FamilySearch, JewishGen and Litvak SIG: What are they hiding?

I like to keep up with records newly digitized by FamilySearch. A couple of years ago I posted an article about locating new record listings on a variety of websites - including FamilySearch. I assumed that their list accurately reflected their online holdings. Guess again!

Turns out that JewishGen and the Lithuanian-Jewish Special Interest Group (LitvakSIG) have some options for seeing indexed digitized records in their All Lithuania Database. They link to records digitized by FamilySearch from Family History Library microfilm. But, if one tries to locate the digitized records from the Historic Record Collections list on FamilySearch, one will not find them.

The All Lithuania Database

The All Lithuania Database is a cooperative venture between JewishGen and LitvakSIG). LitvakSIG, an independent  organization, works with researchers and archives in Lithuania to locate and index Jewish records. They also identify and index Lithuanian Jewish records that the Family History Library has on microfilm. Once LitvakSIG uploads indexes, they are available only to paid members of a one of their district groups for 18 months. After 18 months the records become available - for free - in the All Lithuania Database, which may be accessed via LitvakSIG and JewishGen.

The key concept behind LitvakSIG - and much of JewishGen - is that they provide indexes, but usually not digitized original records. Database summaries associated with each collection of indexed records should provide enough information for researchers to independently access the originals. Fortunate researchers who find indexed family records may have to contact archives in Lithuania or order microfilm from the Family History Library.

But recently, JewishGen and LitvakSIG seem to be following in the innovative footsteps of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland. During the last few years, this last group has worked cooperatively with Polish Archives to index and link to records that have been placed online by Polish archives. With just a few  clicks, one may be sitting in one's jammies looking, virtually, at records in Warsaw. Very slick.

So, Here's the Rub!

With regard to JewishGen and LitvakSIG, some records in the All Lithuania Database that were indexed from FamilySearch microfilm are now linked to records digitized and online at FamilySearch [I understand from Marion Werle that similar links may be found for LatviaSIG records on JewishGen.]. This great news! Unfortunately, one is unlikely to know about this unless one searches via the All Lithuania Database portal. 

For some reason, FamilySearch does not include these records on the long list of those collections that have been digitized. So, if one goes to their Historical Record Collections list, one will not see them. It ought to be listed between Liechtenstein and Louisiana, below - but, no.



To locate the Jewish Lithuanian records on FamilySearch  one must search their catalog for Lithuania and Jewish records. Metrical Books from Kovno show many film rolls. The vast majority have been digitized, as indicated by a little camera icon on the right side of the page. Those that have not been digitized are indicated by a microfilm roll icon.
 

Access via the All Lithuania database (JewishGen and LitvakSIG)

I located the All Lithuania Database by clicking the Databases tab on the JewishGen home page.

This took me to JewishGen's long list of databases. Scrolling down to Lithuania, I clicked on LitvakSIG "All Lithuania" Database. This took me to a search page on the LitvakSIG webpage.

For the case I was researching, I entered a surname as well as a community. Since I was searching a common name (Levin), I reasoned that specifying a town would limit results to those Levins most relevant to my research interest. 

I also specified phonetic search in both cases. This took into account the fact that original records were likely written in a different alphabet and that the town name may have been slightly different, as well. 

Results included records in several component databases within the All Lithuania Database. The following listing was included in the LitvakSIG "Lithuania Marriages and Divorces" list. 

To my joy, I found, not just an indexed record and a reference to a collection in a Lithuanian archive and a Family History Library microfilm, but, on the far left (red arrow), a hot link to FamilySearch (the website associated with the Family History Library). Note the information shown for the record number and year (blue arrow) as well as the microfilm item number and image number (red arrow). This information may be useful for finding the FamilySearch digital image of the original record.

Family History Library microfilms often contain more than one collection or collections that have been subdivided into "items." In this case, the far right column of the indexed record entry provides the microfilm number (2,291,760), item number (2), and image number (691). LVIA and Fond numbers in the last line would be terrific information if one decided to try to acquire the record directly from the Lithuanian archive. But, no need for that here. While on the All Lithuania Database results page, click the hot link (red arrow) and head directly to FamilySearch.

Note a few things:

• the film number (004221369) shown, above, in the image thumbnail area and also in the detail, below, does not match the actual Family History Library microfilm number. The microfilm number (2291760) is acknowledged in the first image of the digitized roll.

