Visiting the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri was a wonderful experience. From the moment I walked in the door, I was impressed by every aspect of this state of the art research library. When I walked in the door, I stopped by the desk to get my bearing on where different collections were and was greeted cheerfully by the librarian and after mentioning that this was my first visit, I was given a welcome packet and was introduced to a research librarian, who gave me a tour of the library. This welcome was an incredible way to start a day of research.
I arrived when the library opened, so I was afforded a little extra time to walk around and get aquatinted with the library. I was completely amazed by the amount of materials that they have and by the resources available to do the genealogical research I had planned.
Throughout the library, there are plenty of study areas and tables to lay the materials out and research thoroughly. By the time I left in mid-afternoon, many of the tables were filled all over the library.
I chose a nice desk area to spend my day, which provided me the perfect amount of space to comfortably do my work. The library has free Wi-Fi, so I was able to open my computer up for checking references.
While I did not have time to use the different amenities the library offers, I was impressed by the available copy centers. These state of the art copiers act as traditional copiers for ten cents a page or can act as a scanner and upload to a USB flash drive for free. This is an impressive capability for the research tasks needed to be conducted while researching family history.
The library also has a large map area and a microfilm area available as well. I library is very clean and well kept. I was excited as I explored the many different areas during my time of research.
The true power of this library is the stacks. While not every record is available, the library has enough resources to get anyone started on their genealogical journey. I spent most of my day pouring over Adair County, Kentucky.
The Midwest Genealogy Center is a wonderful place to begin researching family history. I had a wonderful time digging deeper into a mystery and was amazed by the possibilities that a return trip could provide when I return to filling in the leaves on my family tree.