JForren@aol.com wrote: > Am doing research in that area on both mine and my husband's family- > Crain-Monroe-Brooks-Forren-Coslet-Shafer families- What kind of information > can I get from the Urban Free Library and how can I go about getting it? > Braodlands-Long View-Allerton-Villa Grove families > Thanks Jo Forren One of the first things I did when I got into genealogy in 1993 was to call this library. I gave my surname to the lady who answered the phone. She excused herself and after a couple of minutes she said "There's a whole folder here. What would you like me to send you?" When I opened the mail, I was amazed. I had my grandfather's birth record, his parent's names, his wife's first husband's name, his children's names and his step children's names and birthdates.. All it cost me was postage and copies. They said they gave the first hour free. Later, after I had studied the material, I called and asked for more. I got court documents, medical records, etc. etc. This bunch cost me more, but it was still small. I thought "this genealogy thing is a breeze." Nothing since has been that easy. The tremendous growth of the hobby may keep them from giving you the same service, but they were very genealogy-friendly in 1993, and probably are still. Good Luck, Yvonne