• from the FamilySearch thumbnail screen, one may look at thumbnails or switch to different views by clicking on one of the symbols on the right. The plus (+) will increase the size of the view. Minus (-) will decrease it. The solid square within a small frame allows one to toggle between numerous thumbnails and a single image. The broken square allows for full screen view.

• in this roll, as shown in the thumbnail view above, the fourth image with a large numeral 1 indicates the start of item 1 on the roll. Item 1 will also end with a similar image and item 2 will start immediately after that. One may scroll through the images seeking those item numbers (as shown, below). 

Finding the record - Alternative 1

In this case, the easiest option is to search via the date of the record (1893) and record number (5). In the digitized record book, look at the first few pages after FamilySearch item 2. It includes images of the original book's index.

The index indicates that marriage records from 1893 will be found in record book pages 131 through 140. Navigating to page 131 (on FamilySearch, see image 682), finds a title page for 1893 records. Continue scrolling to record number 5 (circled in green, below) to find the Levin record. It is on record book page 136 (blue oval). Note that this image is number 691 (I've circled it in red). You may recall that the assigned number 691 was the image number identified in the right column of the All Lithuania Database search result for this record.

This alternative for record access may be a bit easier that alternative 2. But, one will not always be so fortunate to work with a metrical record book that contains an index. One may have to punt. So, here is an alternative browse strategy.

Finding the record - Alternative 2

As noted above, the database provided the film image number: 691. The image number, unfortunately, does not coincide with the FamilySearch digital image number because the digital images also count the microfilm roll number image and several administrative images at the start of each film. So, one may enter 691 to get close to the image on the roll, but one will still need to do a bit of browsing to find the correct page.

Above, I entered 691 and hit <new line>, which took me to an image showing 695. No "Levin" on this page. If I scroll back four images, I find a page imaged with the target number 691. Image 691 is actually on FamilySearch digitized image number 687. Levin, underlined in pencil on the page (and circled in red by me), is on this page. The first two letters are on one line and the last three on on the next. It helps, in this case to know what the name Левин [Levin] will look like in Cyrillic script.

The Up-shot

Why are these online digitized Lithuanian Jewish records not listed in the FamilySearch Historic Record Collections list? I have no idea (I will have to send a query to them, I guess). 

I have always assumed that past a certain point, as the digitized Historic Records Collection list gets larger,  FamilySearch would have to ditch the list and find a more elegant solution. Perhaps that is in the offing. But, right now it appears that some digitized records have not made the existing list. 

Bottom line? 

• It is important to know how to search a website's catalog. That is true whether one is using FamilySearch, Ancestry, JewishGen, or any genealogy website. And don't just check it once and be done with it. Particularly with FamilySearch, it seems they are picking up the pace of digitization. One doesn't want to miss anything and ... one may be pleasantly surprised. 

• Learn how to browse FamilySearch digitized microfilm for records of interest. FamilySearch is uploading digitized records at a fantastic pace and, in most cases, indexing has not kept up. Be flexible in one's browsing strategy. Each collection will have it's own peculiarities.

• And, of course, note that indexing activities by Jewish genealogy groups are allowing us to locate our family records within newly online data sets. Don't forget to thank them with monetary contributions (JewishGen donation page; LitvakSIG donation page).

Salt Lake City, FGS and RootsTech

I haven't blogged about my plans, but now I'll tell you: I am in Salt Lake City today through Saturday. I attended RootsTech about three years ago and enjoyed it. I have never before been to a Federation of Genealogical Societies conference. I could not resist attending the joint conference when FGS and RootsTech combined their conferences for 2015. And I volunteered to be a blogging FGS ambassador.

During the last couple of months of research, whenever I found a record in an index and I knew I might acquire the record from FamilySearch Library microfilm, I noted the record, located the FSL microfilm number and stuffed the sheet of paper it into a folder. So, getting ready for my one day of FSL research was not too stressful.

I took an early morning flight to Salt Lake City, dropped my bag in my room and walked a couple of blocks to the Library. I expected a crowd, but was pleasantly surprised that I had no problem finding vacant microfilm scanners whenever I required one. Signs on the scanners warn that there is a 30 minute limit for each patron at each scanner. 

