GRS Update News 2009

UPDATE is published bimonthly by the Palm Beach County Library System, Government Research Service at 3650 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33406, as a guide to information resources available for use by county agencies and the public. Palm Beach County staff wishing to receive a copy of the newsletter, please contact Government Research Service.

November/December

September/October

   Using Government Copyright Services Online

   Local Transportation Services on the ‘Net

   Library Offers Patents, Trademark Sources to the Public

   Find ‘E-Government Help’ in Your Library

   America’s Historical Newspapers Offered Online

   Library Offers Worldwide Obituary Sources

   Library Provides Access to Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970

   ‘Digital Public Square’ Opens in Palm Beach County

March/April

January/February

   GPO’s ‘FDsys’ Database Offers New Pathway to Documents

   Florida State Census, 1867-1945, Found on ‘Ancestry’ Service

   Library System Archives FEMA ‘Flood Protection Library’ Documents

   Library Offers ‘E-Government’ Housing Information on Website

November/December

   Using Government Copyright Services Online

Copyright is defined as a form a protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of “original works of authorship”. These works, both published and unpublished, may include literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and certain intellectual creations.

The copyright protections recognized today were enrolled in the 1976 Copyright Act by Congress, and codified in the Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The United States Copyright Office, a division of the Library of Congress, administers the filing and processing of copyrighted materials.

Since 2002, federal agencies, including the Copyright Office, are mandated by Congress to make documents and services available in electronic format. The “Copyright Office – Online Services (eCo: Electronic Copyright Office)” is the direct result of this government initiative.

The “Electronic Copyright Office” web site features an automated public catalog, allowing digital searching of copyrighted documents by title, name, keyword, registration number or document number. The copyright catalog contains document records dating from 1978 to present. (Works registered prior to 1978 are found only in the “Copyright Public Records Reading Room” archives.)

The “Electronic Copyright Office (eCO)” system also allows online filing of copyright registrations at reduced fee rates. The Copyright Office web site is a useful source for electronic forms, laws and regulations, and informational fact sheets about the protection of original creative works.

The Government Research Service (GRS) section of the Palm Beach County Library System has indexed the “Electronic Copyright Office” site as a menu option under the Service Agencies heading on its “U.S. Government Information” web page. Online Access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-fedgovtinfo.htm .  

   Library Offers Patents, Trademark Sources to the Public

The Palm Beach County Library System provides two electronic sources of United States Patents and Trademark Office (USPTO) information for researchers, inventors and interested businesses.

The “U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patents, 1790-1909” is a new database offered by the “Ancestry: Library Edition” service to Library System patrons from computers located at all branch locations. The database contains patents granted from 1790 through 1909, with records that contain patent numbers, U.S. classifications, name of patentees, patent place and dates.

Many of the USPTO records have original images of patent documentation. The database is searchable by name, keyword or issue year, and features advanced search options. The “Ancestry: Library Edition” service in a menu option on the Library System’s Electronic Resources index, and on the “Genealogy Research” web page. Online Access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/genealogy.htm .

The “United States Patent and Trademark Office Home Page” is the official electronic source of patents and trademark information. Its “Patent Full-Text (PATFT)” search engine allows quick search, advanced search and patent number searching of full-text information since 1976, and full-page images since 1790.

The USPTO Home Page also features an electronic filing system called “EFS-Web”. It is a web-based patent application and document submission service which allows anyone with an Internet-enabled computer to file patent applications and documents. The Patent Office promotes EFS-Web as “safe, simple and secure and gives you all the same benefits as paper filings.”

The Library System’s Government Research Service (GRS) has linked the USPTO Home Page to its “U.S. Government Information” web page, under the Service Agencies menu option. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-fedgovtinfo.htm

September/October

   Local Transportation Services on the ‘Net

The Palm Beach County Library System’s Government Research Service (GRS) section maintains a digital guide to transportation service providers in Palm Beach County, with links to their Internet sites. This local transportation index is located on the “E-Government Services” menu of the Library System’s “Government Research” web site.

Many transportation providers are offering schedule, reservation and fare information on web-based service sites. Some of the sites linked to the Library System’s transportation index include Amtrak Station schedules and reservations, Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) flight schedules and real time flight information, and Port of Palm Beach cruise ship sailing schedules.

Other transportation services indexed by the Library System are Intra-Coastal Waterway “Draw Bridge Openings in Palm Beach County,” Florida Highway Patrol traffic reports, and both Palm Tran and Greyhound bus schedules. The “AAA Fuel Cost Calculator” for travelers also is a menu option.

