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| Archival Assistant Taylor Harbin represented NEARA at the Winter Genealogy Night in Jonesboro in February. |
History buffs, genealogists and researchers had the
opportunity Feb. 1 to learn about the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives
during an event organized by the Craighead County Public Library in Jonesboro.
“We are grateful to the Library for the opportunity to let
residents know about the research services and vast historical holdings NEARA
has,” said Dr. Fatme Myuhtar-May, archival manager at NEARA. “The Library
annually invites us to attend their Genealogy Night events.”
More than 100 people attended the Winter Genealogy Night.
Archival Assistant Taylor Harbin represented the Arkansas State Archives branch
and operated a display table that showcased NEARA.
“I talked with many people who were experienced in
genealogical research or were enthusiastic about history,” Harbin said. “It was
amazing to interact with so many people who recognize the importance of
studying and preserving Arkansas history.”
Harbin gave a brief overview of NEARA’s history and
described some of the research services provided by the Archives. He
distributed promotional materials, including NEARA leaflets, and contact
information.
Visitors, who had not heard of NEARA before, were thrilled
to discover the historical repository exists in Northeast Arkansas. Harbin said
most visitors had attempted genealogical research before but were pleasantly
surprised to learn NEARA offers free access to Ancestry.com at its branch
location. NEARA also fulfills long-distance research requests and offers
programs, such as collecting oral histories.
Participants were asked to consider donating materials, too.
Those materials are preserved at NEARA for future generations. At least one
woman said a photo of her family had been donated to NEARA years ago as part of
a larger collection, most likely the Tom MacDonald Photograph Collection. She
said she plans to email a research inquiry about the photo as part of her
research.
For more information about the Northeast Arkansas Regional
Archives, visit archives.arkansas.
gov or call 870-878-6521.
