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"Off Site Storage" of Salt Lake Family History Library Books

Dennis J Yancey
Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
August 24, 2022 edited July 26, 2024 in Search

I know that about 10 years ago (if not longer) a huge portion of books that were once at main the Family HIstory Library In Salt Lake - were placed in an offsite location referred to in the Catalog as " Off-site Storage ".

Many of these items were books dedicated to specific family surnames. (versus others that were based on genealogy in a specific geographic location -- most of these in this 2nd group still being in physical format at the FHL)

Items in this area of family/surname research have been inaccessible for many years now (if they are not in the public domain due to expiration of copyright).

I believe they were prepared for digital scanning - with the intent that the digital scans would be made available at the library (and only at the library). I get the impression they were actually scanned. But because of changing interpretations of copyright law -- FamilySearch was never able to make these digitally available for access by patrons.

I believe the physical volumes are still out there -- but because of the process of what they went thru for digitization -- could no longer be placed back on the shelf as they were originally.

Does anyone know the status of these "Offsite storage" items. We are potentially talking of literally MILLIONS of physical volumes that are in offsite storage - that were once on the shelves at the FHL - but haven't been for at least the past 10 years and a good majority of them are under copyright - and thus cannot be made available via digital means at this time.

Will the millions of volumes in this "Off-site Storage" be in limbo forever????


here are just a couple examples among the millions of items stuck in limbo:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/oclc/1503491

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2793179

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Best Answer

  • dontiknowyou
    dontiknowyou ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022 Answer ✓

    @Dennis J Yancey this is standard operating procedure for large libraries and archives. Working from the catalog, request what you want to see by appointment.

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Answers

  • MaureenE123
    MaureenE123 ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022

    I am not connected with FamilySearch

    The page Books, from the Library "website"/website pages says

    "If a book in the Catalog is listed as "off-site," you can request for it to be sent to the Library. Please request the book at least 1-2 days before your visit".

    https://www.familysearch.org/en/family-history-library/books

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  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022 edited August 24, 2022

    Let me check it out and see if that service actually works

    Thanks

    the last time i checked various years back no one had a clue of when these items would be available.

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  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022

    So here is the latest scoop

    that offsite retrieval service DOES actually work! 😀

    It seems though that what they let you access - is NOT the actual physical book

    but rather a digital copy on a flash drive

    but in many ways -- that is even better,


    Anyone else have experiences with this service??

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  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022
    https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/467208#Comment_467208

    Thanks Maureen!

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  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022 edited August 24, 2022
    https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/467228#Comment_467228

    Oh - I totally agree and understand

    that wasn't the point -- the point was that for more than like 5 years or so - if not longer - this off site storage was totally off limits and in sort of a limbo - (not even available on request) because the physical items were not just sitting on some shelf somewhere - they had been physically modified to allow quick digitization and thus why they were never returned to the shelves at FHL - they were not in a condition that returning them to the shelves was even possible, nor even allowing the patron to leaf through them.

    which is probably why the physical book is not coming back when you request it now -- but rather a digital copy on Flash Drive

    its quite possible - we will never see again the physical volumes we once saw shelved on an entire floor at FHL for millions of volumes. .

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  • dontiknowyou
    dontiknowyou ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022

    I won't speculate about condition or accessibility of physical books. I will just say that the books are much better off not being handled by library patrons.

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  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    August 24, 2022 edited August 24, 2022

    I personally for the most part agree with you (in this day and age when we can have digital) . Though there are some who I think very much would disagree.

    but copyright issues come to mind

    I dont know how they got around that,

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  • Linda Johnson_18
    Linda Johnson_18 ✭✭
    September 7, 2022

    how do I get a digital copy of a book in off-site storage when I am in Salt Lake doing research soon?

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  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    September 8, 2022

    "If a book in the Catalog is listed as "off-site," you can request for it to be sent to the Library. Please request the book at least 1-2 days before your visit".

    https://www.familysearch.org/en/family-history-library/books


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  • Judi in Sonora
    Judi in Sonora ✭
    May 18, 2023

    How do I request a book from the archives? Is there a phone number to call?

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  • MaureenE123
    MaureenE123 ✭✭✭✭✭
    May 19, 2023

    From this link https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/collection-books (a new version of the link quoted above) there is a further link to a form for ordering. I do not know whether it is possible to also order by phone.

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