From time to time, there is an opportunity to praise and promote the genealogy section at the Andalusia Public Library. A recent visit by J. Edward "Bud" Josey and his wife, Marion, proved very rewarding to the library and those interested in Josey genealogy. The couple traveled from their home in Branford, Florida, to present a fine contribution to the genealogical collection.

In 1995, the Joseys published a set of family history books consisting of eight volumes covering all Josey descendants in the United States. In view of publishing costs and to meet the current demand for these publications, they have chosen to scan each and make them available on a computer compact disc. The eight volumes are now available for purchase as a set or individually at the cost of $105.95 each, which covers costs and shipping. The set presented to the Andalusia Library may be reviewed in the genealogy section. For anyone who does not know which Josey line is his, he may contact the author, Bud Josey, at 1839 NW Circle 138, Branford, Florida 32008 or 386-935-0348.

The following is a brief description of the eight volumes: Volume1-contains the descendants of James Salter Josey, son of James William Josey, who was married to Nancy Salter. Volume 2-the other children of James Willian and Nancy Salter Josey and his younger brother, Henry, of Halifax County, North Carolina. Volume 3-Samuel Addison Josey, brother of James William and Henry. Volume 4-descendants of William Jossey of Kershaw District, South Carolina, primarily those of the oldest son, Robert Sinclair and Winnie (Robertson) Jossey. Volume 5-descendants of the other children of William Jossey: Joshua, James William, Benjamin, Martha (Willis Yates), Nancy (George T. Cotwell), Margaret (Noah Scarborough), and William Willis Jossey. Volume 6-descendants of Henry Jossey and Mary Hill of Wilkes County, Georgia. Volume 7-descendants of Emanuel Josey (Jose) of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Volume 8-descendants of Johann Jose (John Josey) of Rowan County, North Carolina.

In addition to the above eight discs, there is one containing cemetery headstone markers and one containing marriages, births, deaths, and PAF. These make a total of 10 discs in the set. For any future updates one may check the House of Josey web site, www.thehouseofjossey-josey.org.

With the above acquisition as well as others, the genealogy collection at the Andalusia Library continues to grow. Some recent additions include the following: Cemetery indexes by Lisa Franklin, The Scots-Irish in the Carolinas, History of Public Schools, Covington County, Alabama, and Black Folks from Pea Ridge by Wyley D. Ward. Other resources made available recently are a printed index of surnames for the 1900 Covington County Census and The History of Adellum Baptist Church.

Linda Davis, genealogy librarian, reported that some of the most used resources include the folders on individual families and former communities in the area, CDs on various topics, micro-filmed items such as Alabama county censuses and Covington County newspapers, the obituaries file, and the items specifically related to Covington County. A special resource is the Roster of Confederate Soldiers on CD, which is used by persons who are researching their Confederate ancestry. The disc provides an alphabetical listing of all soldiers who served in the Confederate Army by name, rank and company. A limitation is that some are listed by initials only for the given name, so one could find several with the same initial. Another very helpful item is a large county map, which includes most of the older towns and communities.

A popular resource for those with access to the internet is the library's web site www.andylibrary.com. Through this means a person is able to see what information is available on CDs. Presently, the staff is scanning some printed materials to be placed on CD and made readily accessible.

In the recent past, the library staff began soliciting videos on local families and historic events and places. To date, only a few have been taped or made available to this collection. This is a good way for families to help preserve the heritage of the area.

Linda Davis is pleased to have one person, Jan Derrick, volunteering her time to assist with work in the genealogy section. Jan is currently condensing and indexing the former genealogy periodicals for easier access. These ladies are urging local citizens to contribute their family histories, old photographs (or copies), CDs and videos. Anyone who might have questions or wishing to make contributions may contact Linda Davis by email at roots@alaweb.com.

Today's column is somewhat different from the usual featuring of some particular family settling in Covington County. The Josey family was presented in an earlier column, but this family historian's new donation to the library should be of interest to the many area descendants. Also, all families who are conducting genealogical research would want to be made aware of new and more accessible resources; therefore, this writing is designed to assist the many persons who visit the Andalusia Public Library to conduct local research.

Any individual or family who would like to share their history and see it included in this column is requested to contact the writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 21361 Rabren Road, Andalusia, AL 36420 or Email: chthom@alaweb.com or telephone 334-222-6467.