Trip Planning and Taking LAW with You.

Having just read an interesting post , sharing the information with you.  Since posting what to do to have a good research trip this tidbit needs added. Which actually made me think of a couple more things to add.

It seems when doing research that some places are creating themselves trouble not needed.  I will post the links to  the story and you can decide for yourself.  But bringing the LAW with you in your material sounds like a great thing to me.

I am sure each state may have a different twist on what you may or may not use or may or may not copy.
This is from the Dailygazette.com  Schenectady, NY.  It is copyrighted so you must go there to read.
 MONTGOMERY COUNTY : Historic map tells tale of destruction

This is the ruling on what you may or  may not have made available to you for access to copy.
The Committee on Open Government

I concur that there needs to be a better way to resolve this issue. They should salvage those records before further damage occurs. This is not the only basement in New York or other places that have never brought out the real stuff due to lack of time or help or cooperation.

When it happened in West Virginia, fortunately the Government stepped up to the plate and saved thousands of documents the County Clerk was tossing out for lack of space and did not like genealogists.  This was about 5 to 7years ago.

Whether being tossed or just setting there molding, the damage is happening.

Why can not these counties have the historical or genealogical groups come in and help them get them preserved?  Can not the Historical and Genealogical Groups offer to help salvage this and free up the clerks time?  A great Eagle Scout project.  A School project for credit helping the community, it seems that to ignore it due to lack of time and help does not solve anything.

So if your about to dig  in New York or another state you may want to follow MAR SHANNON's thoughts and contact the state officials asking where to find decisions regarding record access and cameras. Make copies of those decisions so you have back up.  Mar Shannon's comments were on Facebook, under the New England Genealogical Historical Society group.

I also think that there should be a nominal fee charged for seeing the documents, to go towards preservation of them.

Again Berks Co. Pennsylvania, stepped to the plate years ago and much of what people ask for are available to the people on line and it was a win, win situation.

So Clerks, and Schools and Historical and Genealogical Societies please tackle this situation and find
a positive answer for the documents and researchers both. Please.