Need location of open center or library where I can access films.
I have several films on permanent loan at my family history center. It's been closed for over a year. The next closest center is 60 miles away and is also closed. Even when the local center was open the film reader doesn't work. There is a computer with no keyboard (have to use a "virtual" keyboard) and no printer. Online shows a library with access about 60 miles from me but clicking on on the icon shows an address in Wisconsin. I called the city public library and they have no knowledge of another library in town and they do not have access to your site. My films are online but locked. Help. I'm 86 years old.
Best Answers
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Unfortunately, FamilySearch stopped microfilm lending several years ago now, so even if you found an FHC that's open, it wouldn't do you any good in terms of looking at those films.
Have you checked the Catalog (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog) to see if the records you need are accessible online? (They've basically digitized everything at this point, but some things are not online, usually due to privacy restrictions.) Make sure you're signed in to FamilySearch when you check for availability, because even things that are fully accessible will show as locked if you're not signed in.
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If your films of interest are available at a FamilySearch Affiliate Library (this information is found from the Catalog) AND your city public library is open, perhaps you could discuss with your city public library whether it could apply to become a FamilySearch Affiliate Library. See
How to Become a FamilySearch Affiliate Library June 6, 2019. FamilySearch Blog.
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What is the Family History Center location? We might be able to check and see when they are reopening so you can see if the viewer has been repaired.
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Thank you. I will try that right now.
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Ms Norton, If your local public library has a working film reader, ask the research librarian if your local library would be willing to become an affiliate library of the family history library. Requires a contract to be signed and their computer IP address be registered to get the restricted film images (locked film). If this local library has a working film reader and they choose to become an affiliate, when all paperwork is done, your films could be moved to this library and you would be able to view them during library hours.
The local library representative would contact Family Search in this manner. call 866-406-1830, english, then option 2 - Family history center policy and procedures. The librarian would ask that her library is interested in becoming an affiliate of the Family History Library. From the article about becoming an affiliate:
"FamilySearch makes agreements with libraries, archives, and genealogical societies that allow library patrons to access some restricted digital content on FamilySearch.
An authorized agent of the public library, archive, or genealogical society should contact FamilySearch to learn how to become a FamilySearch affiliate."
This another option for view your films.
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Answers
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With many of our Family History Centers closed, guests are invited to work with a representative from the Family History Library in Salt Lake through a Virtual Consultation. Please review the following information from the Wiki
Best wishes as you continue to search for ways to do your research.
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Yes, my films are online but they are the restricted ones that can only be viewed at a Family History Center.
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Thanks for this additional information, @Marlene Metzner Norton.
I didn't see where you posted the specific film numbers in this thread so that we could verify what was in the Catalog notes. It is always helpful to have the film numbers when you report a concern so that we can verify what the current status is for a specific film since permissions to view images can change. As explained in these knowledge articles from the Help Center, FamilySearch does not determine how films can be viewed, and we do our best to follow the contracts that are negotiated with Record Custodians so that we can continue to gain their trust regarding their records.
Thank you for your patience when films cannot be made available. We must abide by these contracts.
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Thank you so much for responding.
I do understand why online access is limited on some films and I respect that. I have the following films on permanent loan that I would like to view:
948517; 948518; 948519; 948520; 948522; 2062531-2; 2062532-1-2; 2062532-3; 2062533-1; 2062533-2-6
Several of these are multiple films.
There is a library listed in Lake City, South Carolina. When I click on the icon I get a location in Wisconsin. If I could have the address of the library in Lake City I would go there to view the films. I called the city library and was told they are the only library in town and they are not a Family Search Affiliate.
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Have you looked at the FamilySearch Wiki? The Wiki has a page on Poland Catholic records, and mentions a number of other websites that may have the records you seek: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Poland_Church_Records
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@A van Helsdingen, thank you for mentioning the Wiki Article about Polish records. It might be helpful to @Marlene Metzner Norton, however, if she is simply directed back to the catalog page which verifies that the films she is interested in can only be viewed at a Family History Library, even having these films loaned to a local Public Library or an Affiliate Library will not make them available to view, For this reason it is just good to try to find other Family History Centers if you closest center is not yet fully open.
When you click the Help icon at the top of FamilySearch pages, then click Help Center, as you scroll down the page you will see the option to Find In-Person Help. Clicking that field will open a page to search for close Family History Centers.
When the map generates, you can identify the Family History Center because they will be teal and will have a tree in the center as shown in this image. Even if your see the red Library icons for Affiliate Libraries, that will not be helpful since the films for the numbers that were shared are from the Kirchenbuch, 1765-1961, collection. Some of the films in this extensive collection can be viewed at a Family History Center, others show only the microfilm reel which means they can only be viewed in the film format at the Family History Library in Salt Lake. All of the following films show the microfilm reel meaning they cannot be viewed as digital images but must be viewed in the microfilm format: 2062531-2; 2062532-1-2; 2062532-3; 2062533-1; 2062533-2-6.
Films 948517; 948518; 948519; 948520 must be viewed at a Family History Center only.
We wish we could make more records available directly online, and we are always in negotiation with record custodians regarding how they wish to have their records made available. Please keep checking back since permissions can change over time.
In the meantime, you may want to check out some of the ideas in the Wiki Article that was mentioned since there do appear to be some records at premium sites such as Ancestry.com where you can access certain records if you have a subscription with them.
We wish you success as you continue your research, Marlene.
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I have already printed out how to become an affiliate library and plan to ask in person. That will be a perfect solution. I don't know if they have a film reader I wasn't aware the film could be transferred.
Thank you so much. This solution would be perfect - if they will agre
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@Marlene Metzner Norton, just to clarify, if the catalog shows a film reel, you must be at the Family History Library in Salt Lake to view the film and it will not be available for inter-library loan. You are the person who said you had various films on long-term loan at a Family History Center in your original comment.
You cannot personally request that your local library become an Affiliate library, but you can ask someone in authority at your local library if they will make the request to become a FamilySearch Affiliate Library. Have a representative in the library contact our Family History Center Support team by calling our toll free number, 1-866-406-1830. They will need to listen to the prompts so that they make contact with someone from the proper support area since we also have support teams for Family Tree Support, for Indexing Support, and for Historical Records Support.
We hope this option works out for you so that you can access at least part of the films that will help you to continue your research.
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My dear Marlene.. if you say you have movies blocked online , it is because they are Resricted Records that can only be seem in the Family History Center (FHC) .. and I am sending you the instructions for this case :
" Ir is reported that the Department of Family History, due to maintenance and updates of the FamilySearch site, is taking out of service as of June 3, 2021, until further notice access to Restricted Records from around the world ( including FHC) , we apologize for the inconvenience caused. If you need to access any type of the collection during this time, you can make an appointment with the Family History Library of Salt Lake city, they are the only ones who will continue to have access to these collections.
We send you the link, to access that site and thus request a virtual appointment :
https://www.familysearch.org/family-history-library/family-history-library-research-consultations
We hope we have helped you.
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