JGSGW library: New location opens May 4

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington (JGSGW) Genealogy Library will open on Sunday, May 4, at its new location in Rockville, Maryland, with some 1,600 items.

Accoding to JGSGW president Marlene Bishow, the collection includes books, newsletters, journals, audio tapes, microfiche, family histories, gazetteers, geographical guides, maps and more. Languages include English, Hebrew, Yiddish, German and Eastern European languages.

For two years, the society's reference-only collection was in boxes and could not be accessed. In September 2007, JGSGW entered into an agreement with B'nai Israel Congregation to co-locate the library in their media center. The society purchased shelving and other library furniture, moved the boxes, and then began shelving and the collection and completing an inventory.

The new location at 6301 Montorse Road in Rockville, Maryland includes the new bookcases, library table and chairs, a microfiche workstation, and 13 PC workstations with internet access. The entire area is WiFi enabled.

The library is open to JGSGW and B'nai Israel Congregation members - with membership or library cards as ID. Hours will be: Sunday (first Sunday of the month, except June-Aug) from 1-3pm, Monday, from 6-8:30pm, and Wednesday from 1-3pm. The library will be closed Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) and Monday, June 9.

From 11-1pm, Sunday, May 18, the Library Committee will offer an Orientation Workshop for the society and the congregation and the library will also be open on that day following the JGSGW meeting, from 3:30-6pm.

Among the holdings are more than 300 pre-recorded lectures of past programs covering many Jewish genealogy topics. Most are 60 minutes and can be listened to at the 13 library workstations. The audio tapes have been converted to CDs, so users can use the PCs to listen.

The collection includes many genealogy society newsletters, and special arrangements can be made for visiting members of other Jewish genealogical societies.

The JGSGW Library Committee includes librarian Gene Sadick, Vera Finberg and Elaine Apter. Sadick served on the county library board and both Finberg and Apter are trained librarians, each with more than 30 years' experience.

For more information, click the JGSGW website link above.