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Make records more available

HFreund
HFreund ✭
December 13, 2021 in Suggest an Idea

Has Family Search considered making the digitized records available more publicly, even by subscription, to institutions? Historians could make excellent use of the records, but it is impossible to do systematic research during the limited opening hours of Family history centers, especially during COVID-19 and since users cannot download.

Thank you

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New · Last Updated December 13, 2021

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  • Paul W
    Paul W ✭✭✭✭✭
    December 13, 2021 edited December 13, 2021

    @HFreund

    There is little evidence to dispute the claim that FamilySearch already makes its digitised records as widely available as possible. It has advised that the Covid-19 circumstances (lack of access to FHCs, etc.) will not mean easing of restrictions on availability of material. This is due to the fact that this would mean negotiations having to be undertaken with an extremely latge number of record repositories and "partner" organisations, in order (say) records could be viewed from home while the pandemic continues to create such problems.

    Many of us are presently having to defer some of our research, due to not being able to access material from a wide range of sources. Some bodies (like the National Archives, here in the UK) have made certain downloads to be available free online, but FamilySearch is probably far from the only non-commercial body who finds temporary changes impracticable to implement.

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  • A van Helsdingen
    A van Helsdingen ✭✭✭✭
    December 13, 2021 edited December 13, 2021

    "Has Family Search considered making the digitized records available more publicly, even by subscription, to institutions?"

    They already do this by allowing public libraries and genealogical societies to become Affiliate Libraries. Affiliate Libraries have access to some images that are not available from home, but not as many as do FHCs.

    "and since users cannot download."

    Most images of historical records can be downloaded. If they cannot, it is usually because the record owner has insisted on it as a condition for them allowing FS to publish their records.

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  • MaureenE123
    MaureenE123 ✭✭✭✭
    December 14, 2021 edited December 14, 2021

    The comments I have seen in FamilySearch Community is that download of records is possible, but there is a maximum set within the system. Someone reported having had problems but I cannot remember whether this was a maximum per session, or a maximum per record set.

    Edit: The previous topic was https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/392635#Comment_392635 Download Error - Downloading Historical Records images possibly a problem at Family History Center


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