For additional information about local digital transportation services, contact GRS section staff at: grs@pbclibrary.org. The “E-Government Services – Transportation Index” address is: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-E-government_services.htm .

   Find ‘E-Government Help’ in Your Library

The Palm Beach County Library System is an active participant in an American Library Association (ALA) initiative supporting the role of public libraries as providers of technology and community access to e-government information and resources.

A recent Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study entitled “U.S. Public Libraries and E-Government Services,” co-authored by ALA staff, addresses the critical role of public libraries in helping to provide access and assistance to electronic resources at the local level.

In many communities, public libraries are the only service-oriented organizations available to help the individuals interact with government agencies and access e-government services. Among the key findings from the national “E-Government Services” study are:

• 71 percent of libraries report they are the only source of free access to computers and the Internet in their community.

• 61 percent of libraries report access to government information is one of the most critical Internet services they provide.

• 80 percent of libraries provide as-needed assistance with e-government services.

The Palm Beach County Library System provides public access computers, with staff trained in their use, at all 14 of its branch locations. Reference librarians and support staff are available to provide “as-needed” assistance in accessing online government resources, in compliance with the ALA initiative.

The Government Research Service (GRS) section of the Library System also offers monthly “E-Government Help” classes for its patrons in the Main Library Computer Center. During the 90-minue sessions, GRS staff demonstrates how to access high-demand E-government forms and web sites.

An important element of the “E-Government Help” class is the one-on-one question and answer sessions that allow staff to guide patrons via computer through the online government service process. Future “E-Government Help” classes are posted on the Main Library Computer Center schedule. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/main-lcc.htm .

   America’s Historical Newspapers Offered Online

Early American newspapers dating back to 1758 are accessible to history, genealogical and student researchers using the “America’s Historical Newspapers” database, the latest Newsbank, Inc. service made available through an agreement with the Palm Beach County Library System.

The “America’s Historical Newspapers” collection features 443 news publication titles, including the Miami Herald Record (published 1911-1931), and four other Florida newspapers dating back to 1823. The publications are searchable by keyword, and offer specialized search options for news articles, birth announcements, marriage notices, death records, election returns, advertisements and shipping news.

America’s Historical Newspapers is a menu option on the Newsbank “Access World News” database. It is accessible via Library System computers. Library cardholders also may use their home computers to access the database through the “Electronic Resources” page of the PBCLS web site. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org

   Library Provides Access to Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970

The Palm Beach County Library System (PBCLS) is now providing access to ProQuest’s “Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970” database collection of more than 660,000 large-scale maps of more than 12,000 American towns and cities.

Sanborn maps are useful historical tools for genealogists, local historians, architects or urban planners seeking the history and development of American communities. Digital maps are available online for the Palm Beach County communities of Belle Glade, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Pahokee, Palm Beach and the Greater West Palm Beach area.

Access to “Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970” is made available to authorized users through a subscription agreement between the Library System and ProQuest, LLC. Maps are accessible by city and year via computers located in 14 PBCLS branch locations. County Library cardholders also may access the database via home or office computers, using their card numbers as the access code.

Digital Sanborn Maps is a menu option on the Library System’s “Genealogy Research” web page. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/genealogy.htm

   Library Offers Worldwide Obituary Sources

The Ancestry: Library Edition database, accessible from computers located in 14 Palm Beach County Library System branch locations, features six new digital obituary collections.

The transcribed obituaries and death notices are searchable by name, and allow expanded searching by date, newspaper title, country, residence, marriage, other mentioned names, and keywords. The Ancestry: Library Edition data files also include links to full-text obituaries from online newspaper editions.

Palm Beach County newspaper records included in Ancestry’s “U.S. Obituary Collection” are from the Boca Raton News (2003-09), Palm Beach Post (2004-09), Sun-Sentinel (2004-09), Jupiter Courier (2004-09), Palm Beach Daily News (2008-09) and the Miami Herald (2004-09).

To obtain death notices prior to 2004, use the PBC Library System’s Newsbank “Obituaries and Death Notices” database service, or the Main Library’s newspaper microfilm collection. The new “Ancestry: Library Edition” collections are:

• United States Obituary Collection.

• Caribbean Obituary Collection.

• United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection.

• Canadian Obituary Collection.

• Australia and New Zealand Obituary Collection.

• Chicago Tribune Obituary Index, 1988 – 1997.

For additional information about genealogical resources available through the Library System, contact the Government Research Service (GRS) section at: grs@pbclibrary.org. Genealogy site address:  http://www.pbclibrary.org/genealogy.htm .

