1. MAINTAIN A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE IAGEN-L MEMBER LIST
   The IAGen-L is the list for communicating essential information regarding the administration of the IAGenWeb Project. IAGenWeb Project participants are required to be on this list at all times.
2. DISPLAY USGENWEB & IAGENWEB PROJECT LINKS AND LOGOS
   Logos for both projects must be displayed prominently on the main project page as a clickable link and/or associated with a clickable text link. Prominent display is defined as: Visible as the opening page loads, without scrolling down.
   The URL for the USGenWeb Project homepage is:
   http://www.usgenweb.org/index.shtml
   You can find a selection of USGenWeb logos here
   The URL for the IAGenWeb Project homepage is:
   http://iagenweb.org/index.htm
   You can find a selection of IAGenWeb logos here.
3. LET YOUR VISITORS KNOW WHO YOU ARE & PROVIDE A MEANS FOR THEM TO REACH YOU
   Coordinators must display at least their first name & a working email address (or a link to the page where the email is displayed) on the main page of their project. Project coordinators should respond to all appropriate email from contributors, researchers & other project members in a timely manner. The importance of acknowledging all emails, data submissions and otherwise responding to visitors can not be stressed enough.... even if you are unable to be of help to the visitor.
4. PROVIDE A "JOIN OUR TEAM" LINK
   Every project main page is required to let visitors know that the IAGenWeb project is always looking for volunteers and must include a link to the "Join Our Team!" page: http://iagenweb.org/state/jointeam.php . Display of the logo is optional, but encouraged. The logo can be found here.
   
5. CREATE A PAGE FOR YOUR VISITORS TO PLACE THEIR QUERIES
   Each county must have a query system in place. The IAGenWeb Boards are available to all Iowa counties, and are the recommended query/message method. Here is a list of all IAGenWeb projects currently using the IAGenWeb message boards. If your county is not yet using them, please consider doing so.
6. PROVIDE BASIC RESEARCH HELP FOR YOUR COUNTY
   The coordinator must provide basic research assistance for their visitors. Examples are: a list of current names, addresses and phone numbers for the county courthouse, local libraries, genealogy or historical societies, ect. Many coordinators also provide a bibliography page showing reference books available for their county.
7. PROVIDE A RESOURCE LOOKUPS PAGE FOR YOUR COUNTY
   The coordinator must provide a list of volunteers who will do limited look-ups from their personal resource(s). Researchers are very often eager to help others if you ask them.
8. PROVIDE REFERENCE LINKS FOR YOUR COUNTY
   The coordinator must provide a list of other websites where their researcher may be able to find additional information. The IAGenWeb Special Projects page and IAGenWeb links page are excellent examples!
9. ABIDE BY THE IAGENWEB IDENTITY POLICY
   Should an IAGenWeb Project Coordinator decide to create and maintain a web site for an online project similar in concept to the IAGenWeb, their IAGenWeb project page must be unique when compared to the other project page.
   To promote and preserve IAGenWeb and USGenWeb identity and prevent confusion, IAGenWeb project pages must contain IAGenWeb and USGenWeb logos and may not contain logos from similar county-based online genealogy projects.
10. ABIDE BY THE USGENWEB SOLICITATION POLICY
    Solicitation of funds for any purpose is inappropriate on the main page of a project website. A project site may list research materials or services offered for sale or hire; so long as this list is not on the index/main page. The coordinator is encouraged to include a disclaimer that contents of listed research materials or the expertise of a professional researcher are not endorsed nor guaranteed by USGenWeb or IAGenWeb. Coordinators may also link to the IAGenWeb disclaimer.
11. ABIDE BY THE USGENWEB COPYRIGHT POLICY
    All members of IAGenWeb Project shall be responsible for adhering to The USGenWeb policy. Briefly ... unless in the public domain; 'permission to use' must be obtained from the copyright holder for special HTML code, scripts, graphics, backgrounds, photos, research data, etc. USGenWeb Project Copyright Policy
12. MAINTAIN YOUR WEBSITE TO KEEP IT IN GOOD WORKING ORDER
    All pages on your site should work correctly. Links should work and should be checked periodically to ensure they do. Any reports of malfunctions should be immediately followed up on and corrected as necessary. Don't hesitate to ask for help if needed.
13. RESPECT THE OWNERSHIP OF DONATED MATERIALS
    Materials posted on IAGenWeb project sites are the property of the submitter and are considered a donation to the IAGenWeb project. (Note: Material submitted to the USGenWeb Archives or to mailing lists or boards owned by other organizations fall under the policies of the respective owner of that resource and are not subject to this policy.) Should the Coordinator relinquish a project, materials submitted by others will remain with the project site and will be turned over to the new Coordinator. Normally material should be removed only upon the express request of the submitter.
14. ENHANCE YOUR SITE
    All project sites should be enhanced over time by adding additional transcribed or random data (see #15). These enhancements are intended to be actual on-site content, not routine postings to boards and lists, nor simple linking to outside resources. At the very least, new transcribed or random data should be added no less than twice yearly. Don't hesitate to ask for help -- researchers are often very willing to contribute data if they know your needs.
15. PROVIDE COMPLETE / TRANSCRIBED DATA ON YOUR SITE
    Each county site will provide complete data as part of the county web site. The primary reason that people visit IAGenWeb is to find information about the family they are researching.   The vision of IAGenWeb is that we will provide that actual data as completely as possible and each coordinator should develop plans for providing it on their county site.   Complete records or 'transcribed data' make up databases. (ie:  systemic data, a finished data-base, all or nearly all of the available records for a given criteria or time-period, records potentially of benefit to most county researchers)
    
    Database is any defined set of data:
    Examples:
     -all marriages 1860-1870 XYZ twp
     -county officials 1880-1920
     -the complete county-wide 1850 census
     -all burials from ABC cemetery
     -all biographies (or a majority) from a county history book
    see also FAQ's
    
    Providing complete/transcribed data is a long term effort, but volunteers often want to help with transcribing & submitting data. For help with other methods of acquiring data, contact the State Coordinator or ask your fellow coordinators to share their ideas with you.
    
    Random data: piecemeal, an incomplete data-base, unorganized records not covering a defined criteria, single bits of information (ie: information potentially of benefit to only a few county researchers) Random records always have the potential of becoming a Complete database.  
    Examples:
     -a few marriages, randomly submitted
     -misc. obituaries
     -individual newspaper articles
     -some (but not the majority) of bio's from a county history book
     -any incomplete record
    see also FAQ's
    
16. PROVIDE A SEARCH ENGINE ON YOUR SITE
    Every IAGenWeb project site is required to have a search engine. There are many free search engines available on the internet that are easy to set up and maintain. If you have questions about setting up a search engine on your website, contact the State Coordinator.
    
    
    For additional information go to the IAGenWeb FAQ page
    
    
    

1 Special Project coordinators are encouraged to adapt other relevant county requirements to their sites.