My typical strategy is to collect about three films, scan the images, load the images onto my thumb drive, put the films back in the drawers, collect about three more films and head back to the scanners. I can usually scan three images in much less than 30 minutes. So, if there had been a line, I would not have kept people waiting very long. I managed to scan about 42 images (some documents were more than one page) and another 44 as a favor for a genealogy organization.

I ate lunch in the FSL snack room and went back to work. By about 3:30 pm my eyes were crossing - up too early and too much computer screen work. I decided to call it a day.

On the way back to the hotel I passed by the Salt Palace Convention Center and stopped in to register for the conference. This year's conference bag is quite nice: essentially a small bicycling bag. It even has a pocket for an iPod or smart phone and a hole for earphones.

With this puppy I should be ready for all conference contingencies.

This evening I used the RootsTech app to work on my schedule and develop my conference calendar. At this stage, if I am interested in more than one presentation for a time period, I put them on the calendar, anyway. I usually make the final decision on which one to attend on the fly. I have placed the app on my phone and my iPad. If past experience is a guide, I will likely use it consult my calendar most often during the conference on my iPad. 

Some presentations provide handouts that may be  downloaded via the RootsTech app. One may use them within the App and even, apparently take notes on them (I'll have to try that). One may also download them into other apps on one's mobile device or send them via email. I have placed several into my GoodReader app on my iPad. 

Since I may attend lectures at both conferences, it is sometimes overwhelming trying to decide which presentations to attend. Thursday at 11 am, for example, there are more than 20 talks from which to choose.

I have also been blocking out some time to help out at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies booth during the conference. I do have some free time, but I am having trouble finding two-hour blocks ( I definitely do not want to miss either a Thomas W. Jones or Judy Russell presentation (!)).

Tomorrow, I will be attending FGS presentations. I will start with the 8 am General Session: "Focus on Societies - Successfully Embracing the Future." After that will attend some sessions on effective genealogical society management.

I will try to catch Judy Russell's talk, "The Ethical Genealogist," and then round out the day with additional sessions geared toward improving society offerings.

I have been contacted by a Labun, Ukraine researcher (Labun is my father's family's community in today's Ukraine) whose relative from the community was not Jewish. I am hoping to get to meet her this week. She's doing some interesting research.

Beware of Black Friday, 5 December 2014

I've a new definition for Black Friday: FamilySearch.org is discontinuing photoduplication services on Friday, 5 December 2014.* They say that with digitization going full-force and new partnerships forming, they no longer need to provide this service. I am crushed.

I will admit that not only have I been an excellent customer - ordering lots of copies even when they used to cost me the princely sum of $2/document - I probably was also a one-woman marketing team for them when I posted in January 2013 about the advent of free document photoduplication. [Well, perhaps they didn't really want that type of marketing.  :-/ ]

One personal research project, for which I am quite proud, involved acquiring many (read: "oodles" of) vital records to document and solve some problems regarding the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association landsmanshaft and burial society community in Montefiore Cemetery in Queens and Beth Moses Cemetery on Long Island, New York. Without FamilySearch I would not have been able to acquire all the records needed to analyze 66 immigrants (Friends, Acquaintances and Neighbors) interred in the cemetery plots. I have published this research in Avotaynu and presented on it at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conferences in Boston (2013) and Salt Lake City (2014). I am beholden to FamilySearch.

FamilySearch does so much for so many that I do not like to criticize. I think, however that this decision is a bit premature. While they have made huge strides in digitization in the last few years and have positioned themselves to complete their digitization effort in about ten years, that's still ten years (!). I don't usually look for conspiracies, but I wonder if this wasn't a decision included as part of some of the recent partnership agreements. Surely, these types of completely free resources could not sit well with those partners who make money from providing records.

I suppose I might feel better (at least temporarily) if my nearby Mesa FamilySearch Library was going to be open during the next month or so, but they have their own plans for completely closing from 24 November through 3 January for renovations. What's an intrepid genealogist to do? Shop?!

Goodbye, Photoduplication Department! It was sweet while it lasted.
-------------------------------
* Special thanks to Sheryl Stern Levin who brought this to my attention when she posted about this on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia FaceBook page.

IAJGS2014: Preconference FHL activity

The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conference started this morning in Salt Lake City, Utah. I look forward to reconnecting with past conference attendees and networking with those whose knowledge and skills I may tap for help in my own research. On Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. (room Canyons C), I will deliver "Beyond the Manifest: Methods for Confirming One's Ancestral Origins." 

