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Donation received for new high-tech scanner

Anonymous donor gifts Webster County Genealogical Society

The Webster County Genealogical Society has received an anonymous donation of $1,000 to go towards a new high-tech scanner that will help preserve historical documents.

The donation was received the same day that a story detailing the need for a new scanner was featured in The Messenger, Susan M. Olson, president of the Webster County Genealogical Society, reported.

Olson plans to purchase a ScanSnap SV600 scanner. It features one-button overhead scanning technology that will allow Olson and others using the scanner to copy books and other documents without putting additional stress on the documents.

Once they are scanned, the digital documents will be stored on the genealogical society’s hard drive.

Some of the documents Olson plans to scan include probate records.

“The probate records are literally falling apart,” she said. “We will now be able to scan those and document them and save them for future use. Otherwise, once those documents turn to dust that’s the end of it.”

Olson received a check in the amount of $1,000 at about 2 p.m. Thursday.

“It was hand-delivered,” Olson said.

She couldn’t believe how fast the donation came in.

“I was surprised,” she said. “I was elated. I was just very happy. I didn’t expect it to happen this soon. I am just thrilled.”

The donors wish to remain anonymous, according to Olson.

Any additional funds received will go towards other accessories, Olson said.

“This has been on our want list for a while, so the fact that we are going to be able to do it now instead of later is remarkable,” Olson said. “Some of our older members never thought we could do something like this. Technology has just jumped so far ahead of what anybody thought was possible. Technology is wonderful.”

The scanner should arrive at the Webster County Genealogical Society library inside the Fort Dodge Public Library sometime next week, Olson said.

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