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This 2300 square foot annex houses genealogy books and
materials,
microfilm records, historical & rare books and primary
family documents.
The annex was built through a generous donation from
Miss Betsy Stark
as a gift to the community and in loving memory of her
parents,
Christopher Randolph and Annie Reynolds Stark. Mr. Stark was a
professor of
mathematics at Mississippi State University for fifty-five
years and was
first librarian for the University
(known at that time as
Mississippi A & M College)
serving from 1900-1908.
Since
the family has been a part of Starkville history since its
early
beginnings, the creation and development of the annex came
from Miss
Stark's desire to give back to the community a small part of
what the
community has meant to this family over many years.
Preserving local
history, as well as family histories and libraries
fulfilled this goal for
her. Her parent's extensive library, collected
over a period of 70 years
will come to the library in
due time to be preserved for the public to
enjoy.
The
annex features three major areas for work and study - the first
room
houses genealogy and family history books and periodicals,
Starkville
telephone directories, University and high school annuals,
and a
collection of Mississippi authors for reference.
A
computer with links to genealogical web sites, as well as local holdings
is an
additional resource added for the area by the Oktibbeha
County Historical
and Genealogical Society. A new micro-film
reader-printer has been
purchased for the room by the
Friends of the Starkville Public Library and
the Genealogical Society.
The
second room features old and rare book collections. With a
large display
unit as its focal point, old documents, books and other
items of
historical significance will be displayed on a monthly basis.
The Library
will work with the Oktibbeha Museum to feature local,
historical documents
and artifacts.
The
third room consists of a system of mobile shelving units and
a climate
control system to adequately preserve primary
documents to prevent
deterioration. Collections of old letters, photographs, journals and
newspapers will be cleaned, processed and organized
into collections with
documentation. Additional shelving units
can be added as
needed.
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Oktibbeha and Starkville Histories
Mississippi African American Genealogy
Tracing your ancestors in Sturgis, Oktibbeha
County,
U.S. GenWeb
Vital Records
World GenWeb
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