aaa-0729.html

Finley Database at Sonoma State University

by Mary Dolan

[Published in The Computer Genealogist, vol. VII, No. 2, March/April, 1998]

As part of its effort to preserve the documented history of Sonoma County, and to make that history available to students, the SSU Ruben Salazar Library eagerly agreed to house Carmen Finley's research into her family history. The Finley family has been an influential force in the community for over 100 years, and their history provides fascinating insights into the history of Sonoma County. SSU students involved in the study of family and social history now have access to a rich array of primary source materials, thanks to the multi-year efforts of Finley. The Finley Collection will eventually contain over 1000 items, including wills, deeds, correspondence and photos: all available to our students, as well as researchers around the world.

The Salazar Library staff worked with Finley to develop a database containing descriptive records for each item in the collection. Such treatment is very unusual for an archival collection. Library archival collections are usually cataloged as a whole and not by the piece due to the large number of items within the collections and the perennial shortage of library staff. In an advantageous pairing, the Library agreed to train Carmen to catalog the items and enter the resulting records into a database, while Carmen agreed to dedicate the time needed to create the catalog records. The Library would then host the database and provide access to the materials in the collection.

Most libraries are equipped with computerized databases for their catalog records, and there are a variety of specialized library software packages used to create and maintain these databases. The Salazar Library was fortunate to own a package that allowed for multiple databases using the same interface, which meant that our students would not have to learn a new interface to search the catalog of Finley materials. Another benefit to using library software for the Finley database was that the Library was able to make its databases accessible over the Internet before the WWWeb was available. The availability of the WWWEB, with its common interface and ease of networking information, has provided new technical solutions to these issues.

The development of the WWWeb has changed the way everyone does business, including libraries, and it provided the Library and Finley with the opportunity to post copies of the items in the collection on the Web. Each catalog record contains an active link to a copy of the actual item, including text documents, photos, GEDCOM files and more. For the Library, this means the collection is readily accessible to its students, and other researchers anywhere in the world. People no longer have to journey to the Library or write for copies of materials, and Library staff can spend more time on other activities.

The partnership has been a very productive one. Finley's research is an important contribution to the study of family and social history in Sonoma County, and the Salazar Library is pleased to make this research available to its students and the community at large.

Mary Dolan is Assistant Librarian at the Ruben Salazar Library of Sonoma State University.

See companion piece at aaa-0728.