Why Closing the SSDI is a Bad Idea

Recently, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) introduced the “Keeping IDs Safe Act of 2011” (aka KIDS Act). Rep. Johnson claims that thieves have been using the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) “to access Social Security numbers, file bogus tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service and collect refunds.”1 By closing the SSDI to the public, Johnson…

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More Cuts at the Ohio Historical Society

The Columbus Dispatch today has a story (front page of the local section, above the fold) about yet more cuts at the Ohio Historical Society.  “The latest round of budget reductions ordered by Gov. Ted Strickland to make up a $1.2 billion state budget shortfall resulted in the loss of $1.2 million for the society….

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FamilySearch Indexing and the National Archives

They’re at it again! This time, FamilySearch Indexing has announced a partnership with the National Archives. The press release states: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of the United States and FamilySearch today announced an agreement that will lead to the digitization of millions of historical documents over time. The bulk of the digital…

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FamilySearch Indexing going online

FamilySearch Indexing is an incredible project started by the Family History Library. (Technically, FamilySearch Indexing is part of the FamilySearch. The names do get confusing.) The goal is to digitize the microfilm held in the Granite Mountain Records Vault, index it, and put it online. Just a few years ago, we thought that the microfilm…

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