Our discussion on reliable sources brought from Va-Roots subscriber Sondra Reger at [log in to unmask] this comment about a recent very sad incident at Calvary United Methodist Church, near Gamber, Maryland: "We had a very unfortunate robbery at a church nearby. In the process of trying to cover their tracks, the robbers burned all the birth, christening and marriage records from the safe. The church discovered the robbery Sunday morning, by noon Sunday the thieves were caught standing in front of a pawn shop waiting for it to open, with the items in full view of a passing policeman. It is so sad that we lose records like this everyday, from must clean out these materials, to something like this robbery." This incident should serve as a reminder that all valuable records should be filmed or scanned and the copies stored safely in a second location so that a disaster in one place will not destroy an only copy of important historical records. Brent Tarter The Library of Virginia [log in to unmask] Please visit the Library of Virginia's Web site at http://www.lva.virginia.gov To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html