Ready to explore the archival records and other resources concerning migration to Kirksville, I left my house this morning to meet my partner, Maggie, at Pickler Memorial Library for our Research Assistance Program (RAP) session. Eager to speak directly with a librarian who is a specialist in history and sociology who could provide us with some valuable resources, we arrived to find that our session would have to be rescheduled, because this particular had to leave work to deal with an emergency.
C’est la vie.
Luckily, another librarian was there, and she provided us with some good resources to kick off some research. She pointed out local history and genealogy databases on Truman’s library server as well as census records that we could look through to identify patterns of migration in that way. We concluded our impromptu yet informative meeting by deciding to check the Special Collections section of Pickler to see if we could uncover any information there.
Upon arriving at the Special Collections area, I was immediately informed that the head librarian there was off to a webinar and wouldn’t be back until later. I left my name, email, and search query (“Migration to Kirksville throughout history. Any groups at any point in time”), feeling slightly guilty for the vague request but eager to see what they might find.
Another resource we have available at our disposal is Adair County Historical Society, though the hours of operation are working against us a bit. The museum, where I have worked for the past two years as an archival assistant, is only open Wednesdays through Fridays from 1:00-4:00pm. For Maggie and I, our class schedules aren’t exactly compatible with this small window of time, but we are certainly going to stop by at some point soon.
All in all, we have plenty of resources available to us, and I am excited to begin delving into Kirksville’s past. As the archival assistant for the ACHS, I have spent a significant amount of time poring over old newspaper clippings and photos that the society has collected. I can’t wait to put my interests towards the study of migration here and to then share our findings with anyone who desires to learn.