I thought this might be of interest. A friend/Cousin on another mailing list posted this tonight....Mari >> > >> > http://newsnet.byu.edu/noframes/show_story.cfm?number=8836 >> > >> > LDS Church to go online with family history Web site >> > >> > The Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day >> > Saints is working to make genealogical files accessible from a family >> > history Web site. >> > Elaine Hasleton, a public affairs representative from the Family History >> > Center in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, said the Web site is in its >> > developmental stages. >> > >> > The project is underway, however Hasleton said no set completion date has >> > been given. >> > >> > The ancestral files of the LDS Church will most likely be accessible from >> > the site, said Craig Foster, a spokesman for the family history center's >> > public affairs projects. >> > >> > Foster said the details of what other files and information will be >> > accessible from the site is not final. >> > >> > "We are all excited about the future for family history," said Jana >> > Darrington, 21, a senior from Mesa, Ariz., majoring in family history. >> > >> > "Making a Web site for family history seems like a logical thing for the LDS >> > Church to do ... It would be a dream to be able to work out of my home. I >> > can work for as long as I want, whenever I want." >> > >> > >> > -- Lynda Cameron, Provo, regular HBLL Family History Center patron >> > >> > As the department assistant for the Harold B. Lee Library's family history >> > department, Darrington said many people have asked about the possibility of >> > family history files going online. >> > >> > "This will make things much more available for the patrons and make >> > genealogy work widely known," she said. >> > >> > Darrington expects the number of people going to family history centers to >> > naturally decline once the files become available from home. >> > >> > "But I'm sure the elderly who don't feel comfortable using the Internet will >> > still make use of the facilities," Darrington said. >> > >> > Lynda Cameron of Provo visits the HBLL Family History Center at least once a >> > week, sometimes more. >> > >> > "Making a Web site for family history seems like a logical thing for the LDS >> > Church to do," Cameron said. >> > >> > Cameron is originally from Australia, where her father, Keith Williams, >> > still resides. She said they are both working on genealogy for their family >> > continents apart. >> > >> > "This will really open information up for my father and make things more >> > available for everyone," Cameron said. "It would be a dream to be able to >> > work out of my home. I can work for as long as I want, whenever I want." >> > >> > Darrington also mentioned that this new project with family history will >> > introduce many non-members to the LDS Church. >> > >> > "There are many people who work on family history that are not Mormon," she >> > said. >> > >> > Many of them already use LDS family history departments, and with the future >> > Web site many more will become familiar with the LDS Church, Darrington >> > said. >> > >> > >> >