This blog is a short
and heartfelt encouragement to give back to the folks who have given genealogy
so much.
We all know that the
records which we use every day were not created for us, though they are so
basic to our work that this is sometimes overlooked: census, tax, land, wills,
probate, birth, marriage, divorce, death, draft registration, social security, etc.,
etc.
Some of these
records included name indexes at the front of the volume (land, birth(some),
wills) and some not so (census for starters).
We (the cloud of genealogists) can use ALL these records so easily
because people INDEXED them. Note that I
said "people." People can
read handwriting, and make decisions.
OCR sort of works on newspapers, not so much for court journals.
Ancestry, data base
of waving leaves and TV ads, hired people to do the indexing. No argument with their decisions; they were
first off the block with an easily accessible census data base, and got MANY
people interested & involved in researching.
Family Search took a
different tact on indexing, asking members of their church (Latter Day Saints,
aka Mormons) to undertake this task.
That is still the model for records currently being added to the
collection, and for the thousands of records previously filmed, but currently
only available as a browsable collection.
While members do
indexing, they are delighted to open the door to volunteers with no connection
with their church. I've indexed and will
continue to do so. (Many non-LDS folk volunteer
at FHL libraries)
What one indexes is
easy to customize. Records are
described; some are typescript; many handwritten; tons are in English. You ask for a "chunk" which you
then read and put info from the records into a grid (also supplied). When done you hit a button. Your work goes back to Salt Lake City and you
get a brownie point. Indexing any 'chunk' takes roughly 30 minutes (or
less). If you find you have misjudged
your abilities in regard to a given 'chunk,' you type the equivalent of
"oops" and that record group closes.
Each
"chunk" is given to 3 indexers.
If all agree it gets stamped "good" and is added to the data
base. If all doesn't agree, someone very
skilled looks at the record in question and solves the problem. (For me, this cuts down the anxiety factor
really big time. Ie. I'm not the only word, nor the final word)
So… I'm encouraging
you to give back. Speaking for myself,
but suspecting I have fellow travelers, my schedule is such that I cannot, at
this time, volunteer every Tuesday at…, or be a big sister, or run an 'x' for my
favorite charity, but I can (and again, suspect many fellow travelers) find an
hour or three (or 16) during a month to index.
Each month may be different, and that's ok. I can index day (or night), do as many chunks
at a sitting as I wish, or one and sign off.
It is not taxing, but rather the different that refreshes, and I
guarantee you will get a warm glow from helping out (in addition to your
brownie points from LDS).
Google
FamilySearch.org, and sign in or make an account. Last time I was on the site the top banner
had "indexing" at the right hand end.
Click and go.
Few surprises, and
all good ---
Isn't summer a good
time for resolutions?
Till next time,
Liz
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2018
begins with an "ABC-darium," a walk through the alphabet expanding
into short comments on matters genealogical. Published on Tuesday and
some Fridays, a letter may be visited more than once before moving
on.
©
2018, SE Ross