Replies

There’s news regarding the birth announcements but I can’t disclose it yet because it could jeopardize further research.

The same thing is true of the probable amendment Obama made.

And regarding this request by Mr Charlton, we know these documents do, in fact, exist because the DOH’s retention schedules say those have to be maintained permanently. When I asked for the records by their specific name (as given in the retention schedules)they said they didn’t know what I was talking about. So I sent the clarification below. I’m thinking of posting the retention schedules (or maybe just the relevant pages of them) on my blog.

Bgill, maybe you could look at the retention schedule once I’ve got it posted and see if there’s a record that would be better to ask for.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Aloha!

VR-1 Birth index (p 21 on retention schedule)
VDR-1 Delayed BC Index (p. 22 on retention schedule)
VDR-6 COHB Index (p 23 on retention schedule)
VDR-10 Index to certificates of foreign birth (p 19 on retention schedule)

I’ve enclosed the retention schedules so you can see what I’m talking about. There should be either original copies or microfilms. Since these are from 1961 they would not be computerized. I’m asking for electronic copies of the original or microfilmed records, including everything that was authorized for public release before UIPA was passed in 1988 (name, birth date, and certificate number - which were public since at least 1977; see p. 11 of OIP Opinion Letter 90-23 ) since UIPA was not intended to close any previously-authorized disclosures (see Opinion Letter 90-04 (page 6 ) . Any other information may be redacted if its disclosure was not authorized before 1988 and an exemption to disclosure applies)

I just noticed that VDR-10 begins in 1981 so there would not be any records for 1961. My apologies for that mistake.

Here’s the link for the records retention schedule. I wanted to upload it as a PDF so people could make the print larger for readability but between me being a computer moron and my computer doing a lot of strange stuff lately, this was the best I could do:

http://butterdezillion.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/doh-records-retention-schedule/

Bgill, do you think the vital records ledger, VCR-3b, might be what we actually need?

“DOH’s retention schedules say those have to be maintained permanently”

Yep.

“There should be either original copies or microfilms.”

There was a grant back in the early 80’s for city and county clerks to put the books onto microfilm. This was for two reasons. One, because many of the older books were getting damaged by the public rumaging through them, and two to save room. However, most still let the public use the original books. At this point in time, I would not trust that microfilm any more than I’d trust the microfilmed newspaper announcements. BTW, the birth indexes are NOT off limits to the general public. But, and this is a big BUT, that doesn’t mean that the index can’t be faked. The indexes are put together with loose pages and pages are added as needed, so a page can easily be substituted. Even the original record books and be quickly faked if they are the loose leaf kind and not the bound kind. Of course the bound kind can be faked by someone with the proper materials and access.

Check this out for addresses and resources (did the Health Dept quit making a distinction in registering delayed births in 72?):

http://files.usgwarchives.net/hi/misc/locate.txt

Obituary Daily Times (you’ll know what to do):

http://obits.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/obit.cgi

SS# :

http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi

BTW, what is VDR?