­The Stearns History Museum, in partnership with the Great River Regional Library, is holding free scanning events in area communities. Bring your family photos or other documents important to your family history to be scanned with professional equipment. You will go home with a digital copy of your materials. Registration is required. Time slots are 30 minutes with a limit of one time slot per person. Oversized materials and negatives take longer to scan than other materials. Bring your own flash drive. The Museum will have flash drives available to purchase for $5.

• November 3, Cold Spring Library, Noon to 3 p.m. 
• November 3, Richmond Library, 4 to 7:30 p.m.
• November 7, Belgrade Library, 9 a.m. to noon
• November 7, Paynesville Library, 2 to 6 p.m.
• November 8, Stearns History Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• November 13, Clearwater Library, 3-6 p.m.
• November 13, Melrose Library, 10 a.m. to noon
• November 13, Sauk Centre Library, 2-7 p.m.
• November 15, St. Cloud Public Library, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Many businesses keep historical information including photos, documents, publications and news articles. Have you ever considered that those archives may have resources that could be valuable for your genealogical research?

Brendon Duffy will present “What Genealogists Can Gain from Business Archives” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists (SCAG) on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. Duffy will discuss what materials business archivists typically keep, how they can be accessed by the public and some ideas for ways they can be used by genealogists. 

Duffy has been the archivist for CentraCare, the largest healthcare system in Central Minnesota, since 2016. He is a lifelong genealogist and member of the Twin Cities Archives Round Table and the Association for Professional Genealogists. He is also a Board member of SCAG. Duffy earned a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2018.

The presentation takes place in person at the Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave. S., St. Cloud, and will be broadcast live for members of SCAG and registered guests who need to watch remotely on Zoom. The program is free to SCAG members; $7 for nonmembers. Please share this topic with nonmembers who you think might like to attend. Nonmembers can pay at the door or pay for remote access through the SCAG online store: https://scagmn.org/store. The individual annual membership rate for SCAG is $25.

Chris Schuelke, the executive director of the Otter Tail Historical Society, will discuss the history of the state's most famous state hospital. The hospital opened in 1890 to care for patients with mental illness. Presented by the Stearns History Museum, cost is free for Museum members and $10 for nonmembers.

Visit the website of Stearns History Museum to view numerous events they have.

More details to come soon regarding the Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD presentation.