I arrived in town late Thursday afternoon and spent all day Friday and most of Saturday at the Family History Library. I have a small, but high priority list of items to acquire. First up was some Jewish vital records recorded in register books for Czernowitz (Chernauti, Ukraine). These records from the Austrian province of Bukovina are in the process of being indexed and may be searched online at http://microtarget.com/czernowitz/CzernowitzBMDindex.htm. 

While I do not have definite "sightings" of relatives (on my mother's side of the family) in Czernowitz, my Liebross and Wenkert families lived nearby. Thus, I was pleased to find more than twenty indexed records for those names in the database. At the Family History Library I managed to located all but about two. The records often identify the person's mother and father, their parents and the towns in which they lived or were registered. As I expected, some of the Wenkerts recorded in Czernowitz had family registered in Zaleszczyki - the community most associated with my Wenkert family and, likely, my Liebross family.

Else Wenkert birth record, Chernivtsy State Archives, Fond 1245, Opis 15, Delo 25, page 63, record 13; Family History Library microfilm 2395781(2).

These two images of a record documenting the 3 January 1914 Czernowitz birth of Else Wenkert, for example, show her father as Eisig Wenkert, son of Ester Malke Wenkert of Zaleszczyki, and Jutte Wenkert, daughter of Aron and Marjem Fliesler of Zaleszczyki.

I do not know how or if Else or her parents or grandparents are related to my Wenkerts, but these types of records may ultimately be the key to help me push my Wenkert family back a generation or two.

Consider Pioneer Day When Planning for the IAJGS Conference Travel

My initial thought for my Salt Lake City International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Conference travel planning was to arrive several days early and make the most of my research time at the Family History Library. If you were planning something similar, beware that the FHL will be closed Thursday, 24 July 2014 in honor of Pioneer Day - a Utah State holiday. The Library is also always closed on Sundays.

The IAJGS Conference team took Pioneer Day into account in their planning and decided to avoid that date during the Conference. I guess that's a measured decision, but, frankly, Thursdays at the Conference are usually, for me, jam-packed with sessions, meetings and, then, the Thursday evening banquet. So, I would not have had any problem with the FHL being closed that day.

If you were planning an early arrival, Thursday, 24 July, might be a great day to explore the beautiful mountainous outdoors in the Salt Lake City area or take in a parade. Either that, or adjust your travel schedule accordingly.

New IAJGS 2014 Conference Blog

The 2014 International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conference will be held 27 July - 1 August 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. The organizers have started a new blog for the conference. Check back there periodically for updates, or, better yet, subscribe to their feed via RSS or email.

There is also an conference information page on the IAJGS website and an IAJGS FaceBook page.

The Hilton Salt Lake City Center is about three blocks from the Family History Library. I'm getting my research list ready.

Jewish Genealogy Resources, Elizabeth Shown Mills and the NY Times

The New York Times Booming section published Elizabeth Shown Mills' "Advice on How to Research Family History, Part 2," on 13 November 2013.

Among the topics ESM addressed are two regarding Holocaust-related research:

• Geographic ‘Memory Holes’ Created by the Holocaust
• Migration of Holocaust Survivors to Argentina

I was actually pleasantly surprised to see this because ESM's case study examples are usually from the southern part of the United States. ESM gave all the correct advice, but the  concept of a "geographic 'memory hole' " (whatever that may be) may be somewhat challenged by the good works in progress by several Jewish genealogists and special interest groups. Most of these projects are free access - although many depend upon donations to keep them going.

Riga, Latvia - See the JewishGen Latvia Database which has over 160,000 records. A query on Riga netted 26,000 results.

Kaunas, Lithuania - Litvak SIG reports that the Kaunas District (Uyezd) Research Group has spend upwards of $35,000 thus far acquiring, translating and distributing 160,000 individual records from this area. The area includes Kaunas and many surrounding villages. Much of this is accessible via the All Lithuanian Database (with 1 million + records) or the JewishGen Lithuanian Database (with 1.5 million records) hosted on JewishGen. Some are currently only accessible via paid membership in the Litvak SIG Kaunas District group.

Moscow, Russia - see the Moscow kehilalinks webpage hosted on JewishGen.

