HARROW EARLY IMMIGRANT RESEARCH SOCIETY (H E I R S)

THE PURPOSE OF HE HARROW EARLY IMMIGRANT RESEARCH SOCIETY IINCLUDES THE PRESERVATION OF LOCAL HISTORICAL AND FAMILY HISTORY ENCOURAGING RESEARCH INTO LOCAL AND FAMILY HISTORY AND ENCOURAGING THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS AND BUILDINGS. IN THIS PAST YEAR EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON REBUILDING FOLLOWING CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP AND THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC. THE RESEARCH LIBRARY HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND RECATALOGUED USING A NEW MUSEUM GRADE SOFTWARE THAT IS USED AROUND NORTH AMERICA TO ENABLE RESEARCHERS AT HEIRS AND AROUND THE CONTINENT TO SHARE IMPORTANT INFORMATION. THE PROCESS OF SCANNING AND DESCRIBING THOUSANDS OF RELEVANT PHOTOGRAPHS HAS BEGUN.

CONCENTRATION ON LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN ONE FOCUS THIS YEAR. RESEARCHERS ARE INTERVIEWING FAMILIES AND BUSINESS OWNERS PHOTOGRAPHING CURRENT BUSINESSES AND REVIEWING POSSIBLE ARTIFACTS FOR INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. IN ADDITION INVOLVEMENT IN THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL HISTORY IS GROWING AS FARM OWNERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS MEET TO SHARE INFORMATION. THE TOWN OF ESSEX LEADERS ARE GROWING IN THEIR INTEREST IN FINDING GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE GROWTH OF THE TOWN OF HARROW AND COLCHESTER TOWNSHIP. THIS PROCESS WILL CONTINUE AS THE NEW SOFTWARE PASTPERFECT DEVELOPMENT IS ANOTHER PRIORITY AS IS THE DIGITIZING OF ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS NEWSPAPERS PHOTOGRAPHS ETC. THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE LIBRARY. A FOCUS ON POLICY DEVELOPMENT WILL BETTER ENSURE THE SAFETY OF NEW ACQUISITIONS AS WELL AS OLD TREASURES. AS WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR VISITORS AND MEMBERS WE WILL INVITE NEW LOCAL AUTHORS TEACHERS HISTORY BUFFS AND THOSE WITH SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE TO SHARE IT AT MONTHLY MEETINGS AND IN OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS. THIS PROCESS HAS A NEW ENERGY AND CONCENTRATION ON OUR MEMBERS WITH A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THOSE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THE PAST.