LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-L Archives
Archiver > LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS > 2002-08 > 1029233030
From:
Subject: [LDR] Re: LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-D Digest V02 #220
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 06:03:50 EDT
In a message dated 8/12/02 7:10:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
> I agree that the site is hard to maneuver. When I clicked on the link Janet
> so kindly provided, this is what I got:
> "Error 404 - File Not Found - The document you have requested cannot be
> located on our server.
> There may be an error in the file name you are using or the file may have
> been relocated or may no longer exist.
> For State, county and municipal government information, please visit the
> Maryland Manual On-Line.
> All Archives of Maryland queries should be directed to the Supervising
> Editor
> For all other Archives' information please visit our website at
> http://mdsa.net and/or use Search the Archives "
>
> So one is back to "square one". While I realize that not everyone has
> access to books of abstracted or fully transcribed records that have been
> published, I have heard from many persons that instead of going to the
> expense of putting already-published resources on the internet, it would be
> better to put up original records that have neither been abstracted or
> published. It is amazing the number of institutions that have the 72
> volume series of the Archives of Maryland. I found a set at Louisiana
> State University when I was down there a number of years ago.
> So I agree with Janet in one respect but then do not with respect to the
> Maryland Calendar of Wills series. It's been done and widely available in
> print.
I respectfully disagree with you about the waste of money
to put records of any kind on line for the following reasons:
1. I am a member of several volunteer sites i. e. RAOGK and
I cannot possibly take the time to go to the original source
or buy a copy of the written source to help each person who
requests help. I can help probably 5 people an hour by finding the
information at the on line sites, whereas to
go to the source at the various Archives, when the nearest
is and hour from my home would limit me to five a day.
2. I have several ancestors who have one little scrib
written in a published work myself so to buy or go look
for them elsewhere is too expensive and time consuming.
If I can do a search on Google.com or another search
site, I can find most records on an individual in a matter
of seconds. At no expense to myself or people I am helping.
3. If it is an ancestor that I have been looking for and
find lots of published information on that person then I
can buy the publication and get a copy of the original but
at least the internet will tell me there is such a record.
4. Most of these sites are done by volunteers who do not
charge and transcribe and publish on the internet to help
others, so the cost is nothing, whereas writing for copies
even if you do not go copy yourself, is generally around
$.50 a copy plus postage and handling (up to 3.00). If
there are 50 court records on a family and you are looking
for your great aunts husband's daughter by a former marriage... you can find
it on line and order one page for
$3.50 as opposed to approximately $30.00.
5. My Aunts on limited income who live in the middle of
nowhere with only their computers (their children gave them)
who are afraid of the internet or asking for help from people
on line, can go to these sites and look for Fred who lived
next door 70 years ago and research his and his wives and childrens lines to
their hearts content without asking me to
go to the NABB to do so. <Very Big Grin>
Thanks,
Becky
Then you can buy the publications you really need and spend
the time you need researching at these institutions using
your time wisely to search for records of your own lines
which helps you and everyone else researching these lines.
I want to say thank you to all of the places who keep these
records and publications for us and to all the volunteers
who have helped me.
This thread: