VGS Newsletter–Call for Letters

The preceding file is a newsletter article from the Virginia Genealogical Society  entitled:

WILL THERE BE IMPROVED – OR EVEN MORE RESTRICTED –ACCESS

TO VIRGINIA’S VITAL RECORDS?

Even though the official comment period to the Commission has closed, individual legislators will still pay attention to your emails received before November 22.

            Please take the time to send an email to the legislators who are on the Commission (at the email addresses below), emphasizing the need for reform of Virginia’s vital records.

            Messages to legislators should mention SB865, and ask legislators to support reform of Virginia’s vital records, at the November 22 meeting namely:

1.                  Family members (liberally defined) should be granted liberal access to “closed” records. 

2.                  Death certificates should become “open” public records immediately, not after 50 years (or longer).  There are no legitimate identity theft or privacy reasons to keep death certificates “closed”.

3.                  Once vital records held by VDH are no longer “closed”, VDH should turn over these public records of LVA and make them available to researchers.

4.                  Please thank Senator Blevins for leading this important reform effort.

This study may be the only opportunity for Virginia vital records reform in a generation; and there is a real risk that if enough genealogists or societies do not write Commission members and their own legislators, that the “closed” periods could actually be lengthened.

Additional background and the addresses of appropriate members of the Virginia Legislature are to be found by clicking on the link at the beginning of this post.

VA Staff Report SB865

The preceding file is the staff summary of comments received by the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC)  on the options spelled out in the Staff Report on SB865 prior to the comment deadline of 6 October.

Approximately 150 genealogists or genealogical societies (and others)  provided comments in the two week period for which comments were open.  The majority of comments supported not further restricting access to vital records, but to expand public access.

The letter from the Virginia Department of Health found at pp.17-19 of the attachment represents the most interesting support for lengthening the period for all closed records, urges keeping “immediate family” disclosure only in place, and says that effective November 1, 2011, Virginia’s death records will no longer appear in the Social Security Death Index.

Although the comments subject to staff analysis had to be received prior to 6 October 2011,  the Virginia Genealogical Society will be encouraging letters to the Senators and delegates making up the JCHC prior to the next meeting of the full Commission now set for 22 November.  Specific suggestions for the content of your letters will be provided by a separate post to this blog.

Memorandum to the Genealogical Community (Part 2)

An additional suggestion from Peter Broadbent for appropriate action by  individual members of the genealogical community and Societies:

“Several of you have asked me what else you can do, or who else you can write, besides the
JCHC designated staff contact for comments.
It would be helpful if you could write directly to the members of the Commission,
particularly if you have stories of VDH denying you or a client access to a grandparent’s records,
etc. (or email a copy of your comments to the Commission staff). ”

The attached memorandum identifies Senators and members of the House of Delegates who serve on the Joint Commission on Health Care, listing their areas and appropriate email addresses.

It would be appropriate for you to share directly with these members the comments on SB 865 you have provided to the Commission staff, particularly if you live in their district.

The Virginia legislature is considering changes to Virginia’s laws on access to vital records which could either expand–or severely limit–research access to birth,  marriage, and death records.

Peter E. Broadbent, Jr., Former President of the Virginia Genealogical Society and others have been working with staff members of the Joint Commission on Health Care educating staff about genealogist’s need for these records.  He has shared the attached background information.

Memorandum to the Genealogical Community (Part 1)

In Peter’s words:

“Please see the attached memorandum regarding a Virginia staff report to a legislative commission, which threatens access to Virginia’s vital records.  It is critical that any genealogical researcher or lineage society leader provide comments on this issue to the legislative commission, and send this on to others in the genealogical community, and urge them to email or write the Joint Commission on Health Care, with all comments to be received by the October 6 deadline.”

RPAC endorses this suggestion and recommends that input consistent with the attached memorandum be provided by both societies and individuals.  Please email comments referencing SB 865 (with your name and address) to sreid@jchc.virginia.gov, or fax them to 804-786-5538, or mail to: Joint Commission on Health Care, P.O. Box 1322, Richmond, VA 23218, to arrive by close of business on Thursday, October 6, 2011. If you are out of state, you might explain that you do research in Virginia, and that closing records will discourage travel to Virginia for research.

With the permission of Professor Carla Santos, I am sharing a paper entitled “Genealogical Tourism:  A Phenomenological Examination”.

Genealogical Tourism Santos

Underlying the creation of the FGS Genealogical Tourism Award announced at the Springfield Conference was an impression formed anecdotally that there was largely unrealized (and certainly unadvertised) potential for the resources we use to serve as a magnet for tourism dollars.

This paper represents a beginning of a more systematic analysis of a phenomenon that may represent a partial answer to the fiscal challenges facing almost every library, archive and museum in the country.  Consideration of the tourism potential in some of these resources may also shape where cuts are taken in an austere funding climate.

We encourage others in the scholarly community to devote attention to this area and for those in the tourism community to consider the benefits of promoting genealogical tourism.

Let us know how we might assist these efforts by contacting us at:   access@fgs.org

At the opening session of the FGS Conference in Springfield we announced the creation of a new award to recognize those entities serving the interest of the genealogical community by their efforts in promoting genealogical tourism.  The press release issued by FGS during the ceremonies is found at the FGS Voice blog entry for the 8th of September located on this site at http://voice.fgs.org

Conference Chair Josh Taylor (substituting for RPAC Chair, David Rencher) read the following message in announcing the award:

“

On behalf of FGS, and at the direction of President Pat Oxley, I am pleased to announce the creation of a new award to recognize and encourage a phenomenon that is assuming greater importance to our community, Genealogical Tourism.

