Who should have physical KEYS to the Family History Center?
We are having trouble with unauthorized access to our FHC. We are finding our center's computers ON when there has been no scheduled use of the FHC. We have searched through the Operations Guides but have not found any specific words addressing who should have access to the FHC. We have not been able to find any "written" guidance or direction regarding this subject. Currently, the Ward Bishops have keys to the FHC and feel they do not need to schedule any ward specific FH activities through the Stake FHC Director or the FHC scheduling contact. Looking for help in resolving this situation but as stated above, we have not found any specific written direction on this subject.
Answers
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@DavidGraham1 - Thank you for posting your query to FamilySearch Community. I serve in our Stake FHC and we also have that problem, although there is no lock on our FHC (Room). We have locked storage cabinets and locked shutters containing the computers and printer. The FTMs currently have access to these locked areas to email their families at home but rarely leave things as they find them. The room is also used as a teaching area. Since it is a Stake facility it would logically fall under the stewardship of the Stake Presidency and probably be delegated by assignment to a member of the Stake High Council. The Bishop would have a stewardship over the building including who has access in the form of keys to the building. The best course of action for you would be to seek written clarification from the Stake President which would hopefully resolve the issue.
Kind Regards,
John L.Kennedy.
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@DavidGraham1 I would suggest you regularly attend the FHC tech support meetings each 1st Wednesday of the month at the times listed in the FamilySearch Center Technical Support Community Group, as well as the 3rd Wednesday "Center Chatter" meetings.
This topic comes up frequently, and some specific answers are provided both by the tech support people there, as well as the many FHC/FSC leaders (formerly called "Directors"). It's probably a better place to hold this discussion, rather than in a public forum.
But the bottom line is that it's ultimately your stake president's decision on all of those questions, including whether missionaries have keys (they have smart phones that work just fine for that purpose!), who else has access, etc. If the computers are being used by others for other purposes besides family history, there is a high likelihood that they are not being used as authorized, including installation of unauthorized software by people that don't know what the requirements and restrictions are. The computers in a FHC/FSC belong to the Family History Department, not the stake - different than the clerk computers or others owned by the stake or wards. And there are very specific restrictions on use of the FHC/FSC computers - again, attending the monthly tech support meetings would be highly encouraged both for FHC/FSC leaders as well as the stake technology specialists that support those FHCs/FSCs.
The missionaries have specific times they are authorized to be emailing family, and if they are using the FHC/FSC to circumvent those guidelines, that's an issue for the stake president to discuss with the mission president (as well as poor conditions left after they are done in the FHC/FSC). Our stake president removed the keys from the FTMs, and when I later asked them how much that impacted them, I was told that it was no problem because of their smart phones that allowed them to do whatever they needed to get done as part of the mission.
Keys to a FHC/FSC are NOT controlled by the bishop who otherwise has responsibility for a building. The FHC/FSC leader should have key control for the FHC/FSC. That is an issue between the FHC/FSC leader, the stake president, and the FM group. We had to have our FHC entirely re-keyed shortly after I was given responsibility for our FHC due to too many keys that had not been turned in over the years when responsibilities changed, and also due to misuse of issued keys. That was all coordinated through the stake president and FM group. But the FHC/FSC leader is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the FHC/FSC. If he/she doesn't have control over that, a discussion is in order with the stake president through the high councilor over T&FH. The stake president has ultimate responsibility for the security, use, and operation of the FHC/FSC. Even if the computers are merely behind locked closet doors or other barriers in a room without a lock, that locked barrier essentially makes that space a FHC/FSC. Careful understanding of the FHC Operations Guide is very much in order - it gives the specifics on authorized use and activities in a Center.
As we used to say in our branch of the military, RTM! (Read the manual!)
--Chris
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Our FHC had that problem but worse. The FHC area was being used as a classroom. There were people who made changes to the workstations including deleting software that allowed access to the portal. New and unauthorized apps kept showing. As stated above, the Stake President has the final word, and when he was apprised of the situation and was given access to the documentation that states the ownership of the computers belongs to the Family History department (not the stake), he quickly made the appropriate changes necessary, including changing locks and controlling the keys. The center is sometimes still used as a classroom but the rule (courtesy of the stake president) was made that FHC leader and/or authorized staff MUST unlock the room to make it accessible and MUST be in attendance. It has worked very well.
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And that's how it's supposed to be done. Nice job! (And great stake president!).
--Chris
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