LAS VEGAS, NM – Donnelly Library and the City of Las Vegas Museum will host workshops April 24 – 30 on preserving family documents.
The workshops are part of the American Library Association’s national Preservation Week.
“Everyone needs to take an active role in making memories last,” said Lynn Gates, head of Donnelly Library’s Archives and Cataloging Division. “My family has moved around a lot, and we have lost many of the great stories from our ancestors. I have a small quilt sampler from an ancestor but all we know is her name.”
Gates said Northern New Mexico is rich with generations of family history. “Many local families have stories, diaries, and pictures of their ancestors” Gates said. “I wish that I had the same thing, so I feel it’s really important that families care and record what they have so it isn’t lost to their children and grandchildren.”
Cabrini Martinez, administrator for the City of Las Vegas Museum, said the importance of family history is sometimes lost in the daily flood of technology and instant communication.
“It’s to important to remember where we came from, where our values come from and where our culture comes from,” Martinez said.
The schedule of workshops and events for Preservation Week are:
Sunday, April 24
- Community Potluck Kick-Off: 4 – 9 p.m. Highlands Student Center Ballroom.
Tuesday, April 26
- Caring for Family Documents: 1 – 2 p.m. Student Center Room 321.
Wednesday, April 27
- City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Exhibit Tours: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Introduction to Genealogy: 3 – 4 p.m. Student Center Room 322.
Thursday, April 28
- Family Book Repair: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Donnelly Library Room 327.
- Preserving Your Digital Life: 12 – 1 p.m. Student Center Room 322.
- Student Presentations: 6 – 8 p.m. Student Center Room 322.
Friday, April 29
- Hidden Treasures in the Library: 3 – 5 p.m. Donnelly Library Room 218.
Saturday, April 30
- Family Story Time: 2 – 4 p.m. Donnelly Library second floor couches.
For more information, contact Lynn Gates at (505) 454-3255 or legates@nmhu.edu.