The Basics: A Guide
Chapter 20
Genealogical research more economical at Salt Lake City, Utah archives
There are many organizations in the Netherlands that you can join to further your genealogical research. There are the old organizations such as the Nederlandsche Genealogische Vereniging (NGV), the Zuidhollandse Vereniging voor Genealogie, the Genealogysk Wurkforban of the Fryske Akademy, Genealogische Vereniging Promotheus, and the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie. There are also the newer ones such as the West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen group, Streekmuseum Hoeksche Waard and the Historical Society of Oud-Soetermeer.
Many of these organizations are staffed by volunteers and can therefore do very little research for you. Most of them have a membership fee and in return for your fee you usually get a magazine (quarterly, monthly, annual) and free entrance to their facility. They will also be able to provide you with the name of a professional who will do research for you at an agreed price. I find that the price per hour is very high (I have been quoted prices from 25 to 50$ an hour). I would suggest that you engage a researcher at the Mormon depository in Salt Lake City to do your work if it is not too involved. The reason for suggesting this is twofold. Firstly the rates in Salt Lake City are cheaper (about half the rates in Europe) and secondly there is not as much travel involved and this will keep down your costs. European researchers charge for their travel costs and at $2 a litre it becomes very expensive especially when he/she has to travel to three or four different archives to find your information. European researchers have to search the federal archives, the provincial archives, the 'gemeente' archives, the regional archives (streekarchief) and sometimes a church archive. This involves a lot of travel.
The researcher in Salt Lake City only has to travel from one area to another on one floor, sometimes two floors. The genealogical library in Salt Lake City is open at least 65 hours a week, most archives in the Netherlands are usually open less than 10 hours a week. The only problem I had with doing research in Salt Lake City is that sometimes I was unable to figure out from the microfilm description on the Family History Library Catalogue what actually was in the microfilm - especially when it concerned court records.
As a final note about genealogical organizations I would mention that many allow you to place research questions in their magazine/publication. There is usually a limit to the number of queries that you can place free of charge. Some will also supply you with a membership list. Some of these lists indicate what name(s) the member is researching. Attached find a list of addresses.
- West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Postbus 218, 4500 AE Oostburg, Zeeland
- Streekmuseum Hoeksche-Waard, Hofweg 13, 3274 BK Heinenoord, Zuid-Holland
- NGV West Noord-Brabant, c/o Dhr. G.W.H. Matthee, Kangoeroestraat 43, 4817 GA Breda, Noord-Brabant
- Nederlandsche Genealogische Vereniging, Postbus 976, 1000 AZ Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
- Zuidhollandse Vereniging voor Genealogie, Postbus 404, 3400 AK Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland
- Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie, Postbus 11755, 2502 AT 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland
- Fryske Akademy, Doelestrjitte 8, 8911 DX Ljouwert, Friesland
- Genealogische Vereniging Promotheus, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, Zuid-Holland