What can I do about a record from Virginia that is indexed as Louisiana?

Anell Gibelyou

Film number 004023743, item number 3, is theoretically vital records from Virginia, but every indexed record says Louisiana. I'm not sure if Louisiana records have accidentally been slipped into Virginia films, or if the entire book was indexed incorrectly. Nor do I know what can be done about it. Who takes care of this sort of information?

Áine Ní Donnghaile

It's not every record. It seems to be those records from at least Franklin County Virginia. For example -

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JBX-5RXF

It's the gremlin known as placename standardization.

@Mike357 or @N Tychonievich Could you please add to the interminable list of issues with placename standardization?

Thank you.

Mike357

@Anell Gibelyou, the problem that you have found is an example of a place name standardization error, as was pointed out above. A computer is used to standardize event place names; and, in some cases, gets it wrong. An easy way to see if one may be looking at a standardization error (often called an auto-standardization error) is to look for two event place names: one with the term "(Original)" attached to it.

We have been asked to report all instances of this error, as there does not appear to be a way to fix these errors en masse.

I will add this example of the place standardization error to the queue for review and resolution. As there is a significant backlog of related issues, it would be impossible to suggest when the problem will be fixed.

As a work around, it is possible to attach the Virginia document to your ancestor, in Family Tree, by adding the original document to you Source Box. This avoids attaching the index record details page, which contains the error. The following two references will help you, if you are unfamiliar with using the Source Box.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-to-find-the-add-to-source-box-link

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-attach-source-from-source-box

MaureenE123

It really looks like sloppy programming when the record appears to be part of a collection "Virginia Vital Records" yet an Event place out of Virginia is the option selected by the program.

Anell Gibelyou

Yup. It is the Franklin County records. So I assume that the records are of Franklin County, Virginia.

Áine Ní Donnghaile

@Anell Gibelyou search on the terms I bolded in my reply, and you will see that it is an ongoing problem.

Anell Gibelyou

Thanks, all, for responding