Where is the Drouin?

Jim Ash_1

Access is no longer available to the large Drouin collection - Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers. Your tech guys tell me that there is a problem with the negotiation for the contract with the Drouin Institute, and that Family Search no longer has access. Is this a permanent situation, or will this eventually be resolved? I have lost 20,000 sources from the Drouin that I have attached to Family Search Family Tree - this is most upsetting. Will they come back if/when you negotiate a new contract?

Mike357

@Jim Ash_1, - in your comments, you mentioned the Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers. Although "Drouin" is not found in the description, I'm wondering if you are referring to the FamilySearch Collection, Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979. If so, I find that, at least for some way points, I am able to access images in the collection.

I will be quick to admit that I am out of my depth here, having had no experience with the Drouin Collection. However, I do see a FamilySearch Wiki page for, "The Drouin Collection: Six Databases," for which a link is provided below. It includes link to sites where the Collection is available. You may want to visit these sites; although you may find that a paid subscription is required.

I am particularly concerned by your statement that you have lost 20,000 sources that had been attached to your family tree. I would be very interested to know exactly what you mean by that statement. I suspect that you may have been bitten by FamilySearch's approach to citing sources, which sometimes overemphasizes the URL and Collection, but often neglects the underlying, original document. Thus, when contractual issues change what one sees via the source, it can have a significant impact on the value of the source.

Not sure that I've answered your specific questions; @A van Helsdingen has provided an excellent answer for those. However, I do hope that the additional resources might be helpful.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/The_Drouin_Collection%3A_Six_Databases

Frankly, I generally learn much from these discussions, so, and as an aside, for those (like me) that found this to be 'new ground', I also add this excellent resource for a good discussion of the Drouin Collection.

https://www.genealogiequebec.com/blog/en/2017/10/01/the-drouin-collection-records/#:~:text=The%20Drouin%20Collection%20Records%20is,and%20the%20Northeastern%20United%20States.

A van Helsdingen

Welcome to the forum,

I don't know the answer to the second question. As for the first question, all I can say is that contracts can be changed at any time. FamilySearch never publicly comments on negotiations. Unless the Drouin Institute does make a statement (you could try contacting them yourself), we won't know if FamilySearch and Drouin are still negotiating, or if negotiations have ended and the records won't return to FamilySearch.

This help article may be useful: https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/why-have-some-historical-records-disappeared-from-familysearch