International Vital Records Handbook. 7th Edition

This is the 7th edition of the International Vital Records Handbook, a resource that is even more valuable today than it was when it was first published. Not only does it give persons needing certification of their own important life events the tools needed to obtain these certificates, it also gives genealogists and historians the location--both online and on-site--of vital records databases and indexes, as well as other resources that could help further their research.

At one time or another everyone needs copies of birth, marriage, civil union, divorce, death, or pre-adoption certificates for drivers licenses, passports, jobs, Social Security, family history research, school enrollment, proof of citizenship, or simple proof of identity. But the fact is that the requirements and fees needed to obtain copies of vital records vary from state to state and from country to country, often requiring tedious research and wading through confusing websites of large agencies before the appropriate forms can be obtained and the correct procedures followed. The International Vital Records Handbook will put an end to all that, as it offers complete, up-to-date information on where and how to request vital records. It also includes copies of the application forms, where available, thus simplifying and speeding up the process by which vital records are obtained, regardless of the number or type of application forms required.

This edition contains

• the latest application forms and ordering information for each of the fifty states and, where available, for the other countries of the world;
  
• details about records that were created prior to statewide vital records registration;
  
• information on which records are restricted and for how long, and whether "informational" or uncertified copies of records are available to genealogy researchers;
  
• locations of vital records collections, online databases, and institutions of interest to genealogy researchers;
  
• adoption search contact information and, where available, pre-adoption birth record and adoption search applications;
  
• key addresses of repositories or embassies that might help you obtain copies of vital records in countries where neither a centralized vital records registration system nor a vital records application form is available.

About the Author

Thomas Jay Kemp, a well-known genealogist and librarian, has spent more than four decades in the field. He is the author of over 35 genealogy books and hundreds of articles about genealogy and family history. He is currently the Director of Genealogy Products at GenealogyBank.



Kemp has served on many national and regional library and genealogy boards, including the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the American Library Associations (ALA) Local History Committee, and has served as Chair of the Council of National Library and Information Associations (CNLIA); President of the American Society of Indexers (ASI); Chair of the ALA History Section; Chair of the ALA Genealogy Committee; Chair of the ALA Genealogy and Local History Discussion Group; and VP of the Association of Professional Genealogists. He also previously served as Library Director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.



He is a life member of the Association for the Bibliography of History, the New England Archivists, the New Hampshire Library Association, and the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society.