Sandra Rozhon wrote: > > On 27 Apr 97, Thomas Danicki penned the following: > >> After this disappointing experience, it makes me wonder > > if there is really any point in trying the birth certificate route? If > > When "baby Jones" is born on May 10, 1920, the information is recorded in a volume under May and within that month under the appropriate initial (ie. "J"). Those names are not alphebetized other than that all of them are listed under the same initial. They are listed in chronological order of receipt, not even by birthdate. I believe you that it can be a real challenge to look up someone under such a filing system. However, I don't think such systems were designed by accident -- they were designed to maximize the privacy of the individuals about whom the data is filed. The premise underlying the filing system, and rightfully so, is that only someone who is intimately familiar with the individual in question would have the personal knowledge necessary to find the record. I basically don't have a problem with that philosophy. What I do have a problem with is the manner in which the Penn. Dept. of Health provides this "tip" for beginning genealogical research: "If you have the names and some basic information, you can obtain birth and death records from [it]." Then on the application for a "certified copy" it is asked: Date of event, place of event, full names of parents (including maiden name of the mother), and either the name of the hospital or funeral director. I hardly would characterize such data as "some basic information". I am glad to learn from some of the private responses I received to my question that not all states maintain the same type of filing system as PA, nor do many of the county courthouses within PA itself. It just seems to be like a roll of the dice as to whether the intended records are retrievable or not. If my purpose were strictly genealogical for the research, I probably would not be as frustrated as I am. But I am also trying to determine if there are links to persons still living, before the older members of the family pass away, so I feel like I'm racing a clock I can't see! My father went to his grave about three years ago believing he had only a small handful of surviving relatives. Now I've just discovered there are a number of others in the US & in Europe with my same surname, who could very well be cousins to some degree. Between the refusal of some individuals to speak about the past (as has been discussed by many in this forum), and the obtuseness of some PA filing systems, the answers are remaining elusive! > I liked going through those books because you often found things you'd never discover otherwise. The PA Dept. of Health points out that "Unlike some other states, [PA] does not permit self-search of the records due to their confidentiality. ALL SEARCHES MUST BE DONE BY THE EMPLOYEES OF VITAL RECORDS." -- Thomas J. Danicki danickit@concentric.net, Rochester Hills, Mich. 48306 U.S.A. "...you've got that stunned Brian-Wilson-is-a-god look on your face!" - Bruce Johnston, per _Endless Summer Quarterly_