> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:36:39 -0700> From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Subject: Re: [NYERIE] Francis Silver> > I believe that NY State Health Department regulations prohibit> digitizing vital records. Libraries which are chosen to receive> the NYS Vital Records Index on microfiche are instructed that> the information contained in them cannot be put online.> > Buffalo & Erie County Public Library & the Rochester Public> Library have this microfiche.> > On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:53:06 -0700 (PDT) Cynthia Van Ness> > <[email protected]> writes:> > > Unfortunately, New York State did not require that births,> > > marriages & deaths be reported to the government until 1880.> > > > > Before then, one pretty much relies on church records.> > > http://www.buffaloresearch.com/vital.html> > > > > > --- > *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:**:-.,_,.-*> > > Cynthia Van Ness, MLS, bettybarcode AT yahoo DOT com> > > http://www.BuffaloResearch.com> > > ... > > > -------------------------------> > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------> > > > > *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:**:-.,_,.-*> Cynthia Van Ness, MLS, bettybarcode AT yahoo DOT com> http://www.BuffaloResearch.com> > > -------------------------------Will someone please explain to me what records the NY Health Department is wanting to cloister, and why? I don't see where the birth, marriage, or death of my ancestors is contagious to any researchers - or librarians. Is the Health Department afraid that records put on a computer will catch - and spread - a "Virus"? Thanks, M. A. Stacey

--- M STACEY <[email protected]> wrote: M. A Stacey wrote: Will someone please explain to > me what records the NY Health Department is wanting to > cloister, and why? I don't see where the birth, marriage, or > death of my ancestors is contagious to any researchers - or > librarians. Is the Health Department afraid that records put > on a computer will catch - and spread - a "Virus"? The NY State Health Department is in charge of vital records--births, marriages, deaths. Every state's health department has the same responsibility and most have similar restrictions. A little quick Googling got me these facts--Oregon restricts birth certificates for 100 years, death certificates for 50. Maryland restricts birth certificates for 80 years. Arkansas restricts death certificates for 50 years. What are the restrictions regarding vital records in your state? *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:**:-.,_,.-* Cynthia Van Ness, MLS, bettybarcode AT yahoo DOT com http://www.BuffaloResearch.com "Everyone claims to want a city, but no one here wants city living. City living by its definition is crowded. It is tolerant of other people. It is dependent on a sophisticated population that makes a hundred compromises daily so that they can benefit from the collective energy that a city generates." --Robert N. Davis, Jr. (1955-2007)