UPDATE is published bimonthly by the Palm Beach County Library System, Government Research Service at 3650 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33406, as a guide to information resources available for use by county agencies and the public. Palm Beach County staff wishing to receive a copy of the newsletter, please contact Government Research Service.

November/December

September/October

GRS Staff Wins County ‘Golden Palm’ Award

Wireless Network Access @the Main Library

Library Staff Receives Honor for Genealogical Services

Libraries Evolving from Documents to Digital

July/August

May/June

  Special Collections at the PBCLS Main Library

 Improve Education, Career Skills Using 'LearningExpress'

  Library Provides Legal, Business Forms Database

  Community Foundation Resources Provided at Main Library

   Library Offers Online Municipal Documents Index

   Public Records Used As Locator, Genealogy Resource

   Downloaded Audiobooks @ the PBC Library

   Library Offers Government 'E-Journal' Articles

November/December

  GRS Staff Wins County 'Golden Palm' Award

Librarians Isabel Toolsie and Robert I. Davidsson of the Library System’s Government Research Service (GRS) section are winners of the Palm Beach County Administrator’s 2006 Golden Palm Award for public service.

The two GRS section information specialists received the award for the creation and implementation of the “Weekly E-Report” and the digital “Update News” as information provision resources for PBC Government and Library District staff. The “Weekly E-Report” is a digital report and guide to new government documents, studies and electronic resources available to local government staff via document delivery by GRS section staff. It is distributed to clients through the use of group e-mail lists.

The “Update News” was originally a bimonthly print newsletter first distributed by the GRS section in 1989 through inter-office mail. It is now available in digital format 24/7 to both government clients and the public as a feature of the Library System’s “Government Research” web page. The digital publication consists of original articles about PBC Library System information sources, and includes a news archive.

Both GRS section digital publications were featured as innovations in the article “Serving Government Clients Using Library Electronic Resources,” which appeared the Spring 2006 edition of “Florida Libraries,” the professional journal of the Florida Library Association.

The two GRS section librarians will be honored at the “Golden Palm Awards Ceremony” Nov. 15 in the PBC Board of County Commissioners chambers. GRS Section address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs.htm.

Library Staff Receives Honor for Genealogical Services

The Palm Beach County Library System’s Government Research Service (GRS) has been recognized for its services to local family history researchers by the Florida State Genealogical Society.

Robert I. Davidsson, supervisor of the GRS section, was chosen by the FSGS Scholarship and Awards Committee as a recipient of their 2006 “Genealogy Outstanding Achievement Award” as an acknowledgement of the PBC Library System’s contribution to genealogical and local history research.

In announcing the award, FSGS Awards and Scholarship Chair Patricia Thomas Martin said, “We are extremely happy to acknowledge your many years of accomplishments to help promote history and genealogy.”

The GRS section staff created the online “Genealogy Research” website four years ago to enhance access to local history and genealogical resources found at the PBC Library System. Research librarian Isabel Toolsie is the site’s webmaster. The website features an e-mail referral service which allows library information specialists to assist patrons with their family history projects. The GRS section completes more than 300 research transactions each year. Website address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/genealogy.htm.

Genealogical services provided by the PBC Library System were featured in the article “Providing Genealogy Research Services in Public Libraries: Guidelines and Ethics,” which appeared in the June 2004 edition of “Public Libraries”, the professional journal of Public Library Association.

The FSGS is a nonprofit professional organization consisting of county and regional genealogical societies across the State of Florida. The GRS section will receive recognition for its achievements at the 2006 FSGS Annual Convention in Melbourne.

September/October

  Wireless Network Access @ the Main Library

The Palm Beach County Library System now offers free wireless Internet access (WiFi) at its Main Library for patrons to use with their own personal laptop computers and other mobile wireless devices.

The new WiFi service is accessible during normal library public services hours, Monday through Sunday, and is filtered to comply with federal CIPA regulations. The Library System’s "Acceptable Use Statement and Electronic Access to Information Policy" for the wireless network may be accessed at: http://www.pbclibrary.org/electronic.htm.

