Can You Donate It?

Are there items in your family history collection that an institution, organization, or other group may be interested in? I knew my children were not going to want this 1951 group photograph of students from Carthage College. The great-grandfather’s sister is in the picture somewhere (probably) since she attended during that year and the item was found with other family history ephemera in her home.

I reached out to the college’s archivist, sent her an image of the photograph and asked her if they would be interested. She said yes and the item is on its way to the collection.

This can’t be done with every item. But I’m going to be taking a look at what I have and thinking of places to donate things that may be able to find a home elsewhere. I already have a significant collection of materials that only mention my direct family members. Getting “rid” of what I can will help me to whittle down my collection and increase the chance that the items gets seen by someone else who may be interested in it.

Join Michael at either the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City this summer!