Welcome Mayflower Cousins

This blog is full of information for applications to the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Ohio. Check back often to learn more about producing a successful application. Click the email link at the bottom to be notified of new posts as they happen.

Our contact information is:
Ann Gulbransen, Historian, historian@ohiomayflower.org
Lee Martin, Deputy Historian, deputyhistorian@ohiomayflower.org

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

No more microfilm rentals?? How can I get records now?

You probably know by now that the Family History Library in Salt Lake City is no longer loaning rolls of microfilm. Microfilm is a technology that is rapidly becoming obsolete, and the raw film almost impossible to find. FamilySearch is committed to digitize all the records they have on microfilm over the next few years.

So, what do we do now? FamilySearch has indicated that they have already digitized the most frequently requested rolls of microfilm. However, much of that content has not yet been indexed so it is not available on the main FamilySearch.org website. But, it is available online!

The key is to search for the records you want in the catalog on the FamilySearch website. If you find an index record in a collection such as Ohio Marriages 1800-1958, you should see a microfilm number on the right side of the index record.

From the menu at the top of the website, click on Search and pick Catalog from the list. On the Catalog page, you should see a link for Film/Fiche number. Enter the film number from the index record you found and you should be taken to a page with details of that record. If the record is one you can view from home, you will see a camera icon next to a link for the film. Click on the icon and you will be presented with a digital copy of the film that you can browse to find the record you want.

If you see a camera icon with a key above it, that means you can only view the digitized imates at a Family History Center or affiliate library. Use the website to find the closest FHC to your location, go there and use their computer to repeat the steps above. You should now be able to browse the images and find the one you need.

If you don't have a film number, you can use the other search parameters to see catalog entries for your desired location, surname, etc. You should see both physical holdings and microfilm collections.

What else can you do? Think about participating in indexing records for FamilySearch. The more records get indexed by volunteers like you, the faster the record collections will be available on the main site.

Good luck with your search for records!

No comments:

Post a Comment