Hello there,
FamilySearch has a new database for Texas Birth Certificates from 1903-1934. You'll need to have a FamilySearch account to be able to view the actual images, but accounts are free and easy to set up. I did some investigating to find out how comprehensive and complete the database actually was. The following list shows the total number of records for each year of coverage of the database (as of 03/23/11):
1903 - 1910: less than 100 records for any one year
1911: 12,300
1912: 26,822
1913: 69,718
1914: 60,872
1915: 65,440
1916: 61,863
1917: 72,418
1918: 87,572
1919: 71,873
1920: 69,254
1921 - 1934: less than 100 records for any one year
Observations: For the early years (1903-1910) there are often separate birth registers maintained by the counties that are NOT a part of the statewide collection of births and deaths maintained in Austin (this is true for Harris County), so that could explain, in part, why those numbers are so low. For the later years (1921-1934), I assume that they just haven't gotten around to those yet, as this is a work in progress. I'm guessing that the spike in births between 1917-1919 probably had something to do with a World War I baby boom... Anyway, in conclusion, if you let patrons know about this database, be sure to pass along the known limitations... and don't forget what we have on microfilm and on Footnote for 1903-1909 and 1926-1929.
Happy Hunting!
Steven
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