FYI, I received this today from the NHROCKIN-L(a)rootsweb.com List. It was sent
to that list from > grc(a)haystack.mit.edu (Glenn Campbell) < who wrote the
following:
"This is a bit long winded but worth reading. PLEASE circulate, at least
the address of the FAMILY SEARCH, to any roots-l you may belong (to) so that
the LDS will consider to keep it running."
----Original Message-----
From: Virginia Ewing [mailto:vewing@ctesc.net]
Sent: Monday, March 01, 1999 5:00 PM
Subject: LDS FAMILY SEARCH COMING SOON
As the director of a LDS Family History Center, I have received a notice
from Salt Lake LDS FHL, announcing the Beta testing of Family Search on
line. It is not yet up, a problem with a piece of equipment, but will
be starting sometimes this month and will be up only a few weeks as a
test run.
If there is not a lot of interest it will be taken off and not put back
on. So spread the word and keep trying to get through. When it comes on
line the URL will be: >
www.familysearch.org <.
I have not been told exactly what will be available but know at least
the Ancestral File and Family History Library Catalog will be included.
Family Search is the name of the program we have on CDs in all LDS FHCs.
Some public libraries also have this program. FS includes the IGI,
Ancestral File, Family History Library Catalog, Social Security Death
Records, Koran and Vietnam war death records, and Scottish Church
Records.
For those of you not familiar with the various searches, the IGI is the
International Genealogical Index. It includes, in alphabetical order,
all of the names that have been sent to the Temples to have ordinances
performed in their name.
Names in the IGI are usually submitted by members, but not always.
Non-members also submit their family names to get them into the IGI.
Some of the marriages may have been part of extraction programs. The
names were taken from courthouse records and checked and rechecked by
several volunteers before being accepted as correct.
Most people do try to send in accurate information but there are many
mistakes. My advice is, always check the original source. Use the IGI
to find where people with your surname would have lived and order the
census and court records from that area.
Ancestral File is Gedcoms of group and pedigree sheets sent in by
members and non-members. The name and address of the submitter is
included and hopefully will allow you to contact others working on your
line. If the address is out of date sometimes a letter to the Membership
dept. in Salt Lake will get you a correct address if the person was a
member of the LDS church.
Once again, the material is only as good as the research that went into
it and some of it is pretty bad. Check it out before you 'adopt' it.
If you find a mistake on Ancestral File, you can send in your corrections,
along with your sources of proof, and it will be noted in the next update.
The first submitter does not have to provide proof, but you do, if you are
making a correction. You can add additions to a file, or submit a new
file. You do not have to be a member to submit material.
The Family History Library Catalog is a listing of every book, film and
fiche available at the Salt Lake City LDS Family History Library. This
allows us to find what is available for each locality, world-wide. It
includes the FHL call numbers and a description of what is included in the
film/fiche or book.
The material from the books and film/fiche will not be on line. That is
not something they can do, at this time. Hopefully it will be a
possibility some time in the distant future.
The film and fiche will still have to be ordered through FHC. Microfilm
and microfiche are the property of the FHL and are sent into the care of
the LDS FHC director and must remain under her/his care until returned.
For this reason they are never allowed to be taken from the LDS FHC.
Almost all of the microfilm and microfiche at the LDS Family History
Library in Salt Lake City can be ordered into any LDS FHL, anywhere in
the world, but there are a few exceptions. Copyright laws prevent them
from using material without the written consent of the owner. Some of the
film and fiche where filmed by companies other than the LDS Church and
permission to circulate these film to LDS FHCs has been denied. There
will be a notice included in the description, saying it can not be
circulated. Many of the SC microfilm where made by a company who has
refused permission to allow the film to be circulated, but there are many
microfilm available for SC, some covering the same material that is on
the restricted film.
The LDS FHL is a non-profit organization, and that is why it still cost
only 15 cents a sheet for a microfiche, $3.25 plus tax to rent a
microfilm for a month [may be more in other countries] and the
SourceGuide and other home use programs are sold at such a reasonable
price. We aren't allowed to make a profit, even in the FHCs.
The books that are listed are not loaned out but can sometimes be
obtained through an Inter-library loan through your public library.
You can request copies of pages and if a book is indexed, by ordering the
index you can see if your people would have been listed. In cases where
the copyright has expired the book may have been filmed or can be filmed
upon request. Never hurts to ask.
Virginia Ewing vewing(a)ctesc.net
listowner: Gober, Perry, Ashley & MSWilkin[son] co, MS
search the mailing list archives at
http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl
----- End Included Message -----