US Muster in roll spanning two pages. Should second page be marked as no extractable data?

AmesPatriciaLynne1

I am working with military rolls in the United States. I occasionally come across some that are handwritten and span two pages. Although I believe I have figured out what to do with them, I feel it would be a good idea to have a sample of these in the instructions.

https://www.familysearch.org/indexing/batch/3ff2d20a-616c-4933-b4ff-6aa48b96a29f

I have been opening the second page and using it to find the enlistment date for each person and to compare the person's signature with the name at the beginning of the row. When I come across the second page, I assume that it will be indexed with the first page by someone else, so I believe I should mark it as no extractable data. Please let me know if this is not correct.

John Empoliti

BTW - I have done tens of thousands of these records and never had to use the Age and Birthplace fields.

Yes, you are correct - in general, if your batch image is comprised only of records that began on the previous batch/image, then you mark your batch image as No Extractable Data because all the records on it should have been indexed with that previous batch/image. Many years ago that extra bit guidance was part of the instructions, and should be in the General Indexing Guidelines (GIG).

However - you need to square this with the following specific instruction from the “What to Remember” section of the Instructions. If the soldier’s name or signature is on that continuation page, It might override the GIG and require that you index that page anyway.

• Some images to be indexed may contain only a name. Images that contain only a name should be indexed regardless of whether they include any other fields being indexed in the project.

Unfortunately Shared Batches have reference images disabled, so I can’t see what you’re seeing or have seen of this type of document. This needs to be fixed ASAP. It really hinders potential helpers from helping properly, and is very frustrating

Moderators IMO the Knowledge Article (KA) on this issue at the end of the “KA Link” below is well illustrated, and a better starting point than the article at the end of the link in the General Indexing Guidelines.

GIG Link:

https://prod.familysearch.psdops.com/cmsa/idx/what-to-do-when-records-span-2-images-or-to-view-additional-images

How about blending the two, and adding the instruction that covers this case - about marking the batch NED when it has only continuation records?

KA Link

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-index-records-that-span-two-images-or-view-additional-images

John Empoliti

Good find, and thanks, Melissa - it was meant to be. I've never seen one of these batches that spanned two images nor one with the Age and Birthplace listed. So this is a first for me, too, on a few levels.

But we who are trying to help or collaborate with an Indexer should not have to work so hard to see and discuss that image. Viewers of Shared Images should/ need to be able to see the Reference Images. I hope they fix this annoying deficiency soon, and I guess I'll keep mentioning it until they do. Consistent with the GIG guidance, I would also mark that second image/batch NED. Per GIG guidance, Patricia is indexing it with her batch.

LindaCP

Thank you all for your concern regarding this project. It is a popular project and your participation in indexing this project is greatly appreciated.

There are many great comments above; I want to confirm that these Muster-In Rolls are to be indexed as a Record that Spans 2 Pages.

If you have the first page, it will say Muster-In-Roll in the upper right corner of the page and has a names column with the name of a soldier. You will index the information on this page and use your Reference Image +1 as described above to obtain the Enlistment date; make sure it is the same soldier as on your Batch Image.

If you open batch and it is the second page of the record, it will say Continued in the upper left corner of the image and contain the Enlistment date and the soldier's signature. This page of the record should be marked No, No Extractable Data (NED) in Step 1: Images, as the information on it is to be indexed with the first page of the record.

FamilySearch is aware that the instruction to mark the second page of the record as NED is missing from the General Indexing Guidelines and Ka. Thank you for bringing this to their attention and for letting others indexing this project know the correct way to mark these Records that Span 2 Pages.

LarryClark43

general guidelines:

What to Do When Records Span 2 Images or to View Additional Images

• If the first record on an image begins on a previous image, don't index it. The record will be indexed as part of the previous batch. Start indexing at the first complete record. 
• If the last record on an image continues to the next image, index the entire record, including what continues to the next image.
• To see the next image while continuing to index information for the current image, do the following:

1. In the top corner of the image window, in the vertical toolbar, click the Reference Images 

 icon.

2. Below the screen on the right, click a thumbnail next to the image you are currently indexing.

3. Index the record while viewing both images at the same time.

4. To exit split screen mode, in the vertical toolbar, click the Reference Images 

 icon.

sounds like you are doing great!!! I also thought an example of that particular type would be good

keep up the good work.

I have reviewed several of those that didn't have all of the information from the second page. It is fairly easy to line the two pages on the split screen and index the information, if you are aware that it is there.

AmesPatriciaLynne1

Thank you for your comment. It is always good to know when you are doing something right. What I really need confirmation of is what to do when the second page is the one that comes up in the batch to be indexed. From what I have read, I believe that I should mark it as non extractable because the information on it will be included when the first page is the image in the batch. My doubt comes from the fact that there is actually a name (signature) and an enlistment date on the second page.

Melissa S Himes

I was able to find this image by searching on the image number. It definitely was a record that spanned two images and was the first ones I had ever seen in these projects. I would also mark the second half of the image NED.

I will share the film and you can see these too @John Empoliti. I was lucky because the first time I looked yesterday, I actually landed exactly on the exact image (351 of 1849 images)

https://www.familysearch.org/records/images/image-details?imageGroupNumbers=106436712&rmsId=TH-7755-90341-22729-15&imageIndex=350&singleView=true

LarryClark43

Hi, I was very surprised when I started indexing one batch and it actually had birth date and place. Yes it did extend over two images, and no there is not an example that covers this particular type of record.

It is causing some difficulty for indexers, as I see when I review.

AmesPatriciaLynne1

Thanks for all your prompt help. It gives me more confidence in my understanding of the instructions. We are getting a little group of indexers together once a month to learn together, and it seems we are always coming upon something new. I was surprised a how quickly you all responded. Thanks again.