I need not tell this audience how inextricably linked are the roles of the genealogist and the records custodian.  Without documentation, our family histories are more legend than history.

The preservation of and our access to the records upon which we depend is a source of constant and significant concern to our community.  I currently serve as the chairman of a joint committee formed by FGS, NGS and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies with the participation of APG, ProQuest, Ancestry and others.  The Records Preservation and Access Committee meets monthly [by phone as well as a face-to-face meeting at the major genealogical conferences] in an attempt to identify threats to our access and develop an appropriate response from the genealogical community.

Threats to our access have taken many forms over the years but particularly vexing in recent years have  been those threats arising out of the current fiscal crisis.  From every corner of the country we have seen library and archive budgets slashed, hours curtailed, and severe staff reductions.

The very survival of some of our best resources has been threatened.  There was a proposal that surfaced in the summer of 2009 that would have dismantled the Library of Michigan, scattered the materials gathered over 180  years occupying 27 miles of shelving and turned the building into an interactive museum and a magnet school.

RPAC, working with our colleagues on the Michigan Genealogical Council, have tried to provide relevant information to Michigan decision-makers and assist in developing more appropriate options.  We were struck by the largely unrealized (and certainly unadvertised) potential for the LOM to serve as a magnet for tourism dollars.  On our behalf, Curt Witcher traveled to Lansing  to share with our friends in Michigan the extent to which the Allen County Public Library was a major generator of tourist dollars in Fort Wayne and to suggest ways in which the holdings housed in the LOM might serve a similar function.  Of the 100,000+ visitors to the Genealogical Center each year, 85% of them are from outside of Allen County.  Their indirect economic impact is estimated to expand the economy of Allen County by almost $7 million each year.

We had a vision of potential ways in which Tourism and Recreation Departments across the country might promote and encourage the use of genealogical resources within their states.  Within the past month, that vision was realized. 

When we saw what the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation had done with their website at www.travelOK.com we knew that this was what genealogical tourism promotion looked like.  That it was truly a labor of love was manifest on every page. 

Within twenty-four hours of first confronting the site, we realized that we should encourage our library community and the tourism community to emulate these examples.  Thus this award.

I am pleased to present the first ever FGS Genealogical Tourism Award to Curt Witcher, the Genealogy Center Manager, Allen County Public Library.

And to Deby Snodgrass, the Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department,  and her team for creating the service we had only dreamed of,  offering an exemplar we can point to,  and for providing the inspiration for the creation of this award. 

May their counterparts across the country build on the foundation they have laid.”

The Federation of Genealogical Societies annual conference meeting in Springfield includes a Records Preservation and Access meeting beginning at 3:30pm CDT on Wednesday the 7th of September to which all interested in these issues are invited.

The topic is “How does the genealogical community organize to address threats to the records we need? Critical roles and resources for state liaisons.  Recent successes and setbacks.”

During this session we will review an updated model presentation developed by RPAC suitable for use by state liaisons in presentations before local groups, as well as a “toolkit” for confronting legislative threats to our access.  A newly developed toolkit addressing the process by which implementing regulations are developed will be shared. We will also survey recent successes and setbacks.

This meeting is open to all those interested in records preservation and access.  State liaisons are particularly urged to attend.  We also plan for remote participation.

We are still actively seeking State Liaisons for a number of states and would welcome any recommendations you may have. We will then contact them and see if they are willing to serve.

Contact us at:  access@fgs.org

We continue to seek State Liaisons for a number of states and would welcome additional nominations.

What should they know about the role?

The following items may be useful:

(1)   Please see  “About RPAC” at that tab on this page.

(2)   The “State Liaisons” tab will take you to a page describing the key role of the Liaison

(3)   On the “Publications” tab is a “Draft State Liaison Presentation” developed for the use of liaisons as they see fit in explaining their role as they build a support network within their jurisdiction.

(4)   The “Strategy for Records Preservation and Access” tab leads to a FGS Strategy Paper addressing this topic.

(5)   Toolkit Video–With thanks to FamilySearch, Jan Allen’s presentation explaining the legislative and regulatory processes was videotaped after the Charleston session and is available at:

http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/FHD/Community/EN/RPAC/Tool_Kit_for_State_Liaisons/Player.html

(6)   Also found at the “Publications” tab is The RPAC Brochure, a White Paper Executive Summary, and a full version of the RPAC White Paper.

(7)   Reviewing past posts on this blog may offer insight into some of our recurring issues.

For additional questions or to propose nominations, please contact us at:  access@fgs.org

For those of you who might like to see portions of the Charleston session again (or for the first time if you missed it) the following materials are available:

(1)  Model Presentation for State Liaisons–  http://www.fgs.org/rpac/publications/

(2)  Toolkit Video–With thanks to FamilySearch, Jan Allen’s presentation was videotaped after the session and is available at:

http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/FHD/Community/EN/RPAC/Tool_Kit_for_State_Liaisons/Player.html

 Stay tuned.  We will be announcing the details of  a similar gathering at the FGS Conference in Springfield in the near future.

State Liaisons–Please verify that your email address on the associated roster  is current.

 We are still seeking state liaisons for those jurisdiction in which we do not currently have coverage.  If you would like to volunteer or nominate a candidate please contact us by email to access@fgs.org .

The RPAC session this Thursday afternoon will be available for remote participation.

Instructions for participation by state liaisons will be provided Wednesday evening.  Please verify that you can receive emails sent to the State Liaison mailing list by checking the address associated with your name on the Liaison roster on this site.

If your address is no longer current, please notify us at access@fgs.org.