I just received this message via PRUSSIA Rootsweb. Matthias Teichert 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 If the address is out of date sometimes a letter to the Membership dept.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@ctesc.net listowner: Gober, Perry, Ashley & MSWilkin[son] co, MS search the mailing list archives at http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl