ROOTS & BRANCHES

It’s a rare genealogist who isn’t at least a bit of a pack rat.

I’m the type who goes through periodic “binge and purge” cycles, but somehow I come out of each “purge” with a little more mass of paper and books than I started the previous “binge.”

And I’m imagining that will I continue to do so until the time comes to move permanently (careful readers of “Roots & Branches” will recall that I’m living in my childhood home that’s been in the family for a century!).

Then there’s the conundrum of Mimi Reed of State College, who is downsizing, and wants to go through a “purge” cycle before moving. Although she’s taking most of her Pennsylvania genealogy library with her, she’s in a quandary about her copies of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.

“I have a complete run of the NGSQ beginning with in 1997 complete full runs after that until 2021,” Reed wrote. “I am not taking these. They are clean. Do you know of any library/person  who would like to have them? Donation for them and they can do what they like with them. Then must come and get them.” Reed also noted she has a huge run of Avotaynu, the Journal of Jewish Genealogy.

She struck a chord we me—I consider myself “half Gutenberg, half digital”—when she talked about enjoying print issues. “I know that tons of folks like to read the digital issues online but I like to sit on an easy chair and read real paper,” Reed wrote. “My choice when given one.”

I agree with her; screen reading is a necessary evil at times but I still prefer a magazine or book.

I’m sympathetic with the space constraints of genealogy organizations that have libraries. Journals such as these take up considerable room. Some groups have eliminated their libraries all together. The trend has been for libraries with genealogical libraries either keep growing substantially or wither.

But with the many people getting serious about their genealogy all the time, Reed’s collection would be a great way to acquaint yourself with the best cases solved over the last couple of decades, since that’s what a lot of the NGSQ’s articles are about.

And on the other side of the coin, Reed’s predicament is one that most genealogists face at some point.

The best case scenario is often when there’s another family member who’s going to continue the fan the flame of genealogy.

But when “nobody’s interested in my family” is the situation—it’s not a bad idea to start a few years in advance of a move to figure out your succession plan.

If you’d like to suggest a home for Reed’s 20-plus years of the NGS Quarterly, please email her at mimi.reed44@gmail.com.