WiFi connection tips and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheets are available at all PBCLS library branches. Library staff cannot provide technical assistance in configuring your personal wireless device or in troubleshooting access problems. Printers are not available via the wireless connection. If WiFi users need to print, save your work on a portable floppy, CD, USB drive or e-mail files to your address, and then sign up for one of the Library’s public workstations to print.

The PBCLS Main Library is located at 3650 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach. For additional information, contact the Government Research Service section at: grs@pbclibrary.org

  Libraries Evolving from Documents to Digital

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) took a major step towards providing the public with a one-stop site to access federal government documents Aug. 4 by announcing the selection of the Harris Corporation to develop its "Future Digital System".

The planned FDS database will contain content from the three branches of the federal government, and will range from text and associated graphics to video, audio and other formats that emerge. Documents and records will be available for web searching, Internet viewing, downloading and printing. A prototype digital platform for the FDS database is scheduled for completion in 2007, according to the latest GPO announcement.

The conversion of government documents from print to digital format has been an ongoing process for several years. The cumulative volume of regulations, laws, reports, testimony and public records generated by government makes digitization a necessity for both agencies and the nation’s 1,250 depository libraries and archives.

At the local level, both Palm Beach County Government and many municipalities are providing digital documents and vital records to the public via their automated information sites on the Internet. These documents include news releases, meeting minutes, ordinances, property records and licensing information. The role of the Library System’s Government Research Service (GRS) in this emerging age of digital government documents is the same as it is for traditional print collections - organize, index and disseminate online government records and resources in a manner that is both user-friendly and accessible to our patrons 24/7.

The "Local Documents Collection Online Index" serves as both a catalogued listing of print PBC document holdings in the Main Library Research Center, and a guide to digital documents offered by local governments. It features a searchable agency index, and direct links to online records listed on the site’s Palm Beach County and Municipal menus. Site online access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-local_county_resources.htm .

The "Government Online Forms Index" is a web page provided by GRS staff to help patrons locate high-demand government forms available in digital format. These include permit and licensing registrations, job applications, corporation filing forms, unemployment and workers compensation claims. The site is divided into four indices under the headings of Local Government, Court & Legal, State Government and Federal Government forms. Online access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-government_online_forms.htm

In addition to listing print map holdings at the Main Library, the GRS "Local Maps Index" is a comprehensive index with direct links to digitized maps created by the Geographic Information System sections of PBC Government and several local municipalities. The site also features a searchable topical index of maps. Online access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-maps.htm.

While the PBC Library System is not a federal or state depository library, the Main Library Research Center does offer the public select government documents and serials containing population, housing, economic and climatological information. U.S. and Florida government document holdings are listed on the "Government Document Serials Index." Online access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-serials.htm.

As the U.S. GPO and State of Florida open new and improved digital document sites, Library System staff will examine the online services and link them to the "Government Research" website. Persons wishing to explore "What’s New" on the GRS web pages may access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-whatsnew.htm

July/August

  Special Collections at the PBCLS Main Library

Special document collections with topics ranging from electromagnetic fields to flood protection are available for public use in the Palm Beach County Library System’s Main Library Research Center.

The “Electric and Magnetic Field" (EMF) Reference Library is a collection of more than 840 published articles, scientific studies and reports from various sources archived in 20 binders located in the Documents Collection. The EMF Reference Library is provided to public with the cooperation of the Florida Power & Light Company to inform residents of the relationship between electromagnetic fields and health.

The Library System’s “FEMA Flood Protection Library” is a collection of documents of vital importance to residents living in flood-prone and coastal areas. The special collection was developed with the cooperation of Federal Emergency Management Agency staff, and features Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM).

The “Weather and Climatological Data” collection was inherited by the PBC Library System when the old U.S. Weather Service Office was closed at the Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). It includes monthly NOAA summary reports for West Palm Beach dating back to 1970.

Residents of western communities in Palm Beach County may find the “Gulfstream Natural Gas Pipeline” special collection of interest. It contains a series of studies and maps about the statewide energy transmission project, and is located at the Main Library Research Center reference desk.

