Volunteer Basics & Requirements

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The County Coordinator

To adopt a county in Texas, check the Counties list and/or the Orphan Counties page. If a county is available, contact the State Coordinator with the subject ADOPT and the county name. If it is not available, you may contact its current coordinator to volunteer time or data.

• County Coordinators are not required to live in the county they host.
• CCs must comply with current USGenWeb Bylaws and CC Guidelines.
• Have a knowledge of, or willingness to learn about, the county and fulfill the basic requirements.
• Be willing to assist researchers visiting the county website.
• Have time to devote to the county page.
• Have a basic knowledge of HTML or access to an HTML editor.
• Have a basic knowledge of FTP and an FTP program.
• Be able to make initial coordinator changes, upload changed pages, and take over the county within 15 days of acceptance.
• Respond to visitors and state leadership in a timely manner.

If you need help, please ask. TXGenWeb volunteers can assist as you create and maintain your county website.

In most cases, web space can be secured for a County Coordinator. In some circumstances, a coordinator may need to locate web space elsewhere.

If you are no longer able to continue, notify the State Coordinator. A sitting County Coordinator shall not relinquish a county to another person without first notifying the State Coordinator. The State Coordinator and Assistant State Coordinators must approve all new coordinators.

County Page and Volunteer Requirements

The main focus of a county website is to provide a place to post genealogical records and lookups connected with the county.

Project Name and Logos

The proper names are The TXGenWeb Project and The USGenWeb Project . TXGenWeb and USGenWeb logos are to be displayed on the main page, and the site's affiliation with TXGenWeb should be clear.

Main Page

Splash or entry pages are permitted, but they are not considered the actual main page. An entry page must contain the TXGenWeb and USGenWeb logos with their respective links.

County Coordinator Name and Contact Information

The main page must display the County Coordinator's name and provide a contact email address. A link to an email image or contact page is permissible. New CCs must provide their name, address, phone number, and email address to the State Coordinator. Addresses and phone numbers are retained privately.

State Mail List

The State Coordinator subscribes coordinators to the required, low-volume TXGenWeb Official Mail List. The TX-Coordinators discussion list is optional.

County Resource Page and Lookups

Coordinators are responsible for soliciting lookup volunteers who understand USGenWeb copyright policy . County sites should provide basic research help, such as county clerk, library, genealogical or historical society information, and useful county references.

Lookups should be offered only when permission has been received or the material meets USGenWeb copyright policies.

Updated Websites

Every county site must be updated at least once every six months. Newly submitted data should be posted in a timely manner, broken links researched and repaired at least every six months, and a working coordinator email address maintained.

An update can include correcting links, adding information, changing a date, background, format, or other site content.

Required Links

Every county must have a link on its main page to The TXGenWeb Project and to the TXGenWeb county selection page.

Recommended Links

• USGenWeb Archives for Texas
• The USGenWeb Archives page for the county.
• The USGenWeb Project main page.
• All counties or countries that border the county.

Triannual Roll Calls

Every County Coordinator must answer roll call. Roll calls occur every four months during January, May, and September. Failure to reply to roll call or answer emails may result in the county being placed for adoption or assigned to a new coordinator.

State Coordinator & Assistants

An election for State Coordinator is held every two years during October of even-numbered years, with the new State Coordinator taking office November 1. Assistant State Coordinators and other state officers are appointed by the State Coordinator.

Respect the Ownership of Donated Materials

Materials posted on TXGenWeb project sites are the property of the submitter and are considered a donation to the TXGenWeb Project. Materials submitted to the USGenWeb Archives, mailing lists, or boards owned by other organizations are governed by those resources' policies.

If a coordinator relinquishes or is removed from a county project, materials submitted by someone other than the coordinator remain with TXGenWeb and are turned over to the new County Coordinator and/or TXGenWeb.

Submitted material should be removed only at the express request of the submitter. Material may also be placed in the proper county Archives at the submitter's request, but should not be removed from the county project merely to place it in the Archives.

If a new CC believes files are inappropriate, erroneous, or useless, the State Coordinator must be contacted for approval before donated material is removed.

Solicitation of Funds

USGenWeb Project Bylaws, Article IX, Section 2: Solicitation of funds for personal gain is inappropriate. Direct appeals on a project site's home page for funding to perform research, pay for server space, conduct lookups, or similar purposes are not permitted.

A website may acknowledge an entity providing free hosting and may link to a coordinator's personal page where research services are offered for reimbursement. Research materials or services for sale or hire may be listed elsewhere on the site, but not on the main page.

A disclaimer may state that the coordinator and The USGenWeb Project do not guarantee research materials or the expertise of professional researchers.

New Site Evaluations

New county sites are evaluated for required elements and working links. The evaluator will contact the coordinator after visiting the site and identify any missing requirements or links that need correction.

Welcome to the Project

Beyond the basic requirements, coordinators have considerable freedom in the design and development of their county sites. If requirements change, coordinators will be notified by the State Coordinator.

TXGenWeb Grievance Procedures

Problems or disputes between TXGenWeb County Coordinators are referred to the TXGenWeb Grievance Chairperson.

• A CC dismissed by the State Coordinator may object but must file a grievance within 10 days.
• The dismissed party and State Coordinator each nominate three TXGenWeb CCs. The Grievance Chairperson selects one from each group and one additional CC to form a Grievance Committee.
• The committee hears evidence privately and recommends whether the dismissal should be confirmed or overturned. The final decision is by majority vote of the full Grievance Team.
• A quorum of five of the seven-member team must participate. The Grievance Coordinator is non-voting except in a tie.
• If either party fails to participate, the finding automatically goes to the other party. The decision is binding.
• Problems between CCs and the State Coordinator are handled in the same manner.
• Failure to comply with a ruling within 14 days results in removal of the non-compliant party. Removal of the State Coordinator results in the ASC taking over and calling an immediate election.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money will this cost?

It should cost you nothing.

How much do I get paid?

The USGenWeb Project and The TXGenWeb Project are volunteer organizations. The reward is the satisfaction of helping researchers and preserving genealogical information.

What about web space?

In most cases, web space can be obtained through the State Coordinator. You do not have to pay for server space unless you choose to obtain your own.

How much time is needed to manage a county?

The amount of time depends on the coordinator and the work undertaken. It may range from roughly two to twenty hours per month.

What type of data can I put online?

Bible records, marriage records, wills, pension records, land records, death and obituary records, photos, old letters, and county, community, church, and school histories.

• Original research material.
• Material formerly copyrighted but now in the public domain.
• Information owned and submitted by a private party.

See USGenWeb Copyright Information for additional guidance.