WRG, Since many of the group have expressed an interest in the Maine Records placed on CD by Picton Press in Rockport, Maine, I thought that a few notes on the subject might help to enlighten those interested in the process now underway at Maine State Archives at Augusta Maine. Picton Press is utilizing the available microfilms of each town held in their collection to create these CD's of town vital records. The process does not involve imaging pages from original books that in most part are held at the town level, save for those surrendering their charter. In such case, town records become the property of Maine Archives. Approximately 85 percent of the microfilm collection of town records are from the Church of the Latter Day Saints; the remaining 15 percent were filmed by Maine Archives, in essence, the Mormon groupe for one reason or another failed to film a few certain towns. Those towns filmed by Maine Archives tend to be more complete, that is, all town record books we! re filmed, not just the vital records. That is to say, separate town meeting books, separate account books etc. On the other hand, the Mormon filming in many cases exempted these non vital record books for obvious reasons. As we all know, some of the most valuable profiling material regarding our ancestors is sometimes mined from town meeting and account book records, a step beyond the search for the conventional birth, marriage and death entries. While microfilm and CD's remain as an excellent genealogical source, sitting down with the actual town books and accessing the complete records adds a new demension to one's research. Picton Press at this writing still has their machine at Archives, but has not returned for imaging since the holidays. They are using a SUNRISE, PRINTRAK scanner, Model Number SUNRISE 2000 plus. The machine resembles a microfilm reader, 3' high by approximately 2 1/2' wide and connects to a PC. Thus, from this procedure the CD's are generated. Admittedly, Picton has, in a general sense, priced the Town Records having fading or the less clear images at $29.95, with the more favorable at a higher price point. Now we have a little background, perhaps someone will donate the machine to the WRG!? (tsk) Best Wishes, Larry Tracy Jr. Kennebunkport, Maine