International City-County Management Association (ICMA) Service and IQ Reports, containing issues relevant to local governments, are archived by the Library’s Government Research Service (GRS) section. These reports are indexed and date back to 1991.

The Main Library Research Center also features one of the county’s best public collections of PBC Codes (County Ordinances, Administrative Code, Unified Land Development Code, Comprehensive Plan and Building Code Amendments); Florida Administrative Laws (Florida Session Laws, Laws of Florida, Florida Statutes, Florida Building Code,  Florida Administrative Weekly and the Florida Administrative Code); and U.S. Administrative Laws (Congressional Record, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulation and U.S. Code and Administrative News).

While at the Main Library Research Center, be sure to examine the “Public Review Documents File.” These are current local government documents displayed by the Library System to help agencies meet their legal public access to information requirements. Many of these documents are later indexed by GRS Section staff and placed in the Main library’s “Local Documents Collection.”

To find out more about the Library System’s special collections, access the “Reports & Resources at the Main Library” web page. The Internet address for this special collections index is: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-mainresources.htm.

 Library Provides Legal, Business Forms Database

The Palm Beach County Library System’s new “LegalForms” database offers patrons a reliable source of documents, accessible by home or Library computers, through a subscription agreement with service provider Thomson Gale, Inc.

The four featured services found on the database are Florida Legal Forms, Tax Forms, Legal Definitions and an Attorney Directory. The Florida Legal Forms data-files are searchable by keywords or by alphabetical index. The legal forms include such popular documents as wills and trusts, power of attorney, real estate, probate, bankruptcy, and name change.

The new database is listed as a menu option on the PBC Library System’s “Legal Resources @Your Library” website. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/legal.htm . It also is a menu option on the PBCLS Electronic Resources Index, listed under the Business and Law heading. Address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/edb/patronlinks.asp

May/June

 Improve Education, Career Skills Using ‘LearningExpress’

Palm Beach County residents may enhance their educational, professional or future career skills through the use of online testing and course resources provided by the Palm Beach County Library System.

"LearningExpress Library" is an interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help library patrons, students and adult learners succeed on the academic or licensing tests they must pass to advance in their education or careers.  The database provides immediate scoring of practice tests, and complete answer explanations.

The "LearningExpress Library" is free and provided as a public service through a subscription agreement between the vendor and the Library System.  The database is accessible via library computers located in all 14 branch locations, or by remote home computer access for patrons with a valid PBCLS library card.

Database users are offered online test and course resources for such civil service career fields as federal clerical and postal worker, military, nursing, teaching, real estate and cosmetology.  Emergency and law enforcement practice tests also are available for EMS/EMT, firefighter, Florida police officer, corrections officer, border patrol and U.S. Treasury enforcement agent.

Graduate school practice entrance exams offered include the GRE quantitative and verbal tests, the GMAT for MBA programs, the LSAT for law, and the MCAT for biological science, verbal reasoning and physical sciences.  A variety of K-12 skill improvement tests are provided on the database, as well as GED, FCAT and SAT preparation.

For persons seeking to become U.S. citizens, "LearningExpress" offers U.S. Citizenship history and civics review guides.  Reading skill improvement guides, and "skills improvement with Spanish instructions" also are featured.

For more information about this service, contact the Library's Government Research Service Section at: grs@pbclibrary.org.  Library patrons wishing to access the "LearningExpress Library" from home computers may start their online journey at the PBCLS introductory page:  http://www.pbclibrary.org/redirect_learnatest/learnatest.asp  

  Community Foundation Resources Provided at Main Library

The "Funding Resource Center" collection of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is currently available for use by grant seekers and nonprofit organizations at the Palm Beach County Library System's Main Library Research Center.

This comprehensive collection of funding resources is temporarily hosed with the Library System, for the mutual benefit of foundation and library patrons and staff, while the Community Foundation's offices are undergoing renovations resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Wilma.

The "Funding Resource Center" collection includes materials on a variety of subjects of interest to nonprofits.  Featured resources are print directory and grant guides, government resources, an electronic database, and subject guides.  The following directories are displayed at the Main Library:

• "Guide to U.S. Foundations".  (2005 edition)

• "The Foundation Directory".    (2005 edition)

• "The Foundation 1000".          (2005-06 edition)

• "The National Directory of Corporate Giving".

