Just to jump in here: I've seen the codes at work. Yes, most people won't know what they are, but they're in tiny print at the very bottom of the obit. or wedding or other information that someday would be valuable to researchers. And I think you've hit the nail on the head with the *biggest* problem: Most people don't write the newspaper name and/or town of its publication on the item in their scrapbook. This is human nature, and all the educating in the world isn't going to change dear old Granny's declining acuities and ensure she'll remember to do this. There's a site on line that illustrates the system that I believe Lois is referring to. They'll even prepare the letter(s) and send them to you (you simply supply the editor name, newspaper name and address in your e-maill message) for your signature and posting. that's it. I located this on line by accident last summer. I was intrigued to realize that it's recognized by the National Genealogy Society, I believe from my recollection, and that it's mostly gotten a hold in the Midwest. One of my concerns, albeit a shallow one, was the fact that newspapers pay (a small price, but still it's money....) to register their coding number, until I realized that if it's recognized by gen. societies like NGS, that undoubtedly some entity will take over the registry if this registration agency falters or dies. My other concern was the sheer randomness of this identifying number and I immediately jumped to the idea that papers could insert their ZIP code as the identifier in a very small font size (as per this registry's suggestion). But then I realized, just as you said, Connie, few people will recognize what that number signifies. So I came back to the idea of the registry and began to see the rationale. If I weren't supposed to be working on a deadline ( = procrastinating by "needing" to check my e-mail <gg>) I'd check for the site on line. Perhaps Lois or other can post it. If not, I'll check my local LDS family history center (they posted a copy of the letter there after hearing about it) and post it in the next week. Yes, it would be simpler if everyone correctly noted newspaper name, location and date of publication in their obituaries, birth, death, engagement, marital and court and land listings. I just know that I'm as guilty as dear old sweet granny of forgetting to note where I found something -- and obviously I'm not alone. How else do we account for the incidence of requests on the good ol' (new?) Internet for assistance in this regard? <gg> Marianne Lindley Girten in Anchorage, Alaska >Sorry Lois. I work at a newspaper and I believe putting a 15-character code >in every obit would mean nothing to the average reader and would confuse >most. > >The biggest bugaboo about scrap books is that you see the obit, but don't >know where it came from. What we need to do is educate people to cut out the >name of the newspaper, page number and date of the newspaper along with the >obit. > >Many newspapers today include not only the day and month of death, but also >the year, so that helps somewhat. Our paper has even begun including the >year with engagements and wedding announcements. > >Connie Street >ckcasey@netins.net >325 Franklin Ave, Wapello, IA 52653-1515 > >>I am >>trying to induce newspapers to adopt the insertion into every >>obituary they publish (death list or news item) a 15-character >>code, which a decade (or a century) later, in the next town (or >>on the other side of the globe) will allow any genealogist, >>historian, researcher, or librarian working with an obituary, >>clipped from its paper and unidentified as to source or date, to >>identify the paper, its location, and the publication date.