Can FS request permission from the owner of a collection to index it?

DenisWallner · January 25, 2023

Basically that. Is it possible for FS to contact whoever owns a collection and ask if they want it to be indexed? Or is this something they already ask when they first acquire it?

I'm using the Istria collection now and it looks good and I think indexing it could help people who are looking for records in those areas.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Italy%2C_Pola_and_Trieste%2C_Catholic_Church_Records_-_FamilySearch_Historical_Records#Citing_This_Collection

Áine Ní Donnghaile · January 26, 2023

It will depend on the contract that FamilySearch and the record owner decide upon. Some records were microfilmed or, today, digitally photographed, as a matter of preservation and may not be indexed or put online. As a matter of privacy, records about people who might still be living may not be indexed or may not be made available.

Sometimes, only members of a certain group/organization may be invited/allowed to index. I recall a group of records from Virginia, a few years ago, that only members of a Virginia genealogical group could index.

And, records MAY have been indexed that are not yet online. It takes a great deal of time, behind the scenes, between when we indexers do our thing and when the index is published to the website. For a pet project of mine, it was nearly 3 years after the date the project was fully indexed and arbitrated and when the index went online.

Áine Ní Donnghaile · January 25, 2023

This magazine article has a good overview of how FamilySearch works with record holders to preserve and prepare a collection: https://familytreemagazine.com/websites/familysearch/familysearch-digitize-records/

Maile L · January 25, 2023

@DenisWallner You may be interested in the discussion https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/137724/how-can-we-request-time-sensitive-records-for-the-miwok-native-american-tribe-be-digitized-indexed#latest

DenisWallner · January 26, 2023

Thank you both, this info is great but still I don't understand lots haha.

When you go to indexing, who decides which projects show up there, the content strategy Manager? I imagine of course there's a procedure to follow but still. Plus the thread does mention that owners can contact FS to digitize records but doesn't mention Index, though I believe it's the same.

All this question are just out of curiosity. It's amazing the amount of bureaucracy that goes into all this as well. Maybe if I want those indexed I'll have to contact the owner haha

DenisWallner · January 28, 2023

Áine Ní Donnghaile

Jan 26, 2023

It will depend on the contract that FamilySearch and the record owner decide upon. Some records were microfilmed or, today, digitally photographed, as a matter of preservation and may not be indexed or put online. As a matter of privacy, records about people who might still be living may not be indexed or may not be made available.
Sometimes, only members of a certain group/organization may be invited/allowed to index. I recall a group of records from Virginia, a few years ago, that only members of a Virginia genealogical group could index.
And, records MAY have been indexed that are not yet online. It takes a great deal of time, behind the scenes, between when we indexers do our thing and when the index is published to the website. For a pet project of mine, it was nearly 3 years after the date the project was fully indexed and arbitrated and when the index went online.

That's crazy 3 years! I thought it only took a couple months.

Thanks for your answer!

Can FS request permission from the owner of a collection to index it?

Welcome!

Best Answer

Answers

Welcome!

Quick Links

Categories

Change Language

Recently used languages