LATTA GENEALOGY ARCHIVES PROJECT

By: Anna Smith, Branch 22, Columbus, IN

    The Latta Genealogy Archive Project has begun. We have received the first box of items and are eagerly awaiting the next.  Why Archive?  Compiling items relating to the Latta family genealogy in one public location will help ensure that the research will be available to future generations of Latta genealogists. Due to the fact that research gets lost, people move and families lose touch, we are compiling the group's research into a single archive to have at least one public location that the entire group will be able to reference. What will be in the archive?

    Thanks to "modern technology" we can include everything from family group sheets, to photos, to home movies, to audio recordings.  Basically, almost any kind of media that you have pertaining to the Latta surname, it is fair game for the archive.  This can include but is not limited to documents, photos, diaries, Family Bibles, wills, family written stories, home movies, and paintings.  How will the archive be complied?  Anna Smith (Branch 22) and her husband, Brian will accept submissions from the group and catalog them and then digitize them by scanning in documents and converting other media into computer files.  Once the digitizing is done, the archive will be put together and copies will be sent to Sharon Weaver (Branch 22) at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana to be entered into the library's collection. Books, complete magazines, Bibles, and diaries will be catalogued and sent directly to the Allen County Public Library.  Where will the archive be stored?

    The "working copy" of the archive will be maintained on the computer systems of Brian and Anna Smith, with regular backups being done to ensure no loss of data. Released editions of the archive will be available at Allen County Public Library initially, but we hope to establish a relationship with other genealogy centers around the country (or the world) who are interested in housing copies of the archives. While having the archives at multiple locations will make it more difficult to ensure that each location has the latest copy, it will allow more people to have access to it, closer to home.

    How do I submit the information?  To submit information, items should be sent to Anna and Brian Smith.  This can be done by email or by direct mail.  Please be sure to include your contact information and branch number in case there are any questions about your submission.  If the items pertain to a different branch number, please make a note of this.  Also, if known, please include a citation of where the information is from.

    Once the items have been received, Anna will send you a receipt of the information and a release form. The release form has three questions/checkboxes and requires a signature.  (1) I understand that the materials I send may be photocopied and/or scanned and then put on a CD to be deposited in one of more of the Latta archives.  (2) I do not want any information about living individuals to be deposited in the archives.  (3) Only the following information may be deposited in the archives. (i.e. photos, addresses, etc.) Once the signed release form has been returned the submission can be released to the archive.

    If you have any questions about the archive project or about what can be sent to the archives please contact Anna Smith at aks710@comcast.net or 5425 33rd St., Columbus, IN 47203  (812) 376-0948.