Duplicate history headed elsewhere

History never repeats, at least for the Greene County Historical Society.

If it does, it's headed for someone else's collection.

Historical Society members have solved the mystery of what to do with someone else's history, choosing Sunday to "re-gift" materials they receive that are better suited to be elsewhere.

"Sometimes we get things which would be better suited to say Owen County or Martin County," historical society member Marsha Cline said during the society's June meeting. "The people who come looking for that history aren't going to look here."

Members emphasized that they appreciate all donations of records, photos, artifacts and memorabilia linked to the county.

Problems arise, however, when the society receives records which aren't associated with Greene County, or those which duplicate what already exists in the archives.

"We believe that if it's available elsewhere, or if it doesn't pertain to Greene County, we don't need it and we should re-gift it," Cline said, opening

Storage space for the society's records is limited, Cline told members at Sunday's session. However, no policy was in place to relocate the surplus or ill-suited donations until members voted unanimously to allow it to be sent elsewhere.

No opposition arose to the proposed plan.

The giving won't stop there, either. Cline said when the society receives materials which duplicate what they already have, they will seek other appropriate places to send it.

Those twinned archives could possibly be sent to county schools, area colleges, scholars or returned to donors, per the discussion.

Society members also suggested maintaining a book which would record what's been given to the group as donations, the better to direct those seeking information where the materials can be found. Such a record might also cut down on duplicated gifts to the society.

The society welcomes donations and memberships, which can be sent to the Greene County Historical Society, P.O. Box 301, Bloomfield, Ind., 47424-0301. The society's treasurer is Charlis Crays.

Annual membership fees are $10. Membership fees include six newsletters, historic articles, and an informal Christmas party at a Greene County Restaurant, per its website www.greenecountyhistoricalsociety.org.

The Bloomfield-based society also maintains 30 township and county books for sale in their 27 S. Washington St. office and offers family research by computer for only $15 to nonmembers.

Research will be done for $10 an hour and those seeking data should include a self-addressed stamped envelope, per society members. They also ask those seeking data to give dates and as much information as possible.

Additionally, the society maintains files on the ancestry of many Greene County families.