• "National Guide to Giving".      (10 volume series)

The Community Foundation's "Funding Resource Center" was established in 1985 to serve the local nonprofit community.  For more information about Community Foundation services and programs, contact their West Palm Beach office at (561) 659-6800.    

March/April

   Library Offers Online Municipal Documents Index

To help residents, businesses and public sector staff locate local municipal documents, the Palm Beach County Library System’s Government Research Service section created an online Municipal Documents Index on the PBCLS “Government Research” website.

The online index provides a one-stop site to find special reports, town clerk records, forms and public meeting information provided by Palm Beach County municipalities in digital format. These useful archival sites are linked to the Library’s Municipal Documents Index to offer citizens direct access to E-Government resources.

The Municipal Documents Index also features links to the official websites of cities in Palm Beach County. The information site is an evolving project, with digital records added monthly as documents are made available on the Internet.

The Library’s Government Research Service (GRS) maintains a “Local Documents Collection” of print government reports and studies at the PBCLS Main Library, 3650 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach. These are primarily Palm Beach County Government documents, but select municipal studies are archived. Documents in print format also are listed on the automated Municipal Documents Index.

The GRS webmaster is Research Librarian Isabel Toolsie. For more information or suggestions, contact the GRS section at: grs@pbclibrary.org  Municipal Documents Index address: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-local_municipal_resources.htm

   Downloadable Audiobooks @ the PBC Library

More than 1,000 downloadable audiobook titles are now available as a service of the Palm Beach County Library System. The service allows patrons to listen to books by their favorite authors on their personal mp3 players.

Downloadable audiobooks are provided by the Library System through an agreement with Recorded Book/NetLibrary. The collection includes classics, mysteries, westerns, popular fiction, humor, memoirs, and self-help books. The audio collection also includes the Pimsleur series of foreign language and ESL courses, and the CEV Holy Bible.

To download audiobooks, patrons need to set up free NetLibrary accounts at any branch of the PBC Library System. After creating an account, audiobooks may be downloaded anytime on home computers.

For more information, contact the Main Library Research Center at 561-233-2600 or 888-780-4962. An audiobook FAQ and procedures are available online at: http://www.pbclibrary.org/audiobooks.htm

January/February

   Public Records Used As Locator, Genealogy Resource

Government and court records such as birth, marriage and death certificates, census surveys, immigration lists and property descriptions are useful research tools widely used by missing person and family history researchers.

Ancestry: Library Edition, an online subscription service available at 14 Palm Beach County Library System branches, has added a new comprehensive locator search engine to its database called the U.S. Public Records Index. It allows ranked and exact searching by name, location, address and phone number.  Its sources are government public records (1984 - present) available nationwide.  Information includes name, address, phone number, estimated age and year of birth.

The U.S. Public Records Index is located on the Directories menu of Ancestry: Library Edition.  The Ancestry database is linked to the Library System's Electronic Resources index and the GRS "Genealogy Research @ your Library" website.  Online Access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/genealogy.htm.

Another useful locator source is the PBCLS Government Research Service's Vital Records webpage.  It includes links to the PBC Clerk of Courts database, the PBC Property Appraiser's Public Access (PAPA) database, the PBC Tax Collector records, and state and national records sites.  Online Access: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-vital.htm.

   Library Offers Government 'E-Journal' Articles

The Palm Beach County Library System's Government Research Service (GRS) has created a Government E-Journals webpage listing specialized government journals found on Library's subscription Infotrac OneFile database.

Full-text articles from such publications as State News, Parks & Recreation and Government Security can be accessed by PBCLS cardholders via home or office computer, or at any of the Library System's 14 branches.  Gale's Infotrac OneFile database is a menu option on the Library System's Electronic Resources index.

The Library System's new Government E-Journals webpage can be accessed at: http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-ejournals.htm.  For additional information, contact the Government Research Service at: grs@pbclibrary.org.

Updated: February 27, 2008   

Related Pages: Genealogy Research - Legal Research - Government Research