Have you ever thought about what your library card is worth?
You visit your local library. Show them your identification and you get a library card. Then...
- you borrow AMAZING things: books, movies, music, games, tech tools, ebooks, audio books, magazines
- you access specialized databases on myriad topics.
And as long as you return what you borrow, it doesn't cost you anything. Sure, your property taxes pay for this. But the average household pays around $45 a year for this amazing resource.
And what do you get for that $45 a year? Let's take a look at what you, just the average family and local history researcher, gets in return.
On Medina County District Library's page under Genealogy and Local History, if you select "Online Resources" you get a list of 9 subscription databases that you can access through your library for free:
1. African American Heritage - search essential records for African Americans
2. American Ancestors - Explore your New England. Available only at Medina Library.
3. Ancestry Library Edition - the library version of this essential research tool.
4. Black Freedom Struggle in the United States - Explore primary source documents
5. Find My Past. -Search the premier database for British and Irish records only at Medina Library.
6. Fold3 - The premier collection of historical U.S. military records
7. Heritage Quest Online - unique collections, like Revolutionary War Pension & Freedman's Bank Records
8. Newspapers.com - World Collection - Selected full-text of 19th-20th century U.S newspapers
9. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Ohio - Detailed maps for 400+ Ohio towns from 1868 to the 1960s
What would it cost you to purchase subscriptions to these as an individual?
Well, three of the database are only available as an institutional subscription so you would NOT be able to subscribe to:
1. African American Heritage2. Black Freedom Struggle in the United States
3. Heritage Quest Online
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are available for free from the Library of Congress web site: https://www.loc.gov/collections/sanborn-maps
So we'll strike those 4 databases off the list. That leaves THE BIG FIVE:
1. American Ancestors is a magazine and website that comes with membership in the New England Historic Genealogical Society. If you have ancestry anywhere in the New England area this resource is a must for your research. Membership?
- $34.95 for 3 months or
- $94.95 per year
- $7.91 per month
- FREE at the Medina Library
2. Ancestry Library Edition is a go to genealogy database. You've seen their commercials. This is the library version which removes some of the personalization features. Cost?
- $99 for 6 months
- $189 per year
- $15.75 per month
- FREE at any of the Medina County District Library branches
3. Find My Past is the site for British & Irish genealogy. While searching the site can be free, viewing any of the records comes at a price:
- Essential subscription is $10.75 per month
- Ultimate subscription which includes "exclusive content & guidance from" $14.92 per month
- FREE at the Medina Library
4. Fold3 is the premiere collection for U.S. historical military records. Membership costs:
- $7.95 per month
- FREE at any of the Medina County District Library branches
5. Newspapers.com contains 19-20th century U.S. newspapers.
- Basic price $7.95 per month
- Publisher Extra costs $19.90 per month
- FREE at any of the Medina County District Library branches
Now, let's assume you are subscribing at a basic level to these five databases. What is that going to cost you each month?
$7.91 +$15.75 +$10.75 +$7.95 +$7.95 = $50.31 per month or $603.72 a year!
But that isn't all that is available to you. Besides books from the top genealogical researchers in the country you can also check out the latest issues of these magazines!
- Civil War Times - $44
- Family Tree Magazine – $27
- American Spirit – $18
- Internet Genealogy - $27.95
- Your Genealogy - $25
That's another $141.95 saved! For a grand total of $745.67
Or
FREE at any of the Medina County District Library branches
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