A Recent Free Sunday Zoom Program was presented by the GAR Museum’s Research Administrator, Walt Lafty. Walt and other volunteers answer hundreds of research questions sent by our members each year.
They know where to find answers using the Museum’s collections, but without a computer database his task is a little more difficult. We all have used databases: National Archives, Library of Congress, Fold 3 and Ancestry.com. We know how valuable these searchable data bases are and we all rely on them to save time.
For many years the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Archive has been an esteemed resource for researching American history. The Museum does not have an electronically searchable catalog of its holdings that include primary source documents, artifacts, books and files. We do have paper indexes and inventories of all our collections. Adding these indexes and inventories to a searchable database would greatly increase search efficiency and enhance the preservation our collections.
Improving access to the Museum’s collections is extremely important. We need to purchase database software and support that will allow for multiple user access to unlimited records.
We are asking for help in our “Connecting the Public” campaign to purchase the software.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” However, time and tide wait for no one.
Help us to continue to be a special public American history institution.
You can donate to the campaign using PayPal though our website: www.garmuslib.org or send or drop off a check made out to the GAR Museum, 8110 Frankford Ave., Phila. PA. 19136. Please note that the donation is for “Connecting the Public”.
Thank you.
G. A. R. CIVIL WAR MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE
8110 FRANKFORD AVENUE
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19138