African-American Genealogy Research

by Gretchen Beilfuss Witt  Rowan Public Library

            Just in the last month, Rowan Public Library has added a new database that offers specific assistance to anybody who is researching African-American genealogy - African American Heritage (AAH).  Currently, the database is highlighted on the upper middle bar of the library website as well as on the History & Genealogy page.  This resource is available from home with a library card number or by accessing at the library through the library computers or personal devices.  To access the database go to the library website, click on African American Heritage entering your library card number when it requests a barcode number, include all zeroes.  Available in AAH are essential historical records used for genealogy - census records, marriage and cohabitation records, military drafts and registers of slaves and free persons of color, as well as Freedman Bank records.  While some of these records are available on other databases the library offers, these are already specifically filtered to assist in finding people of colour. 

            Cohabitation records can be vital in linking folks to their ancestors who may have been enslaved.  In 1866 in North Carolina the assembly passed an act that declared any "Negroes or Persons of Color or Mixed Blood" could register their pre-emancipation marriage.   In other words, if a couple had been living as husband and wife, they could appear before the clerk of court of the county in which they resided and say they had been married since such and such a date and intended to continue as a married couple.  The clerk then recorded their names and the date of the "marriage."   These records, of course, do not represent all slave marriages, but it is a good start.  Many of the certificates of "cohabitation" give other clues that might be helpful in the pursuit of information about an enslaved ancestor; often the slave holder is named.  For example, in the 544th entry in the Rowan County cohabitation registry a "Pleasant Steele, late a slave of Alfred L. Johnson and Nancy Murphy late a slave of James Murphy" declare they have been living as man and wife since 1861 and wish to continue registered on the 23rd of June 1866.  AAH supplies not only Rowan County cohabitation bonds but 15 other NC counties as well.

            AAH also provides a link to the AfriGeneas Community which is a social networking website providing expert advice in the research of African-American family origins.   AfriGeneas provides advice in researching techniques as well as access to some records.  A chat page and other social networking opportunities may help find others who are researching a specific family line. 

            Not a static resource, AAH is adding materials continually; they have a portion of the database dedicated to publications which are available - books like "Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina" by Paul Heinegg or James Rose's "Tapestry" which lists genealogies of particular families including slaves.   The book "Black Genesis" is also available through AAH and specifies the records from each state that might be helpful in tracking African American ancestors.  California, for instance, has black voting lists from Los Angeles as far back as 1892, military records from manuscript collections from colored infantry units in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.   Illinois has a link to a database for "Servitude and Emancipation Records (1722–1863)" which includes registrations, emancipation and auction records.   For those searching for their African-American ancestors African American Heritage can provide an entirely new group of resources in their genealogical quest.

Paper Craft Designs

By Amy Notarius  Rowan Public Library

Have you ever made your own greeting cards, paper flowers, or scrapbook? Wait till you see the variety of projects and designs in Paper Craft, a brand new book now available at Rowan Public Library, from the editors at DK Publishing.

The authors begin with a description of basic equipment and a look at different types of paper. For each project they include a list of the materials you will need and templates you can use.

Each project is photographed step by step so that you can follow along with the instructions.  Try creating a pop up bouquet greeting card, so colorful and fun to give. Or make you own designer envelopes and gift boxes.

Most projects involve a combination of tracing, cutting, and folding. There’s also a section on quilling, the coiling and shaping of narrow strips of paper to create a design. Although it can be intimidating at first, according to the notes, practice and patience are all that’s required to learn this particular technique. Here they use it to make greeting cards and even earrings.

Don’t miss this beautifully photographed, fun book of projects great for gift giving or home decorations. Check out Paper Craft at Rowan Public Library today.

“What are you reading?”

by Rebecca Hyde Rowan Public Library

                “What are you reading?” can be the beginning of a good conversation, especially if it’s “now” and you have the book in hand.  “Recently” might require the prompting of a list, since exact titles and authors seem to slip away. 

                “Have you (ever) read . . . ?” is the start of a memory journey:   when and where are closely bound with the book.  There’s the summertime reading of older titles (“War and Peace” and “Bleak House”) stored in a grandparents’  house.  “Pride and Prejudice?”  That was a loan from an older sister’s boyfriend.  Penelope Fitzgerald and Barbara Pym were authors discovered through personal copies given in trust by friends and gratefully returned.   A copy of Knut Hamsun’s “Hunger” was found on a shelf in a room rented to students in a Paris apartment (double disorientation).  The print book can be a wonderful prompt.

                A question I often ask myself these days is “Why read?”  It has become a favorite topic because of all the good books on the subject.   And here is one.

 Wendy Lesser, critic, novelist and editor, spends a lot of time reading and writing.  Her recent book, “Why I Read:  The Serious Pleasure of Books,” is an exploration of her passion for reading literature.  Her one-word answer to “why” is “pleasure”:  the kind of pleasure you can get from reading is like no other in the world.  It’s based on a paradox, offering detachment and connection.  The relationship between reader and book is one-to-one, but then there’s that vast community of readers and writers, past and present.  The reader can be fully engaged with another mind (an author’s or character’s) and at the same time aware of personal tastes, memories, and associations.  Reading is a highly individual act: “No one will ever do it precisely the way you do.”

