Portal operations on FamilySearch
Periodically, we have non-member patrons come in to use the Portal to access images they cannot see from home. As often as not, after signing into FamilySearch though the Portal, they still cannot see the image they are looking for in their research.
On occasion, members will allow use of their own account to help the patron find the image they need for their research. We realize this is not a recommended procedure but it happens occasionally.
When images are blocked from being viewed by anyone except a member of the Church, is possible for FamilySearch to just say that in some kind of information screen? That would at least prevent a non-member patron from making a needless trip to the FHC and avoid an uncomfortable situation when a member staff worker has to tell someone they cannot use their sign in credentials to view the material they are interested in.
Thanks!
Britt Franklin
Columbia, Maryland Family History Center
3335046
Answers
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The pop-up used to say just that. It was changed ~2019.
I have screenshots saved of the messages. In 2017, it read "To view these images you must do one of the following: Sign in to Familysearch.org as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
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Thanks. Good explanation of what the current situation is.
It does not explain why such a message does not exist today. Family History Center staff are in the situation where we are required to answer fairly often.
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I am not connected with FamilySearch and am not a church member.
I agree the former wording was clear in it's meaning and therefore preferable.
I suspect the decision was made was so the people in general would not be aware that Church members had access to records that non church members don't have, given discrimination issues have become more prominent over the past years. I also suspect that the decision may have been made by Church leaders rather than FamilySearch management, but that is a personal view.
If you are are having problems at your Family History Centre, perhaps you could discuss this with your immediate church leaders and ask them to pass your views about clearer wording to higher leadership.
The catalog sets out those digitised microfilms which can be viewed at Family History Centres, so if people are coming along to view microfilms which aren't available to them, they haven't looked at the catalog. Perhaps all you can do is refer them back to the catalog, non church member's version.
There is a help centre article on this matter Article Id: 951 https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-the-image-restrictions-in-historical-records. From comments I have seen on this Community this comes in two versions, one for church members and one for non church members.
Looking at the non church members versions of this article, for those records which are not viewable at all by non church members the relevant wording would be
"Images Available
To view these images, do one of the following:
- You may be able to view this image by visiting one of our partners' sites or the legal record custodian (fees may apply)"
Under Who Can View the Image it says
The images could be available on one or more partner sites. View them on the partner site. If we know which site has the images, you see a link to it. Otherwise, search the FamilySearch Research Wiki to find a source of the information.
To me, it would be clearer to add in the wording These images are not available to view on FamilySearch.
From comments I have seen, the church members' version of article ID:951 says
"Consultants should not sign in to allow members of the public to access restricted images. Such sharing can violate contracts between FamilySearch and the records custodian and can cause the records to be removed from FamilySearch"
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