22 SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

The following new equipment was added: a Griswold 35 mm. film
splicer, a stainless steel print washer, a Recordak enlarger, a Rec-
ordak Film File cabinet, and a work table. Several presses no
longer needed in the repair room are now in use in the photostat
room for repair work for the Land Office as well as for pressing
photostat prints.

AIDS TO RESEARCH

When County records are transferred to the Hall of Records
they must be made available as soon as possible since there are
usually many research projects in progress which should not be
interrupted any longer than necessary. Often, however, local cus-
todians insist on retaining indexes, if there are any, and if there
are no indexes at all, the problem at the Hall of Records becomes
serious since we do not permit researchers in the stacks and they
are therefore very much more inconvenienced than they were in the
local depositories where they had ready access to all the records.
The Hall of Records finds it necessary, therefore, to concentrate as
much as possible on finding media for new county material, some-
times to the neglect of other materials which are badly in need
of it. During the last two fiscal years we have resorted to all sorts

of measures in order to hasten this type of work, photostating

current indexes, copying or rehabilitating discarded ones, making
new indexes where none had existed before.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY TESTAMENTARY PAPERS. Original papers
of the Orphans' Court, 1778-1820. Indexed by the name of the
decedent except in the case of Guardian papers where the name of
the ward is used. 13,000 cards.

BALTIMORE COUNTY DEEDS. Index retained at Baltimore City
Courthouse; during the fiscal year 1939-1940 a dilapidated out-
moded index which covered the record through 1798 was copied
through the letter "W". During the last fiscal year this copy was
completed and a new index from 1798 through 1800 was made in
order to cover the whole period of the records at the Hall of Records.
200 pages.