Book Committee Report, November 2023

Based on the success of our initial printing, we ordered an additional 40 books. Thirty (30) of these new books were hard covers and 10 were soft covers. That matches the 3 to 1 ratio that our sales of the first printing had been trending. We sold all the remaining hard covers and some of the newly-ordered books at the Speake Family Reunion in Pigeon Forge. Our inventory is down to 38 books left, 12 soft covers and 26 hard covers.

If you did not initially order a copy, want to order more books or, have a library or genealogical association to which you would like to donate a copy, please do so.

Donating books to libraries and genealogical societies is the best way to make sure our Speak/e/s family legacy and research reaches future generations. We encourage you to buy a book to donate. We will be happy to mail the donated book directly to the library or society of your choosing.

The Association has donated a hard-cover book to the following libraries:

  • Daughters of the American Revolution Library

  • Library of Congress (2 books per copyright requirements)

  • Sons of the American Revolution Library, Louisville

  • Fort Wayne Public Library (Allen County Indiana Public Library)

  • Maryland Archives, Annapolis

  • St. Mary’s County Historical Society

  • Martin F. Schmidt Research Library (Mid-Continent Public Library), Independence, Missouri

  • State Library of North Carolina, Raleigh

  • Family History Library, Salt Lake City

  • Library of Virginia, Richmond

Members have donated a hard-cover book to the following libraries:

  • Lawrence County, Alabama Library (Susan Sills)

  • Kentucky State Historical Society, Frankfort (Henry Payne)

  • Owensboro Daviess County Public Library (Henry Payne)

  • Harrodsburg, Kentucky Historical Society (John Payne)

  • Charles County Historical Society (Southern Maryland Study Center) (Joyce Candland)

  • Maryland Genealogical Society (Joyce Candland)

  • St. Mary’s County Genealogical Society (Joyce Candland)

  • St. Louis County Library (Michael Speak)

  • Putnam County, Missouri Library (John Payne)

  • Claiborne County, Tennessee Library (Roberta Estes)

  • Hancock County, Tennessee Library (Roberta Estes)

  • Library of Virginia, Richmond (John Morris – as circulation copy)

  • Handley Regional Library, Winchester, Virginia (John Payne)

  • Lee County, Virginia Historical & Genealogy Society (Dolores Ham)

  • Virginia Genealogical Society (John Morris)

  • Fairfax County Public Library, Fairfax, VA (John Morris)

  • Pennington Gap, Virginia Library (Mary Hentschel)

  • Family Search: Durham Parish Church, Nanjemoy, Maryland (Jim Cobey)

  • Prince George’s County, Maryland Genealogical Society (John Payne)

  • East Tennessee Historical Society, Knoxville (Dana Speeks Howard)

Libraries identified by our members but to which no book has been donated:

  • National Archives, Washington, DC

  • Alabama State Archives, Montgomery, Alabama

  • Los Angeles Public Library Genealogical Collection

  • Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado

  • Kentucky State Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky

  • Clark Center for Kentucky History, Frankfort, Kentucky

  • Bell County Library, Middlesboro, Kentucky

  • Adair County Public Library, Columbia, Kentucky

  • Casey County Public Library, Liberty, Kentucky

  • Marion County Public Library, Lebanon, Kentucky

  • Nelson County Public Library, Bardstown, Kentucky

  • Washington County Public Library, Springfield, Kentucky

  • Maryland Center for History & Culture/H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Charles County Public Library, LaPlata, Maryland

  • New England Historic Genealogical Society Library, Boston, Massachusetts

  • Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michigan

  • Adair County Public Library, Kirksville, Missouri

  • New York Public Library, New York, New York

  • Iredell County Library/Historical Society, Statesville, North Carolina

  • Rowan County Library/Historical Society, Salisbury, North Carolina

  • Hamilton County Public Library, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Dallas Central Library/Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Genealogical Collection, Dallas, Texas

  • Houston Genealogical Library/Clayton Center for Genealogical Research, Houston, Texas

Thanks to all members who have already donated one or more books to libraries or genealogical societies. If you know of other such libraries or associations which you believe would be a good place for future Speak/e/s researchers and generations to research, please consider donating a book to them.

Thanks to all of you who helped with the book. It was a labor of love and collaboration among many people over many years.

-- John Morris, Book Committee Chair

UpdatesMegan Speakes