Fellow listers -- While we're in this thread re: batch numbers.......I've had a couple of inquiries off-list, asking where to enter the batch numbers in the IGI on the LDS site. The steps to follow may not be totally clear to everyone, especially since the whole LDS site was redesigned and reorganized a while ago (not necessarily for the better, in my opinion, but maybe it's just me <g>). Here are instructions, in case anyone else is wondering about this. Once on the LDS site (www.familysearch.org), click on Search for Ancestors. That will get you to another page which has a small list on the left hand side. The list is headed All Resources (which is the default), with International Genealogical Index being the third choice down. Clicking on it will get you to the IGI page where you enter data, such as surname, name of spouse, event (ie. baptism, marriage, etc), region (eg. British Isles, or continental Europe, etc.). Then the last space at the bottom is where you enter the batch number. Once you have entered all your data, click on Search. What you should get then is a list of names and events to choose from, taken from the records for that batch number. Clicking on any particular name will lead you to further information -- for example, if it's a baptism, there will be the names of the parents, the date of the event and the location. If you scroll down further, past these details, you will get to a section headed Source Information. There you will find the batch numbers listed together with the LDS film or fiche number of the source document. Clicking on the film/fiche number will give you details of the source document. The source of an entry can vary. For example, it could be: a) from an original parish record (which is the ideal, because it means the record in the IGI has only been transcribed once, ie. entered into the IGI from the original record). b) from a book (so the IGI entry is a copy of a copy in a book which probably came from yet another source). c) from a "computer printout" or "extracts" (again, the IGI entry will be a copy of a copy). d) from "patron submissions", meaning the information was submitted by an LDS church member, but the original source may not be mentioned. You can imagine the possibility of errors in these examples. That's why it's always wise to check IGI information against original documents. If you're wondering what happens if you choose the default setting --. ie. All Resources, instead of choosing just the IGI -- this means a search will be done for your surname in the IGI as well as in two other features. Those features are a) Ancestral File -- which contains pedigrees of families which have been submitted by LDS church members (not always complete and/or accurate in my experience) and b) Pedigree Resource File -- which is fairly new and which I'm not that familiar with but it seems to me to be fairly similar to Ancestral File (does anyone care to post, telling us the differences between Pedigree Resource and Ancestral File?) If you choose the All Resources option, you cannot enter any batch numbers. Hope my comments have been enlightening. My best to all, Andrea