Alan J. Pitts
Re: I agree
Fri Jun 29 11:21:38 2001


Good idea. It would help all of us to know what's available in individual libraries and what to expect from a visits to them. I'm sure people like Hoyt Cagle and Judy Wills could tell us more about what's available in the Tennessee Valley. Auburn has an on-line guide to their collections, but I haven't visited enough to provide a complete list of what's there. Perhaps other readers could offer their opinions.

If you decide to use parts of my post on ADAH vs BPL, please add a note to advise readers that these are only opinions (mine) and others may feel differently about BPL or ADAH. I neglected to mention the wonderful ambiance of the old BPL building, now the Southern Collection. I expected the BPL site to include views of the beautiful Winter Murals (1922, but recently restored) and the high ceilings of the first floor reading room, but don't see them. Here's a link to military collections available in the BPL archive collection:

http://www.bham.lib.al.us/Archives/oldsite/warandwartime.htm

Readers must bear in mind that it doesn't include items such as the Hardman letters (6th Alabama Cavalry) or the Henry Beck diary (5th Alabama Infantry), bound typescripts which should be on the shelf with other Alabama regimental histories. Every once in a while, a new library assistant will move these 'older' books to the stacks, and I have to ask Yvonne to return them.