One of the biggest problems alhn has experienced as time passes is the issue of abandoned web sites. There are MANY sites for alhn and other like organizations that are floating around, simply put, ‘out there’. We have no way of knowing if the site is still in the possession of someone, if someone is alive or if they even care about the site any more because we have no way to contact them. The most precious thing to any genealogical researcher is INFORMATION. Data is difficult to come by and if one iota of data is lost because of an abandoned web site should we not be making attempts to preserve that data? I know, in the past, that alhn has had many problems making contact with volunteers & state coordinators even. They changed their email, they lost interest, they’ve been ill.... any number of reasons. If we have no way to contact volunteers then how are we to know if they want to keep the site, donate the data or if they even give a flip what happens to it. Under copyright laws ALHN, in the past, couldn’t just go nab web site info...we’d be in violation of copyright laws. Under the current bylaws & standing rules defining what an abandoned site is & the legacy program then we have the means to stop data from being lost....which should be one of our number one goals. We have absolutely NO desire to arbitrarily overtake anyone’s data or web site and we have taken steps to see that it doesn’t happen to anyone affiliated with ALHN in the future. The ultimate goal is to prevent loss of data on sites that are no longer being maintained for some reason. Nathan Zipfel, myself, Darlene Anderson, Cyndy Cox and others who created these bylaws and standing rules worked really hard to walk that fine line that would not interfere with a ‘volunteer’ organization yet still help ALHN to be the foster parent of data linked into this network. We never had any notion of being at all invasive of anyone’s site and these bylaws & standing rules does not do that. By asking for reasonable contact information we can, at least, make attempts to contact the web site manager if needed and learn what is going on....work with that volunteer to get them an assistant or locate someone that will take over the site for them if they no longer are capable or willing to do so. In the near future you, as an alhn volunteer, should receive an email from our membership coordinator, Cyndy Cox. She will be asking for your contact information...simple stuff like your mailing address, email address, phone number (if you don’t mind sharing that). We are under an oath of office that insures the information will be kept confidential. We hope this simple information will help your ALHN Board of directors preserve and protect the future of your web site and ALHN. Joyce Gaston Reece,President American Local History Network www.alhn.org