Why can't films which are to be viewed only at family history centers not viewable?
My name is Gayle Crawford, Leader at Spokane Washington East Stake Center Family History center. (3342034)
On August 11, 2022 there is a patron who is attempting to view films associated with Poland/Germany which should be viewable at a Family History Center and they are not. Has the status changed about restricted films being viewed at family history centers? The patron who is gathering information about families in the Poland/Germany area is very frustrated with this situation. Is there any reason why we are not able to view films which can only be viewed at family histories centers. Should this continue, patrons will be very disappointed with this new policy. Please help with this matter. Look forward to learning what is happening with this issue.
Answers
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Is the extension updated and activated?
See this comment from @Ken Richins - NAO Tech Support Lead
https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/463916/#Comment_463916
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What are they seeing?
If they're seeing a message saying that can view the records at a FHC (despite being at a FHC), then there is an error that is preventing the system from recognising that the computer is at a FHC. See the above answer.
Otherwise, the access restrictions to those particular records may have changed. They may now be only accessible to Latter Day Saints (this is the case already for many Protestant German church records), or only available on microfilm at the FHL in Salt Lake City.
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Far too many microfilms for pre-1850 counties' records, and pre-famine Irish records are STILL not digitized and online as promised years ago. We also can't rent microfilms anymore, as per our local LDS libraries. They are all too often only available in Salt Lake City. This means we are all back to the 1950's or so when researchers all had to travel in person to Salt Lake City to do research. I understand that shipping costs went up for the rentals, so charge accordingly but please start renting the films again. Also consider building some large permanent regional research centers with copies of ALL the microfilms in them so researchers only have to drive a couple of hours at most to reach a center and can get home again in the evening, and make those centers open at least four full days a week and into the early evenings. You might want to also copy some of your rare books of records etc. editions for the centers. Also a list of affordable researchers in Salt Lake City who will go through microfilms there would help. Put a link to the lists on both Ancestry and Family Search. It's unfair to force older people and people of limited means to have to travel (airfare, car rental, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to research records of their families on your microfilms that used to be rented out and sent to more convenient local LDS libraries. You have not been able to fulfill the publicized promises of putting everything online. It's past time to admit failure and start renting out the microfilms again, or build large regional research centers/libraries that have permanent copies of everything that most people can access more conveniently. The one in San Jose is downright dinky! San Jose is a city of over 1 million and the 10th largest in the U.S. Ridiculous!
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Microfilm blanks are no longer available to purchase.
All the microfilms have been digitized, but digitized does not necessarily mean available online at all locations.
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It is true that all microfilms have been digitized, but some are not available online. This depends on the contract that FamilySearch with the record owner/custodian. Some custodians may have been happy to give access via microfilm at FHCs, but are not willing to have their records online. When a custodian does not give permission for their records to go online, FamilySearch digitizes the microfilms anyway (they might change their mind in the future).
I'm interested in hearing which Irish records you are trying to access. Many of them can be accessed through other websites, though some Irish records can still only be viewed in person.
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