Why were microfilms truncated?
And can this be changed?
This might belong under the Indexing or Search or Suggest an Idea category, or all three, so I'll just put it here.
I have noticed that in the Norwegian Church Records collection that important pages of the microfilms have been lopped off. For example, page 1 in this set of images: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-B3PP-BJSS?view=explore&action=view&cc=4237104&groupId=TH-7771-102418-15033-35 is
If, by chance, one lands directly on this page, it is very difficult to figure out where exactly one is.
Going to this same page at the Norwegian archives: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20070103620004 ,
not only does it have full information about this document at the top of the page, but there are three additional preceding pages that have information about the document like this:
Since these missing images are on the original microfilms created by FamilySearch decades ago and since I assume the entire microfilm would have been digitized and not just portions of it, would it be possible to add them to the indexed record viewer?
Answers
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Just taking a quick glance, I wonder if the issue here is caused by an attempt at breaking apart those long DGS that cover many years.
That section of Volume 12, listed just above DGS 107614343, has records through 1924, which might still be restricted for privacy reasons.
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The original microfilm did cover more than just the one book for 1879 to 1909 so breaking it up, as you suggest, very well may have been the cause. But why did they choose to cut off the first few pages, not just of this section, but of every parish register in this collection instead of leaving those introductory pages?
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Maybe one of those algorithms or AI that didn't quite get it right?
I recall that probate files on one of the for-pay genealogy websites are consistently broken at the wrong point so that the cover page is separated from the rest of the individual's probate file.
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Digging a bit further, I found a potential clue to what is going on. If I go to the catalog and look for the same film, the images can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center, even the one I posted above. (The same film can be viewed by anyone free of charge at the Norwegian archive's web site.) Maybe it was a stipulation from the archives that only indexed pages can be viewed without restriction on FamilySearch and since those extra pages have no indexed information, they cannot be posted..
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