Filename: ldsancf Date: 21 December 1991 How to contribute information to LDS - Ancestral Files, 8000 bytes This is part of a download of information from Cleveland.FreeNet today, and post it here because someone if alway needing information about how-to-send or contribute information to LDS for their Ancestral Files. Lots of info and addresses here..... If you have questions, write LDS. Good luck.. Cliff ---------------------- >> Newsgroups: freenet.rec.genealogy.general >> From: xx180@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Genealogy Sig) >> Subject: News of the Family History Library >> Date: Sat Dec 22 19:57:41 1990 >> >> Copied from NEWS OF THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY 35 North West Temple Street, >> Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 Vol. 2, No. 5 September/October 1990 /////CONTRIBUTING INFORMATION TO ANCESTRAL FILE/////////// HOW TO CONTRIBUTE. Everyone is invited to contribute information to Ancestral File. All submissions must be on floppy diskettes in GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication) format. GEDCOM is a data standard for genealogical computer programs that provides a means of transferring genealogical data between two programs irrespective of how either program structures its files. Besides Personal Ancestral File(R) 2.2, the following software uses GEDCOM and is approved as Ancestral File compatible: *Roots III (TM) (Comsoft, Inc) *Everyone's Family Tree (Dollarhide Systems Inc.) *Family Roots (TM) (Quinsept, Inc.) *Family Ties (Computer Services) *Family Tree Maker(TM) Exchange Utility (Banner Blue Software Inc.) *Family Tree Print Utility (Common Sense Software) *Generation Gap Plus (Flying Pigs Software) WHAT TO CONTRIBUTE. You may share with Ancestral File by computerizing the family information you have. Begin with yourself or your children and add as many generations as you can. Be sure to include all the children of each of your direct ancestors. Before contributing your family information, please take time to check the current edition of the file. Try to avoid resubmitting information already in the file. SENDING YOUR DISKETTES. There are no deadlines for sending information to Ancestral File. Mail your diskette(s) to the address below whenever you feel confident that your information is reasonably accurate and complete. Ancestral File Unit, 2 WW Family History department 50 East North Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150 Please be sure to keep a coy of your diskette(s)! Because of the volume of contributions, we cannot return your diskettes, tell you when your information has been added to Ancestral File, or tell your whether your information links to data already in the file. Check future editions for the file to see your material. FAMILY REGISTRY(TM). We encourage all Family Registry participants to contribute their family information to Ancestral File and, in the file, to indicate their interest in receiving information about specific names. In this way, the approximately 300,000 "end-of-line" names in Family Registry will eventually be incorporated into Ancestral File family lines. SOURCE NOTES. Source notes are not displayed in Ancestral File. However, all notes received on diskette are being electronically stored, and source information submitted when paper was accepted is now on microfilm. More than 530 of these microfilms are listed in the microfiche edition of the Family History Library Catalog(TM), in the subject section under the heading "Ancestral File." ////Please include source documentation when you submit information. When citing a source, keep these suggestions in mind: *Include only genealogical information in the notes you send (don't send personal, autobiographical, or historical notes.) *Cite the best sources available for each person and event. *Describe each source so that anyone else can find it. *Mention any peculiarities about the source and its accuracy. CORRECTING INFORMATION IN THE FILE/// ERRORS IN THE FILE. The first edition of Ancestral File contains duplicate entries, errors from discrepancies in the data submitted, and typing errors. For example, in compiling the file we were not able to merge these two entries for a child of Ezra Roberts and Mary Adkins: *Ezra Roberts Jr., born 22 Mar. 1736, died 2 Sep. 1752 *Ezra Roberts Jr., born 22 Mar. 1738, died 2 Sep. 1762 Most errors can be eliminated as contributors cooperate by compiling information about their ancestors and submitting it only once. NEW "EDIT" FUNCTION. The second edition of Ancestral File will include an "edit" function. This function will allow patrons to correct data in the file, whether or not they originally submitted it, if they cite a source for the change. All corrections citing a source will be displayed in future editions of Ancestral File. ////As with information initially sent to Ancestral File, we do not verify the accuracy of your corrections. Nor can we contact you to tell you that your original submission has been modified. Please review the accuracy of your intended changes and communicate with other researchers before making corrections. FILE RESTRICTIONS. Because of privacy rights, Ancestral File displays the word "living" for most individuals born within the past 95 years. Do not correct date for these entries unless someone labeled as "living" in the file is now deceased. In this instance, please send us the death information on a diskette in GEDCOM format. If you have submitted information about a living person and cannot find it in Ancestral File, please do not resubmit it. The original information has been electronically stored. SUBMITTERS /// Ancestral File lists all those who submit information about a particular ancestor (however, the date that information was submitted is not included). These lists of submitters may be printed, but they cannot be copied to diskette. COPYING TO DISKETTE/// To copy, or "download," information from Ancestral File to a diskette, you may use a formatted diskette of any size or density. You may copy pedigrees with or without the accompanying family groups. Most FamilySearch systems will allow 9 to 13 generations to be copied to diskette during each download. The time needed to copy to diskette varies. For example, it takes 75 minutes to copy the Elmer Roberts information - including Elmer and 2,875 of his relatives - to a diskette. It takes only 5 minutes to copy the 515 relatives of Christopher Merkley.///Although many people copy information from Ancestral file, it is not possible to "catch" computer viruses by doing so. DESCENDANCY CHARTS/// Lists of descendants will be available in a future edition of Ancestral File. ADDITIONAL HELP/// Pleas note the following for additional questions about Ancestral File (area code 801): *General questions: Ancestral File Unit, 240-4874. *Pre-1500 research questions: Medieval Families Unit, 240-2399. *Software questions: Personal Ancestral File, 240-2584. *News media questions: Tom Daniels, 240- 3335. *Copyright questions: Greg Brown, 240-4679. *Adding massive databases: Jay Roberts, 240-2466. *FamilySearch distribution: Bonnie Dirksen, 240-3977. Personal Ancestral File is a registered trademark, and FamilySearch, Ancestral File, Family History Library Catalog, and Family Registry are trademarks of Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Roots III is a trademark of Commsoft, Inc., Family Roots is a trademark of Quinsept, Inc., and Family Tree Maker is a trademark of Banner Blue Software Inc. 90818 News of the Famiy History Library is published six times yearly by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISSN 1052-8644. Not available by subscription. General information about the hours and services of the Family History Library is available at 801-240-2331. Comments are welcome. Please address them to Editor, News of the Family History Library, 35 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 / end /