Keo-Mah Genealogical Society At Crossroads
Don DeBoef points out reference materials only available at the Keo-Mah Genealogy Society Library.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Keo-Mah Genealogical Society needs the public’s help to keep their library open.
The group recently turned to the crowd funding website ‘GoFundMe’ to help in raising the funds needed to pay down their debt, in turn making it easier for the group to stay in operation.
The Keo-Mah Genealogical Society moved into the current location in February of 2008, and the group is now raising money to pay down the debt on that facility in order to remain viable.
If the group were able to pay down the mortgage debt, the prospect of being able to maintain the library becomes much greater. If the local group were to close down, Alan Neve, volunteer with the library, says that it’s his understanding that the materials would be transferred to the state genealogical society in Des Moines.
According to information within the Keo-Mah Library, the foundation for the current genealogical society finds its roots in an October 15, 1981 meeting at the Oskaloosa Public Library, where discussion ensued regarding the possibility of forming a genealogical society.
On October 29, 1981, the first official meeting took place, officers were elected, and the name Keo-Mah was selected to represent the two counties they service.
The society was incorporated on May 24, 1985.
Before moving to their current location at 209 A Avenue East in Oskaloosa, the society was located in the Oskaloosa Public Library, Penn Central Mall, and the old Farm Bureau Office building.
The Keo-Mah Genealogical Society is facing some of the same problems many other businesses and groups face: a declining membership. The numbers are impacted by the digital age, where information has become easier to find online. Another factor in declining membership is the age of those who use the facility, as members pass away.
Alan Neve, a volunteer with Keo-Mah, says that many materials in the library itself are not available anywhere else; even online. That type of information, and the knowledge that comes from having a knowledgeable person, is something that a database just can’t do yet.
The group currently raises funds through memberships, research, book sales, donations, and the GoFundMe page. If you would like to help by donating to the GoFundMe page click here. – https://www.gofundme.com/252pmr8
