A genealogy library was established by the society in 1988 by Charlene Shields and Janet Armstrong, with a strong assist by Janet Pritchett. It enjoyed the financial and personal sponsorship of Mary Smith Fay, C.G.
The library has a microfilm reader and printer, and several computers for research purposes. Carl and Lois Shelton’s 54000 name database is available on the computer, and the files of Ira Shain (also at the Norris City Public Library), Margaret Land (also at the Carmi Public Library) and many other genealogists are available in hard-copy surname files and family history books. A listing of the of the library collection is now online, with a large file for A-L titles and surnames and M-Z titles and surnames. These are very large webpages, slow to load and may hang your system.
The library was originally housed in the first floor of the Ratcliff Inn, in office space originally used to generate income for the society. In April 1999 it relocated to Carmi’s old Carnegie Library, which was donated to the society by the City of Carmi in the fall of 1998, after a new city facility was completed. The library is an attractive example of prairie-style architecture, designed in 1914 by Clifford Shopbell of Evansville. The library’s email address is w.c.h.s-geneal[email protected], but the staff is still learning to use the net.
