Dear Friends, Out of state researchers complain about how tightly New York controls who gets what records. My response is: At least we have records, and repositories that value them. But, I'll add to that...so far. What in the heck is going on in the "Wild West?" We're not talking about private libraries, Folks. First, Loreen Wells reported that The Oregon State Library research room was closing in October 2014 due to budget cuts demanded by the Oregon Legislature whose mind was made up. Public outcries went to deaf ears, or perhaps more accurately stated, landed on absent ears. Now, the Arizona State Library is following suit? Dee, would you please respond to all from AZ? Is this a sign of the times or a priority of the "text-me generation." Please share your views. Story from Dick Eastman folows. Barb -------------------- "Chairman of Arizona Library Advisory Board Resigns following Genealogy Library's Changes." Dick Eastman · August 9, 2015 · Legal Affairs · 9 Comments Without warning and without enough time for the public to file comments, Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan recently moved the state library’s genealogy collection to a much smaller facility with only two bookshelves, holding a fraction of the books previously available to all. The move brought howls of protests from the genealogy community. (See my earlier articles at http://goo.gl/HChkUO and at http://goo.gl/mdTkwf for details.) The Secretary of State also laid off four employees of the state library at the same time. Genealogists are not the only ones protesting the abrupt and unannounced changes. Catherine May, Chairman of the State Library’s Advisory Board, has resigned in protest. “I just don’t want my name tied to Secretary Reagan,” May said. “I don’t trust what they’ve done.” Details may be found in an article by Mary Jo Pitzl in The Republic‘s web site at http://goo.gl/VBkw9q.

Dee from Arizona, family genealogist, and, most importantly a wise, registered Arizona voter, intended to send this to all> >From Dee Snook, deesgenes1@yahoo.com, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "thought my note was going out to the list. Suzanne is also on the NYC list and often participates. I know she's busy this weekend, but she'll probably tag on later. "We've written to all our state people. The governor's answer? I have nothing to do with it, it's Michelle Reagan's department. He won't be getting my vote either. "One plus. The state was going to remove the wild horses from down Maricopa way. Library front page one Sunday, horses the next. Huge outcry for the horses and they're staying, so we won one. Dee www.azwvgs.org - West Valley Genealogical Society When a person dies, a library closes. -----Original Message----- From: mizscarlettny <mizscarlettny@aol.com> Dear Friends, Out of state researchers complain about how tightly New York controls who gets what records. My response is: At least we have records, and repositories that value them. But, I'll add to that...so far. What in the heck is going on in the "Wild West?" We're not talking about private libraries, Folks. First, Loreen Wells reported that The Oregon State Library research room was closing in October 2014 due to budget cuts demanded by the Oregon Legislature whose mind was made up. Public outcries went to deaf ears, or perhaps more accurately stated, landed on absent ears. Now, the Arizona State Library is following suit? Dee, would you please respond to all from AZ? Is this a sign of the times or a priority of the "text-me generation." Please share your views. Story from Dick Eastman folows. Barb -------------------- "Chairman of Arizona Library Advisory Board Resigns following Genealogy Library's Changes." Dick Eastman · August 9, 2015 · Legal Affairs · 9 Comments Without warning and without enough time for the public to file comments, Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan recently moved the state library’s genealogy collection to a much smaller facility with only two bookshelves, holding a fraction of the books previously available to all. The move brought howls of protests from the genealogy community. (See my earlier articles at http://goo.gl/HChkUO and at http://goo.gl/mdTkwf for details.) The Secretary of State also laid off four employees of the state library at the same time. Genealogists are not the only ones protesting the abrupt and unannounced changes. Catherine May, Chairman of the State Library’s Advisory Board, has resigned in protest. “I just don’t want my name tied to Secretary Reagan,” May said. “I don’t trust what they’ve done.” Details may be found in an article by Mary Jo Pitzl in The Republic ‘s web site at http://goo.gl/VBkw9q .

From: Deanna Smith <dsmith57701@roadrunner.com> Hello Listers, I’m a New York State Professional Researcher so I can’t grasp that New York controls who gets the records. What records is this a reference to? We do have a limitation on Vital Records at the State Level. Birth Certificates are available for a fee from 1880 through 1940. They must be 75 years old to be accessible. Marriage and Death Certificates, 50 years so available this year up to 1965. The keeping of vital records in New York States didn’t start until 1880. There was an effort in 1847 through 1849 and these can be found in many of the NY Counties. As for Library and Archives resources, the records abound in NY State. I feel that it is a “feasting” or records to search. The Dept. of History and Archives in Montgomery Co., New York, for example, has probably the third largest genealogical collection in New York State with over 200 church records; most indexed. At this time, I know of now NY State Library or Archives closing. I am aware of staff cuts everywhere. The one difficulty that the writer could be referring to are Surrogates records. Because I live in NY State I travel to the various Surrogates offices and have no problems procuring records. NY State did pass a law about 5 years ago to charge researchers $90 for the copy of a Will. Astronomical to say the least. They may relate to persons ordering Wills by mail. I’ll check that. How else can I help? Deanna Smith