a guest pass so you can still use the computers and databases.”
The Genealogy & Local History library has 9,135 non-circulating items in its collection of books, films and family history compilations. The library also has 3,535 property files on houses and businesses in the area. In addition, it has 284 out-of-copyright books it has digitized in-house and made available. McDonald explains that library personnel can help patrons get started with genealogy and history searches. “People are often interested in the history of their house or the building their business is in as well as their family history,” she says. “It is a way of overlaying the past onto the present.”
At the library itself, users can access the Ancestry Library Edition online database. The database contains historical information about families across the country. People can also research archived editions of Illinois newspapers dating back to 1812. Fold3 military records are one of the resources available. Fold3 is a premiere collection of original military records which include the stories, photos, and personal documents of men and women who served in the military.
The library’s website itself provides a multitude of historical information free with no library card requirement. Hayner’s digitized archive includes local school yearbooks, city directories, local church histories, organization minutes and souvenir programs, all text searchable. The Illinois Digital Archives Alton Area Local History Collection includes keyword-searchable photographs digitized by the Genealogy & Local History Library staff. The site also includes state genealogy guides, Madison County cemetery maps and Elijah P. Lovejoy films and biography. Links to these resources are available by going to the Online Resources option at haynerlibrary.org .
Branching Out genealogy webinars created by the Genealogy & Local History Library staff are also available. The topics include courthouse records, church records, newspaper research, genealogy databases, cemetery research, using social media for genealogy and organizing your genealogy. In-person Branching Out meetings are now being held again at the library location after a hiatus due to COVID. The meetings are held on the second and third Thursdays of every month at 10 am at the library location.
The Hayner Library Genealogy & Historical Library has also collaborated with the Alton School district to publish Color Me Alton: Seasons, a multi-generational coloring book exploring the seasons in the Alton area. The coloring book is available for purchase for ten dollars at the library. In 2019, the library also collaborated with the students to publish a rhyming hardcover alphabet picture book, Alton ABC. Copies of the book are still available for purchase for $20.
The Hayner Genealogy & Local History Library is located at 401 State Street in Alton in the original Hayner library building constructed in 1891. Library hours are 8:30 am - 5 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 12 - 7 pm on Wednesday and 8:30 am - 1 pm on Saturday. The library can be reached by phone at 618-462-0677, option 3.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates.
Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates.
Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates.
Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates.
© Copyright 2021 Big Z Media, PO Box 615 Alton, IL EEO Report | Online Public File | Privacy Policy Persons with disabilities should contact Nick Darr at nickdarr@bigz.media
Powered by BLOX Content Management System from TownNews.com.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.