Just a thought, has anyone called (Dept of Health) to see if there really is a law against it? I work late hours all week, or I'd call to ask. I think I was told once before as long as the rules for time were followed... here is a list from NYS Dept of Health Birth certificates - if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the birth certificate is known to be deceased. Death certificates - if on file for at least 50 years. Marriage certificates - if on file for at least 50 years and the bride and groom are both known to be deceased. And a link to their website as well as contact information. http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/phforum/foil/foil.htm As long as the person is not alive, where would identity theft come into play? For that matter, someone could get a copy of a draft card (WWI or WWII) and use the date of birth, parent information and steal that identity. Bottom line is, it happens no matter what "security" the government imposes. And at what cost to a person's freedom to information? Marcy N. Thanks, Dick, but I don't need convincing. I am not keeping anyone from these records, New York State is. I was just reporting a regulation as it was communicated to BECPL and thinking out loud about what the rationale might be. If the Onondaga Public Library is in fact disregarding Health Department regulations, you may soon have less access to the index, not more. Everyone who agrees with Dick should communicate their sentiments to the NY State Health Department and their state legislators. > > Cynthia Van Ness, MLS, bettybarcode AT yahoo DOT com > > http://www.BuffaloResearch.com > > --- Dick Hillenbrand <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Myself, I think any kind of restriction on these indexes, > in > > > any manner > > > whatsoever, by the state is just plain silly! The time > limit > > > restrictions > > > being met, who cares? Most all of these people are dead > and > > > gone, or at least over the hilll. \gin/ > > > > You may well be right, but we pay our public servants to > protect > > us. If someone figured out a way to exploit the indexes for > > large scale identity theft, we'd be screaming bloody murder > > because the regulations were too lax. I don't know if > identity > > theft is a credible threat (maybe it is not) but I do know > that > > the Health Department would be irresponsible to ignore the > > possibility. http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/phforum/foil/foil.htm