Hello, Joyce, Indeed, I have had the experience with these records, ordered many, and was very diappointed and frustrated. I tried several different angles. Finally, in utter desperation, I called SLAKE and spoke to the gentleman that specializes in these records. You won't be happy with the answer, as I was disappointed as well. The numbers you read in the thousands are the numbers of the registers. Why do they stop? Because they are still in the process of filming and very, very early in it unfortunately. The number of the register that I ned for Buczal~y is Vol. # 6308. They do not expect this volume to be filmed for a couple of more years yet. The problem seems to be a combination of the antiquated equipment and the limited hours of operation of the archives or something like that. My best advice? Check back each year until the specific register is finished. Basically, what you are looking at in the index is the following: 1. The column on the extreme left is the volume number of the register. This is the number you'll need eventually in order to order the appropriate film from the FHLC catalogue index. 2. The central column describes whther it is a marriage, death, or birth register, or all of the above. The second line in the middle tells the name of the town or village for the most part. 3. The next column, moving to the right, are the range of years covered for those entries in that register volume. 4. The final number in the extreme right hand column is simply the number of pages in that particualr register. ---------------------- Alternatives? 1. Work through RAGAS - Expensive, expensive, expensive! 2. Send a random query to the parish of the village or town using a genric format like Rosemary Chorzempa suggests in her book "Polish Roots." Me? I'll wait for a while, then send a letter, then pray, then contact SLAKE over and over each year for the next couple of years, then . . . ? Well, by that time maybe we'll either see RAGAS get real with their rates and I'll consider using them, or I'll have passed on to another level of reality where I can sit face to face with all my ancestors and get a first hand report on what they did, who they were, and where they lived, etc. Not rushing to that alternative, of course :-) Hope this is of some small help. Sorry the news isn't better. I know how disappointed I was. Regards, Charles Edward Tucker ctucker@wzrd.com