   ‘Digital Public Square’ Opens in Palm Beach County

The Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties held a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by mayors of local municipalities, on April 20 for Palm Beach County’s first “Digital Public Square.”

The ceremonial launching of the Digital Public Square, accessible online at “YourPBC.org,” is the first stage in the Community Foundation’s leadership initiative to connect Palm Beach County through civic engagement using the technology of “Web 2.0” tools.

The project is modeled after the traditional “public square” where residents of a town would gather to exchange views and information. The Digital Public Square offers a virtual platform for the “exploration of issues, the sharing of ideas, creativity and opinions while developing solutions to the community’s challenges.”

The landmark project is funded by a two-year civic initiatives leadership grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with the several nonprofit partners in the community. The Digital Public Square is linked to the Palm Beach County Library System’s “Local Document Collection” index, under the Community Foundation agency heading. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-local_county_resources.htm .

   GPO’s ‘FDsys’ Database Offers New Pathway to Documents

The preliminary beta version of the federal Government Printing Office (GPO) “Federal Digital System (FDsys)” database is now online and accessible for public use on the “GPO Access” website.

The FDsys database is designed to provide public access to government information and documents from federal agencies, and will eventually serve as a comprehensive U.S. digital document archive. The migration of digital documents from the current “GPO Access” service to the FDsys database is scheduled for completion by mid-2009.

The FDsys database is searchable by keyword citation and advanced document/agency searching. The collections currently migrated to the FDsys database include the Compilation of Presidential Documents, Congressional Bills, Congressional Hearings, Congressional Record, the Federal Register, and Public and Private Laws.

The Federal Digital System (FDsys) database via “GPO Access’ is a menu option on the Palm Beach County Library System’s “U.S. Public Documents Index” of  the “Government Research” web page. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-usdocs.htm

   Library System Archives FEMA ‘Flood Protection Library’ Documents

In areas prone to hurricanes and flooding, such as Palm Beach County, access to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) documents and services is vital during periods of recovery after natural disasters.

The Main Library of the Palm Beach County Library System archives select print copies of FEMA documents in its “FEMA Flood Protection Library” cabinet, as well as FEMA “Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM)” for unincorporated Palm Beach County and 32 municipalities in the library’s Ready Reference Collection files.

FIRM maps are important to both new home buyers and government agencies, and help to identify flood-prone areas and subdivisions in the county. The documents often are used to determine property insurance rates for geographical areas. FIRM maps are available nationwide in digital format (searchable by address) as a menu option on the FEMA Home Page.

In addition to the PBCLS Main Library holdings, FIRM maps and other FEMA documents are available through the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Libraries Government Documents Depository Collection in Boca Raton.

The PBCLS Government Research Service has recently updated the Library System’s “FEMA Flood Protection Library” index to include links to FEMA documents and publications available in digital format. Our online index to this PBCLS special collection is accessible at: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-mainresources.htm

January/February

   Florida State Census, 1867-1945, Found on ‘Ancestry’ Service

Family history researchers searching for Florida ancestors can now access the “Florida State Census, 1867-1945” data files from computers located in 14 Palm Beach County Library System (PBCLS) branch libraries.

The “Ancestry: Library Edition” database, available for use by library visitors through a subscription agreement with information provider, has added Florida State Census records for the years 1867, 1875, 1885, 1935 and 1945. The information is made available from record schedules obtained from the National Archives and the State Library and Archives of Florida.

The Florida State Census search engine allows name and keyword searching. The transcribed record information includes age, gender, race, relationship to the household, birthplace, birth date, marital status, and parent’s birthplaces. Researchers also may download copies of the original census images.

Additional information about the “Ancestry: Library Edition” database, and other genealogical services offered by the PBC Library System, are offered on the PBCLS “Genealogy Research” website. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/genealogy.htm .

   Library Offers ‘E-Government’ Housing Information on Website

The Palm Beach County Library System features a digital “Housing and Neighborhood Development” index on its “Government Research” website to assist electronic E-Government users in locating low-cost housing and real estate for sale from government agencies.

The “Housing Index” features links to such services as the Palm Beach County Homesteading Program, which lists local housing units for sale. Other E-Government services featured on the index include the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and programs administered by the PBC Housing and Community Development Department.

Another useful link for persons seeking housing units in Palm Beach County is the PBC Clerk & Comptroller’s Foreclosure Sales web page. The information site offers foreclosure program contact information, and a how-to guide to obtain and use foreclosed property lists.

The “Housing Index” is a menu option on the PBCLS “E-Government Services” web page. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-E-government_services.htm

Updated: October 23, 2009   

Related Pages: Genealogy Research - Legal Research - Government Research