Actually, there at least 119,730 libraries in the USA, as of 5 May 2015. I’m sure that USA Today does not know about my Library–The Genealogy Library Center, Inc.–with its almost 100,000 genealogy and history books and a strong collection of maps, atlases, microfiche, and film. This is what keeps me smiling at night, after a hard day’s work (not always on genealogy cases).
Take today for instance: Two days ago, Northern Utah was hit by a heavy and unusual rain storm. You see, we live in a desert climate and this year, Utah is the second driest state in the US, next to Nevada. (Our county was declared a Federal disaster area so that the farmers could get low-interest loans.) More like our past–7 inches of rain per year is all we are supposed to get.
Two days ago, we thought we were going to get the full 7 inches all at once. Water filled the stairwell on the south side of my house–the one with a retaining wall along one side. So there was nowhere for the water to go but into my basement.
The entire south and east side of my home was oozing water! And I was away from home. By the time I returned, all the carpets were wet. And the plastic bins I use to store my research account documentation were standing in puddles. I quickly moved these bins and then my belongings and furniture and shoes out of harms way.
Well, five large fans and round after round of towels later, I began to make progress toward getting my downstairs rooms dry. Then it began to rain again–with hail and thunder and buckets of rain. (This is unlike Utah–when it rains, it rains slowly over time.) The five large fans are still going and round after round of towels are still trying to absorb all the water that has and continues to seep in from ground long-since saturated with water.
Now, mind you–I am not complaining about the rain. We need it so badly. And we prayed long and hard for rain–several church congregations in our valley and many individuals asked the Lord for rain.
And He responded by opening the heavens in our behalf.
My preparations to keep my files and books safe–part of my library collection is still at my home–were put to the test. A test that overlooked the stairwell. And the elm trees covered with seeds in May. And stronger than usual winds which deposited millions of elm seeds into the stairwell. And the small drain which clogged quickly, allowing the stairwell to become a font. With no outlet except my basement.
Its just that three days of rain, at times coming in sheets and buckets-full, have put the whole system to the test–including me. And after three days–I’ve done nothing but fight water the whole time. Without any loss of genealogy books, research and reference files, periodicals, furniture, equipment, even my new washer and dryer–although the power struggled to stay on.
What is the point of this blog? We all passed the test:
The genealogy is intact!
The 119,730th Library is intact!
Your favorite genealogist is intact! Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Stay tuned–the rain is supposed to fall for two more days. Utah will look like it has been painted green, if we haven’t all been washed into the Great Salt Lake.