Putting a link on the catalog to show if films are available at BYU.

LegacyUser

Katie Schmoldt said: I work at the BYU FHL and I think it would be really cool if you were to be able to show which of these films are available at BYU. Currently our patrons have to check the SL FHL catalog, find a film number they want, and then check if BYU has that film on a separate search. So if you were able to include some symbol on each film that is available at BYU it would make it much easier for people to find things at another location.

LegacyUser

CSM said: In the catalog, click on view film notes, then click on the box "Locations" If the film is available in locations other than the FHL in Salt Lake City it will indicate.

MALG22030

That functionality in FamilySearch is now gone! Why? I used that information to find that a FHC near me had all 5 microfilms from my grandparents parish in Poland. Without that information, I never would have found the records of my ancestors, though it did mean I spend hours every week at the FHC.

Julia Szent-Györgyi

It's probably gone because FamilySearch discontinued microfilm services several years ago.They no longer copy and loan films, and I get the impression that the film viewers at most FHCs are no longer operational, as it has become too expensive to maintain and repair them.

When film was discontinued, FS started concentrating on digitizing records instead, but "digitized" is not necessarily the same as "online", due to contractual or legal restrictions. This does unfortunately render some previously-available materials currently inaccessible, especially with quarantine restrictions still in force.

Paul W

There are tens of thousands of films in the hands of the Society Of Genealogists. They saw no need to catalogue them as their location could be found by using the Catalog section of the FamilySearch website. Maybe I am quoting an exceptional case, but there must be other FHCs (and Affiliates) throughout the world that still hold lots of microfilms on their premises. What a shame they can't be identified.

However, maybe this has been a deliberate action by FamilySearch: after all, if they have not been digitized (or have viewing restrictions) maybe record custodians would not wish for the microfilms to be viewed in this way any longer.

(Incidentally, many do show one location at which they are still available for viewing: the Family History Library in SLC.)

I know 1547178 is held at the Society of Genealogist's Library in London (currently closed), but the screenshot illustrates it is (apparently) only available at this one location:

dontiknowyou

I have found some books held by FHL listed on WorldCat. WorldCat is where most of the world goes to find microfilm holdings. My impression is that most of the world doesn't know about FHL.