05 August 2007

Footnote's Use of ACPL material

Like many others, I was excited to see the announcement that Footnote.com will be adding material from the Allen County Public Library's collection to their online set of data and images. I'm a big fan of footnote.com, it's collection, and it's interface.

However, I was disappointed that the press release was non-specific in terms of the materials that were being digitized. Most of the articles I could find regarding the agreement were pretty much cut and paste jobs of the same press release, even several of those on genealogy blogs or news sites. The older I get, the more frustrated I get with sites (and newspapers) that simply cut and paste a press release and call it news.

Of course, most of the library's holdings are still under copyright and my guess is that the majority of what will be digitized will be material from the early twentieth century and before. But that's only a guess. Which is all we have until specifics are released.

Regardless, Footnote.com has some really neat stuff and I have made good use of the site in my own research.