Ability to view digitized records

jps1123

My understanding is that once a microfilm has a DGS  (Digital Genealogical Society) number, it has been digitized. Is there a way to view the following records that have a DGS number:

(1) Film # 1961602 (Items 4 - 6), DGS 7968377, which is the "Nati 1895-1910 (in ordine inverso)" in the "Registri dello stato civile di Collecchio (Parma), 1787-1910" collection.  All (but one other) of the other 70+ digitized microfilms in the "Registri dello stato civile di Collecchio (Parma), 1787-1910" collection are available for access at the local FHC near my house except for Film # 1961602. See: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/240859?availability=Family%20History%20Library;

(2) Film #  1732171, DGS 7958633, which is the "Battesimi 1866-1893, 1881-1940 Confermazioni 1757-1774 Morti 1602-1622, 1631-1671 Matrimoni 1613-1622, 1631-1641 Morti 1715-1792, 1801-19, 1844-1920 Documenti matrimoniali 1844-56, 1859-86 Morti 1669-1794, 1792-1819, 1844-1883" in the "Registri ecclesiastici di Costageminiana (Parma), 1692-1940" collection. The other two microfilms in the "Registri ecclesiastici di Costageminiana (Parma), 1692-1940" collection are available for online viewing. See: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/536153?availability=Family%20History%20Library;

(3) Film # 771880, DGS 7956572, which is the "Battesimi 1662-1914; Battesimi fuori parrocchia 1951; Confermazioni 1862-1912; Matrimoni 1662-1913" in the "Registri ecclesiastici di Roccaprebalza (Parma), 1662-1957" collection. See: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/132918?availability=Family%20History%20Library; and

(4) Film # 783938, DGS 7957640, which is the "Notificazioni 1908-1957; Morti 1806-1914, 1665-1806" in the "Registri ecclesiastici di Roccaprebalza (Parma), 1662-1957" collection. See: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/132918?availability=Family%20History%20Library.

Thanks

CDBurk

Hi @jps1123 . It is correct that when you see a DGS [Digital Genealogical Society] number that the film has been digitized, however, when films are digitized, there have been negotiations with the record owners to determine how the owners would like to make the digital images available.

The catalog film/digital notes explain what the record custodians had decided. Please review the following knowledge articles which review how to understand the film notes, and to see what type of restrictions can be applied to the digitized films.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-notes-or-film-digital-notes-in-the-catalog

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-the-image-restrictions-in-historical-records

With the above information we believe that you will be able to verify the following:

1) & 2) DGS 7968377 images and DGS 7958633 images cannot be viewed in the microfilm format, however, the reel indicates that if you were in the Family History Library in Salt Lake you would be able to view the microfilm format. [Microfilms are no longer circulated so you would need to be in the Family History Library in Salt Lake to view the microfilm unless the World Cat shows other locations where the microfilm exists.]

3) & 4) DGS 7956572 and 7957640 also show the microfilm reel, so the above information applies to those digital images as well.

We hope you will review the knowledge articles that we have provided. When you cannot view records that you find at FamilySearch, keep in mind that since we do not set the restrictions, you might want to contact the record custodians directly to see if you can find and view their records through their website. A Google search will generate links to Italian websites where it might be possible to work directly with the records you wish to review.

We appreciate your question and hope that the information we have provided will be helpful to you as you continue your research.

MaureenE123

I am not connected with FamilySearch.

Digitised microfilms under points 2, 3, 4 are probably restricted due to privacy issues, in that they may contain births within the last one hundred years

I note that the records in point1 are are items 4-6 of a longer film. You will probably find that one of the other items in the digitised microfilm is restricted for privacy reasons, so the entire digitised microfilm is restricted.

Unless you can locate actual microfilms you will not currently be able to view the records. Perhaps in the future FamilySearch will split up the films, but FamilySearch is not doing that now.

MaureenE123

Further to my post above, the following post by FamilySearch Employee Orvill S. Paller dated 28 February 2018 discusses how FamilySearch is obliged to comply with privacy laws applying in different countries https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/37748/#Comment_37748

"Depending on contractual terms, data privacy laws, etc., FamilySearch can only expose to patrons of its website those images that conform to all of the aforementioned restrictions"

Also includes the statement "And, as such, for any given single roll of microfilm that has been digitized (i.e. converted from the original microfilm to digital images), if there is a single image that exceeds the statutory/data privacy laws for that locality, then FamilySearch must - by default - restrict access to the digitized copy of the entire roll of microfilm. It's not ideal at all. "

It would seem that the Help article linked above https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-notes-or-film-digital-notes-in-the-catalog is not complete in the information, as there is no mention that digitised microfilms may be unavailable due to data privacy laws. The Help article needs amendment.

@N Tychonievich to pass to relevant area for action.

N Tychonievich

@MaureenE123 Data privacy is addressed in this help article:

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/why-is-no-camera-icon-showing-for-a-digitized-microfilm-in-the-catalog

It is also addressed in this Wiki article:

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Historical_Record_Collections

We will send feedback to the group that maintains the help articles to suggest that it be included in more content.

jps1123

Thank you all for the information you provided in response to my question posted above. It sounds like access to the records I had inquired about are being restricted because of privacy issues since a portion of the digitized copy of the microfilm roll contains records that are within the last one hundred years (eventhough other records on the microfilm roll are several hundred years old and not a privacy issue). It probably would take a lot of resources to split up the records on the microfilm, so famikysearch is conservatively restricting access to the entire microfilm roll while focusing limited resources on getting other records digitized. I would be willing to volunteer to help parse out these records by year. It is unfortunate that people will have to wait 20 years to see records from the 1600s to 1800s because of other records from 1940 that exist on the same microfilm.

CDBurk

Just one more comment, @jps1123, please remember that since it is the record owners who set restrictions, contacting them to work with them directly might resolve your current concern. Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding restricted images at FamilySearch.