PHILADELPHIA, PA – “The past is never dead. It’s not even past,” quipped William Faulkner. Regardless of what it is not, the exploration of history and genealogy is certainly one thing: increasingly digital.

As part of its commitment to inspiring a better future through historical understanding, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) is proud to announce several new online tools
designed to support remote users and HSP members connecting online to the library and archive.

Discover:

Discover, HSP’s online search interface, has been updated and enhanced. The new version includes a book bag feature, social functions such as tagging and commenting, and the ability to create public and private lists of records for logged in users.

The new system will also include over 9,000 records imported from HSP’s Digital Library, so that users may search for physical and digital items simultaneously.

The new Discover allows for a more social researching experience. The ability to create public and private lists of records is ideal for those wishing to share and keep track of their findings. For example:

• Genealogists investigating their family history can now update their family members on their latest research;
• Educators may select a group of records relating to a lesson plan or classroom theme;
• Students can then search for and comment upon these records;

Tagging and commenting enable users to participate in how records are catalogued in HSP’s collections. This increases the records’ findability as well as adding crowd-sourced knowledge to the records themselves. For example:

• Genealogists are welcome to tag the records that relate to their family and elaborate on that relationship as a comment;
• Educators are invited to use the tag and comment features to help students identify and engage with historical figures and events;
• Students are welcome to voice their opinion about the themes and issues raised in the record’s content, and to add cataloguing terms of their own choosing;

Browse & Search

Our Advanced Search Tool lets you easily search multiple fields at the same time and combine terms in complex ways. Not sure where to start your search? Want to discover something new? You can try our Browse Tool to explore our collection by combining factors like author name, era and topic. Search by record source and by collection.

PAL (Patron Access Link)

HSP is also pleased to announce its new proxy server, affectionately called P.A.L. (Patron Access Link). PAL allows members to log into HSP systems from home and access members-only resources. Members will be able to log into the new Discover system, the HSP website, and the new Genealogy databases using the same HSP account, with the added comfort of exploring the library and archive wherever they may be – from Philadelphia to the Philippines.

HSP Genealogy

The Genealogical and Biographical Database Project, now in its third year, has been indexing and summarizing HSP record collections that are particularly rich in information on individuals, including the records of the Philadelphia Home for Infants, Philadelphia Job Placement Office, and the Home Missionary Society. These new databases, the first in a series of databases under development for HSP members, are now available online.

Mobile Interface

Explore HSP’s collections on the go! Part of its enhanced support for remote access users, Discover is now designed to work seamlessly on your iOS, Android, and other mobile devices. The tag, comment, book bag, and list features are all available on the mobile Discover. 

About the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a provider of education and information for the people of Philadelphia and beyond. With over 21 million documents – including manuscripts, graphics, and ephemera – HSP serves more than 4,000 researchers who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources online at hsp.org. HSP offers extensive online resources including digital collections, curricular materials, and hosts educator workshops, public programs and lectures throughout the year. hsp.org