Hi all, A question re NI news reporting I'm hoping someone living in NI can answer for me. My cousin in Belfast (who does not do genealogy research, but knows all the family stories from growing up on the family farm in Tyrone) says a recent news report is that "all of the PRO records" are going online. I assume she means PRONI (because she asked if this means I won't be going to Ireland to research in the future). The only PRONI story I know is that they're building a new facility in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast and eventually PRONI will relocate there. Has anyone in NI heard anything about a major digitization effort, as well? Or did she just misremember / misunderstand the "moving" story as a "digitizing" story? I checked PRONI's site and the latest news release is re the move to the Titanic Quarter, with no mention of digitizing any of the materials. (Yes, I take with a very large grain of salt the "all records" part of the story, but wonder if there is a "some records" story circulating). The only digitizing efforts I remember are PRONI working with OSNI to digitize GV maps, and PRONI working to convert their old (clunky) geographic data files (from the computers that were there in the old days before the renovation to the current layout of the reading room) to a modern database. I haven't heard anything about either one in quite some time -- does anyone know if they're still ongoing? Thanks for any enlightenment so I can untangle my cousin's story... Claire K seekay@comcast.net

Hello Claire, PRONI have scanned their catalogues/calenders {you know the big blue/red/black books that line the walls of search room} These are going on line some time later this year, not the actual contents of the Archive. I have a feeling that this may further fustrate rather than help distance researchers as they will see on line for the first time indexes to hundreds of thousands of available paper collections but will not be able to get at the actual content. best regards Robert www.ulsterancestry.com > > A question re NI news reporting I'm hoping someone living in NI can > answer for me. My cousin in Belfast (who does not do genealogy > research, but knows all the family stories from growing up on the > family farm in Tyrone) says a recent news report is that "all of the > PRO records" are going online. I assume she means PRONI (because she > asked if this means I won't be going to Ireland to research in the > future).> _________________________________________________________________ Win New York holidays with Kellogg’s & Live Search http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/107571440/direct/01/