Lesser is aware of her own changes of reading behavior.  She speaks of being in greater need of one author over another:  different books speak to you at different times in your life, and the kinds of problems that invite you into a literary work do not remain the same over time. 

Pleasure reading is “a hungry activity.”  But you need to slow down to savor a literary work.  A novel consists equally of the small and the large (sentence and structure).  Lesser finds her interest in the sentence has grown over time.  The linearity of the written word, the pattern of sequenced pages set by the author - these offer the pleasures of close attention.

Lesser is very serious about her reading, but she is broad-minded.   People enjoy bad books.  She reads some books one time.  Those she values as literature, she’ll be reading again.   Her models of good books may not be for everyone, but her observations are engrossing and instructive. 

New Year’s Reading Resolution

by Hope Loman Rowan Public Library

            Now that we’ve all said goodbye to 2015 and hello to a brand new year, you might find yourself deciding on whether or not to make a resolution for the rest of 2016.  Most individuals will choose something related to improving their body—losing a certain amount of weight, for instance, or exercising more—but why don’t you try something new this year and improve your mind instead? Specifically, why don’t you make a New Year’s resolution to read more books from your local library?

Why should you pick up more books? Well, not only does reading increase mental stimulation and knowledge, it also improves your concentration, can be a good stress reliever, and—best of all--is free entertainment! Additionally, this resolution can be as simple as checking out whatever book piques your interest and going from there (just get another one when you’re done!). For those of us who like something more structured, or have no idea where to start, there are also many wonderful online book challenges that are both creative and stimulating.

For instance, the blog Book Riot is holding its second annual Read Harder Challenge, where it wants readers to “spend a whole year reading consciously, thoughtfully, and outside your comfort zone.” There are 24 tasks for each reader to accomplish, such as “Read a horror book,” and an incentive of filling out the checklist provided on the website to get a 30% discount from their online store. To start you off under the horror category, you might want to download the Rowan Public Library’s digital copy of “Within These Walls” by Ania Ahlborn, pick up “Slade House” by David Mitchel, or read Mary Shelley’s beloved classic “Frankenstein.”

Alternatively, the book and lifestyle blog My Soul Called Life has the 2016 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge, where readers have to choose one book whose title includes one or more of the six keywords provided for that month. For example, January’s list is Crowd, Girl, The, Bad, Soul, and Soft, which could lead you to check out our popular fiction books like “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins or “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams” by Stephen King, or if you’re more of a non-fiction fan you can try any one of our “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books.

There are all kinds of book challenges out there for readers with varied interests and of all ages, from “getting back to ‘The Classics’” to focusing on novels with dystopian themes--there's even an Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge where readers are encouraged to read one book that has a title starting with every letter of the alphabet! Take a look and see which one not only appeals to you, but is a goal that you feel comfortable working towards all year round. And, as always, feel free to ask a librarian at the Rowan Public Library what books they would recommend to satisfy your literary needs. Here’s to a happy (and well-read) 2016!

If a shiny new tablet was under the tree, the library can help

by Jennifer Nicholson Rowan Public Library

It is that time of year again, when many kids, teens and even a few adults will looking at a shiny, new tablet.

While tablets are fun, providing users hours of entertainment through games and movies, tablets can also be a great educational tool, as well. A simple swipe of your finger and you have access to world at your fingertips, eBooks, magazines, test prep, even to journal articles. The possibilities are endless.

Know a booklover who got a tablet this year? Free eBooks, movies and audiobooks are just an app away, through the North Carolina Digital Library, powered by the Overdrive Media.

Users simply can download the Overdrive app through their app store, and with a Rowan Public Library card, users have access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks. The best part of using the North Carolina Digital Library is users can check out books for free, with no worries of accumulating late fees or fines, or having to worry about returning books to the library. Everything is done directly through the app, so users can enjoy books without leaving their couches.

Another great app for booklovers is Goodreads. Users can access Goodreads via app, through the app store, or by going online to www.goodreads.com. It is a website that allows users to connect with friends, authors and others who love to read. Create customized book lists, see what others are reading and reviewing, take fun quizzes and read quotes from your favorite authors. Users of the Goodreads app can use a barcode scanner to easily keep track of his or her book — a perfect way to keep track of your must-read and your have-read lists.

While many people will get a small break from work or school this season, many will still be fretting over a big project at work or a school report due soon. Tablet users can simply download the Access My Library (AML) app, find a library, including the Rowan Public Library, and have quick access to reference eBooks and databases. Access to full text articles is just a swipe away. Researching for project has never been so easy and simple.

Know any high school student who got a tablet? Studying for the SAT can be daunting, yet users can download the Official SAT Question of the Day, created by the College Board, the creators of the SAT test. Through the SAT Question of the Day app, students can find popular vocabulary words of the day and test their reading, math and writing skills. Now the students will have a more daunting task finding a good excuse not to study.

While these are just a few apps, there are many different apps that many parents and even the kids can feel excited about downloading. For assistance on downloading Access My Library, Overdrive Media, or questions regarding other apps, please visit the Rowan Public Library.