Dazyy5@aol.com: >> Thanks so much. That's just what I needed to know. I have no need (or use-capability) to purchase. I just want to view. << I was under the impression that you had been to an LDS Family History Center before, and knew that they have fifty eleven zillion microfiche available for you to view. They are organized in various groupings, such as: 1. International Genealogical Index (IGI): Millions & millions of names. You will not find dates of death on this index. But, did you know that your ancestor's name is not even on this index unless a member of the LDS has performed an LDS ordinance for your ancestor? There are a variety of ordinances which they perform besides Baptisms. 2. Locality Catalog: This shows you what types of records have been microfilmed for a particular locality. Have you seen the one for Orkney yet? All of Scotland is on 8 microfiche. 3. Surname Catalog: This shows you which books that a particular surname are listed in, even if the title may not include your particular surname. Through these records, I was able to find 2 books that included my direct lineage, and I had no idea that they were ever published. Many of these books are also available to rent via microfilm from the LDS. 4. Author, Subject & Title Catalog: This catalog is MASSIVE! A listing of just about everything regarding family history in the entire world. As you may or may not know, a lot of this info is also available on www.familysearch.org . But, this website has a lot of traffic, and I find it much easier to get a bird's eyeview via microfiche. Also, the microfiche allows you to see various codes, which gives you many more clues in your research. I apologize if you thought that I was trying to get you to purchase something that you have no need for. I have a microfiche reader on my desk, right next to my computer. With my stack of microfiche, I can look up all sorts of info for people who appear to have no access to records. Everyone who is on this list, does not have access to the web. I, for example, am writing this email to you, via a 486 computer that has only email access on it. One other thing: I am not affiliated with the LDS in any way. However, I do know that they have the largest collection of genealogical records in the entire world. They are the ones who created GEDCOM & the first genealogy software called PAF. They are also the ones who started the massive microfilming projects during the 1940s. If it wasn't for their efforts, I could not have found a lot of what I have, unless I visited the actual courthouses & State Archives. When I am satisfied that I have collected a large amount of information on one of my particular lineages, here is what I do: I submit a GEDCOM diskette to the LDS Ancestral File, and then I print out a hard copy of narrative about these folks, and organize & index it in book form. Many of today's genealogy software programs will do this for you. I send this hard copy to the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT, and they have it hardbound for their library's circulation. I also give them the right to microfilm my book, so that someone else who is looking for this info, will be able to find it, maybe 50 years from now. Everything that I submitted to the LDS Ancestral File in 1995, is now available for others to download via www.familysearch.org . The main fruits of our genealogical efforts is the ability to share with others. You often hear a lot about how inaccurate the LDS records are. But, in genealogy, you have to take everything with a grain of salt. Do you think that you have actual "proof" of anything? Think about it. The only real proof of your ancestors, is if you have a video tape of you being born, and then, you would only know who your mother was. While people were giving depositions in court, responding to census enumerators, and giving information about the deceased on a death certificate, do you think that everything that they stated was accurate? Not to mention, the massive amount of errors that you can find in newspaper obituaries, as well as tombstones at cemeteries. The best that we can do, is to measure the whole pile of "evidence", and try to make a conclusion based on this. The LDS should be commended for providing most of this information to us for FREE, or for such a ridiculously low price, that it only compensates them for their actual costs. Have you ever seen their "jam packed" Research Outline of Scotland, which only costs one dollar? They also have FREE publications for: 1. Scottish Church Records. 2. Parish and Vital Records. Take care, and Happy Hunting! William A. Mills Perry, GA USA ======= On Tue, 20 Jul 1999 13:31:27 EDT Dazyy5@aol.com writes: Thanks so much. That's just what I needed to know. I have no need (or use-capability) to purchase. I just want to view. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.