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The American Ancestors Research Center is one of the nation’s leading research centers for genealogists of every skill level. In it are housed millions of documents, manuscripts, records, books, microfilms, photographs, artifacts, electronic resources, and other items that preserve and reveal our history.

Some of the library and conservation programs you may support are:

• The American Ancestors library catalog is an important tool for anyone planning their genealogical research—whether it is used to learn what is available onsite at the library or to find digitized library resources that can be accessed by researchers from their home.
• Special collections rescue documents in danger of destruction. A professional archivist will assess the material’s conservation needs, research its subject matter and creators, organize the contents, author a finding aid, and create a record for the collection in the online catalog. Through this work, the archivist will give these unique holdings the attention they deserve and ensure they are available to researchers.
• Funding is required to support the creation of finding aids and metadata to help researchers as they explore the digital collections. Metadata is entered into the digital collections system and used by members and the public to search for material that is relevant to their research.
• Your support will help to conserve treasured items that are historically significant and in urgent need of conservation treatment. Funding of this work makes it possible to treat items that otherwise could not be treated or would have to wait years for their turn.