Interested in learning more about your state, your local community or your family? If you are, then you are not alone. In recent years, the interest in historical research on a local or personal level has grown immensely, especially here in Baldwin County.

More and more amateur researchers pour into the libraries throughout the county to gather information about their family’s past, and in turn, they uncover more about their community. As a historian, this gives me hope that we as a society have finally begun to attach the proper value to the knowledge of our past.

As Spanish born philosopher George Santayana once stated, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” And as a librarian, the vision of large numbers of patrons using library facilities to conduct their research reassures me that not only is the library not dying; it is very much alive and thriving.

For those interested, local information abounds in the Foley Public Library’s Genealogy Department. The division, operated by Jeanette Bornholt, local history/genealogy librarian, now has its own dedicated space on the second floor of the facility — a far cry from the humble beginnings that became a passion for a handful of local amateur historians and researchers who formed the Baldwin County Genealogy Society.

Bornholt, as a member of the Genealogy Society, worked along with other members to secure a small collection of local historical materials in 1987, which were then housed at the Baldwin County Heritage Museum in Elberta.

The genealogy collection immediately began to grow, which prompted a move of the materials to the Foley Public Library, where access to the collection could be increased based on the library hours of operation. At that point, Bornholt assisted in maintaining the collection, even before she became a library employee in 1991. As more space was needed, the collection expanded into an area that is now the library’s workroom. To aid in the expansion effort, the Genealogy Society bought bookcases for the collection.

In the past 23 years since Bornholt joined the library's staff, the collection of local history has grown exponentially. The information available on family history has evolved to embrace the electronic age, while paper documents have continued to be amassed routinely. The list of local materials available is a long one that includes microfilm of local newspapers from as early as 1897, Baldwin County History files initiated by local historian and author Doris Rich and numerous family histories.

The collection also boasts more than 4,500 genealogy books, quarterlies and periodicals. In addition, there are in excess of 800 rolls of microfilm and 3,000 microfiche that contain census data, information from Native American resources and much more.

And as our world has become an Internet-based society, the Foley Public Library has adapted and offers access to Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest. The library also offers online historical documents through its website, FoleyLibrary.org, as well as a healthy selection of world, national, state and regional history books.

The most satisfying aspect of the collection is that it continues to grow. According to Bornholt, many local families have donated their family histories, while others have given monetary gifts to help offset the cost of adding materials such as books and documents.

The upcoming Foley Centennial has also helped to focus attention on the importance of maintaining and preserving local history. Through its genealogy collection, the Foley Public Library continues to make strides in upholding the rich heritage of the community. Ultimately our goal is not to repeat the mistakes of history past, but to reveal our past so future generations can learn from it and improve our community.