For release: Friday 28 November 2008
A new initiative aimed at widening access to online genealogy information through Scottish libraries was today launched by Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, Linda Fabiani, at Edinburgh’s recently refurbished Stockbridge Library.
ScotlandsPeople is the official Government web source of family history information in Scotland, usually accessed on a pay per view basis requiring a debit or credit card transaction.
The programme in public libraries is designed to overcome social and technological barriers to accessing information, allowing more people to uncover their Scottish roots by providing support and training in the use of the Internet and ScotlandsPeople in combination with additional material from local collections.
Under this national scheme, vouchers will be available from public libraries giving library users throughout Scotland the opportunity to access the website at a significantly reduced cost.
ScotlandsPeople offers extensive family history information, including digital images of Scottish records of births and marriages dating back to 1553, deaths from 1855, the open census records from 1841 to 1901, wills and testaments from 1513 to 1901 and Coats of Arms from 1672 to 1907.
The website is a partnership between the General Register Office for Scotland, the National Archives of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Ms Fabiani said: “The ScotlandsPeople partner organisations have worked closely with the Scottish Libraries Information Council and Local Authorities to ensure this great facility is available in public libraries throughout Scotland.
It will give people with an interest in their family history, but who may not have easy access to a computer, the opportunity to use the best family history website in the world. Easier access to this information will allow more Scots to understand who they are and where they come from.
Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrates our rich cultural identity and Scots’ contributions to the world. As the celebrations continue throughout next year, more and more Scots will be visiting their local libraries to take advantage of this invaluable resource.”
SLIC Director, Elaine Fulton, said: “Supporting family or local history research and helping people to use computers and online resources are important roles for public library services in Scotland. We are delighted that libraries’ role in this process has now be extended through the discounted voucher scheme.
As we approach the first ever year of Homecoming in 2009, we expect an even greater demand for genealogical and local history information, as people explore and celebrate their Scottish ancestry and heritage. Scottish libraries, through SLIC, look forward to being able to support this through ScotlandsPeople and other planned projects."
The ScotlandsPeople vouchers are on sale in public libraries now at a cost of £6 for 60 access credits, double the credits offered online for the same price. The vouchers can be used in libraries or at any location with Internet access.
Stockbridge Library re-opened on Thursday 31st July following a £400,000 refurbishment programme.
Contact: Elaine Fulton, SLIC tel: 01698 458888 mob: 07831353283
The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) is the independent advisory body to the Scottish Government on library and information matters. SLIC members include all local authority, higher education and further education institutions, NHS Trust library services and other specialist library and information organisations.
SLIC was established in 1991 and is funded by organisational membership subscriptions. The Scottish Government partially funds the Council in its work and The National Library of Scotland also contributes financial assistance.
The General Register Office for Scotland is an Associated Department of the Scottish Government and is headed by the Registrar General for Scotland. One of its primary functions is to make its genealogical information available to the public worldwide.
The National Archives of Scotland (NAS), select, preserve, and make available the national archives of Scotland in whatever medium, to the highest standards; to promote the growth and maintenance of proper archive provision throughout the country; and to lead the development of archival practice in Scotland. NAS is an Associated Department of the Scottish Government headed by the Keeper of the Records of Scotland.
The Court of the Lord Lyon is the heraldic authority for Scotland and deals with all matters relating to Scottish Heraldry and Coats of Arms and maintains the Scottish Public Registers of Arms and Genealogies. It is headed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms and is also responsible for State Ceremonial in Scotland.
Scotland's Information
Research Collections Online
Scottish Library and Information Resources
Scottish Distributed Digital Library
Scottish Collections Network
Co-operative Information Retrieval Network for Scotland
© Send comments, suggestions and queries about SLAINTE to Gillian Hanlon. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 UK: Scotland License 23-Feb-2010
