Why am I seeing restricted access icon on Find A Grave results?

SueBaker84

I see

at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZRM-12DL?lang=en

There's actually two issues here, but I wonder why the lock icon? I can click the link to Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225958593/kathryn-moran) and go to the listing just fine.

Second issue is the "event place" is flat out wrong now. "original event place" is the correct location for this Saint Thomas Aquinas Cemetery.

sc woz

@SueBaker84

From my research, the icon means you can view the indexed data, but the actual image or record is restricted and requires access at a FamilySearch Center, affiliate library, or on the third‑party site itself (Find A Grave or another custodian), depending on the specific contract for that collection.

Alan E. Brown

@SueBaker84 This Search category is a great place to post such questions. Thank you for taking the time to make sure that these issues get reported.

You correctly identified that there are two distinct issues mentioned in your original post:

• Incorrect standardization of cemetery places. This has been reported with several examples (see, for example, Why are there wildly different places on this document?), and there is no need to report it again.
• Find A Grave entries with restricted access: This is also an acknowledged problem that has been reported to Engineering. See, for example, the discussion: "Find a Grave" memorials "We're unable to show this record". As you can see in that discussion, the engineers have plenty of examples of this issue as well.

For some records-related issues, the Records Issue Report Form is the best way to provide your specific problem report. But if you have questions, including if you are wondering if that's the right way to report some issue you have, you're always welcome to post here first.

betsy123

@SueBaker84 I have been looking at some of the records in my tree today and I can clearly see both of the issues you mentioned. I was happy to see that even with the lock icon, I could still access Find A Grave records. I also see the same problem you see when I look at the cemetery place names. Please be assured that these issues are being addressed and your patience is appreciated!

sc woz

@SueBaker84

In the Search category, you can request help and ask questions regarding how to find records that may identify your ancestors. To better support you, we’ve created two ways to direct your request:

Search Help: Use community discussions/posts to get guidance and assistance with your research.

Record Issues: Use a reporting form to flag errors, problems, restrictions or bugs, with specific records/collections. To report an issue, please click on the following link, Records Issue. Complete the form with as detailed information as possible and submit.

This approach will allow us to keep development-related issues within the proper feedback channels, while allowing the Community to be used as a space for discussion, collaboration and support- where users can learn from one another and receive help with research; helping the Community to remain focused, effective, and helpful for everyone.

SueBaker84

@sc woz

Thanks for the generic help response. In this case, I am aware the cemetery location issue has been reported, so I'll not report it again. Unless the team wants each and every one of these to be reported.

I'm much more interested in finding about why a Find A Grave Index entry would have the restricted access icon on it. Have I posted my question in the wrong location?

JulianBrown38

@sc woz Re your comment:

Record Issues: Use a reporting form to flag errors, problems, restrictions or bugs, with specific records/collections. To report an issue, please click on the following link, Records Issue. Complete the form with as detailed information as possible and submit.

Is it of use to the engineers if we continue to report any more of these inaccessible Find A Grave index records? A few days ago, I reported about 30 PIDs that had hints for such records, using the Records Issue form (just one). I was pleasantly surprised to get an email acknowledgement. Since then, I have encountered another 20+ such records. I am keeping a list of them so I can revisit them once the issue is resolved, but, if the engineers don't need them, I won't report them in future.

maryellenstevensbarnes1

@JulianBrown38 Are you keeping a printed list of inaccessible find a grave records or a snip saved to your computer? Thanks

JulianBrown38

@maryellenstevensbarnes1 I am just keeping a list of the PIDs that have a hint attached that leads to an inaccessible FindAGrave record.