FamilySearch Wiki:Success Stories: Difference between revisions

FamilySearch Wiki:Success Stories (view source)

Revision as of 15:18, 26 September 2017

2,416 bytes removed , 26 September 2017

→‎Wiki Links to FamilySearch Historical Records: story deleted because it referred to Microfilm Ordering System which is no longer available.

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 First we looked at the pages for Pennsylvania Census records, but nothing was mentioned about using the ward maps. Next we looked at the page for Pennsylvania Maps. Right at the bottom of the page was an explanation for using the city ward maps when doing census research. The article also linked to the catalog entry for the maps that are available at the Family History Library on microfilm and microfiche!!! She was thrilled with what she learned about using the ward maps. Evidently she had been trying for a long time to find out if ward maps were available and how to use them. Within a few short minutes, the Wiki answered her question. She loved what she saw and was anxious to share the news with friends back home. -Fran 19:12, 26 May 2009 (UTC) (Originally posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 9:14 am on the [[Main Page|FamilySearch Labs]] project: FamilySearch Alpha - Blog.)
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-=== Wiki Links to FamilySearch Historical Records  ===
-A patron came up to the desk asking for help with getting a copy of a death certificate. She had found two records in an index to death certificates on a microfilm that included 1949. The name was right and the year was right, so she wanted a copy of the certificate. She had brought the film with her because she didn't know what to do next. She was really confused about the next steps because she didn't even write down the information that she found in the index.
-We loaded the film on the reader at the reference desk and found the two records she was after. It appeared that both entries were for the same individual because they had the same name, same certificate number, same date and county of death.
-The next step was to look in the catalog to see if we have the actual death certificates. I really didn't think we would have them because the year of death was 1949, but we looked in the catalog anyway. Wow, we actually have the certificates on microfilm in a collection that included records from 1949. There are 1200+ films in this collection, but the ONE she needed was at the Vault.
-She was okay with having to order the film because she was going to be here until this coming weekend.
-She started to leave, but I said we should try to find another resource for the records. I asked her if she knew about the Wiki. She didn't know anything about the Wiki, so I explained it to her and gave her the website address.
-We looked on the Wiki to see if the records were available anywhere else.
-Right there - listed in the vital records section for the state she needed was a link to FamilySearch Record Search! And the collection in Record Search included the actual images!!!!
-Less than a minute later we had a printout of the death certificate she needed.
-She decided that she didn't need to order the Vault film.
-She was thrilled, and said that I had "made her day" and then she said that I had made her week because she had been looking for things all week and this was the first thing she found.
-I said, "No, it wasn't me, it was the Wiki."
-She said, "Oh, that's right."
-We reviewed the Wiki again and emphasized the fact that she can do all of this at home with her Internet connection. She was thrilled.
-Needless to say, she left the counter with a big smile on her face. -Fran 20:41, 26 May 2009 (UTC)<br>
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