Warsaw, Poland - Jewish Records Indexing-Poland has indexed more than 5 million vital records since it began in 1995. These records are included in registers from many former Polish Commonwealth towns in Eastern Europe, including Warsaw. The most exciting news is that the Polish State Archives is in the process digitizing all their records. As Jewish records are digitized, JRI-Poland creates direct links to them from their indices.

There are many Warsaw records located within the Warsaw archives and among the many not-yet-digitized microfilms of the Family History Library. See JRI-Poland's Warsaw page for the status of indexing these records.

Budapest, Hungary - Ongoing data collection/indexing projects are listed on JewishGen's Hungarian SIG pages.

Vienna  - Genteam has been indexing records from archives in Vienna and the vicinity for several years. They now have more than 8 million records indexed. Many of these are Jewish records.

While there's no question that records have been lost, I like to think that Jewish genealogists may be able to learn from the burned courthouse issues with which U.S. Southern states' genealogists (such as ESM) contend. I think the landowner records/cadastral maps that Gesher Galicia (the Galicia SIG) has been collecting may, for many shtetlach, be the partial answer to Jewish genealogists' missing European records issues. As someone recently pointed out, we need to love the records we have. I think that there is more and more to love.

ESM also addressed several additional questions regarding:

• Identifying Ancestral Photos
• Genealogical Templates for Citing Sources
• Numbering Systems for Genealogy
• Researching a Railroad Employee in 1921
• Beginning Indian Research from the U.S.
• Becoming a Professional Genealogist

I like the fact that the questions selected for treatment are not all beginner issues. And I excitedly await the third installment next week of ESM's New York Times' question and answer sessions. 

Free Records!

On 25 January 2013 FamilySearch.org announced on their Photoduplication Services Wiki page that they had moved inexorably into the twenty-first century: records could now be ordered via email and would be filled by providing images via email. In addition, since mailing costs would be zero, fees per record or per page would now be zero. 

The part that excites me the most is the email ordering (the previous fees were nominal, anyway). Corresponding via email promises to shave, I would think, about a week from the process.

Back in October 2012 I wrote a blog post outlining procedures for finding and ordering documents from the Family History Library and a second one about finding records already digitized on FamilySearch. I have just updated the first post with this new ordering information. Check it out. FamilySearch continues to provide some awesome services.

Avrum's Women, Part 6: Added Confirmation

Avrum's Women, Part 2: Feiga Grinfeld
Avrum's Women, Part 3: Following Feiga (and Raya)
Avrum's Women, Part 4: The Trouble with Harry
Avrum's Women, Part 5: Finding Feiga
Avrum's Women, Part 6: Added Confirmation
Avrum's Women, Part 7: Feiga's Family
Avrum's Women, Part 8: Fannie's Story
Avrum's Women, Part 9: Fannie's brother Morris 
Avrum's Women, Part 10: Morris Lederman - Who's your Mama?
Avrum's Women, Part 11: Garber Y-DNA = Lederman Y-DNA 
Avrum's Women, Part 12: Finding Family with Family Finder  
Avrum's Women, Part 13: Bond of Brothers 

After Halloween I find it hard to resist left-over candy. But, there's hardly anything sweeter than getting a new record in the mail, especially one that bolsters ones research. And kudos to the Great Lakes Region, National Archives in Chicago for taking the prize as the most responsive records repository with which I've ever dealt. 

The 1930 U.S. Census indicated that Robert Greenfield had become a U.S. citizen and that Feiga and Ray Greenfield had filed their papers to do so.[1] By the 1940 U.S. Census both Feiga and Ray were recorded as citizens.[2] 

So, it was with some optimism that I ordered microfilm roll 1,819,412 from the Family History Library.[3] The roll promised to hold the Greenfield naturalization petition records (if they existed) from the U.S. District Court of the Southern District, Ohio. 

The Family History Library notified me on Monday, 29 October that the roll had arrived at my preferred Regional Family History Center in Mesa, AZ. The next afternoon in Mesa I loaded the roll on the microfilm reader and located the indexed records for Feiga, Ray and Robert Greenfield who were all naturalized in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

Fannie Greenfield indexed naturalization petition record

On Tuesday evening, 30 October, I determined that the Great Lakes Region, National Archives would have the Hamilton County, Ohio records and I placed an online order for the naturalization records for Fannie Greenfield and Ray Greenfield. On Wednesday morning I received an email saying the records had been located and shipped. This Friday afternoon, 2 November, they arrived in the mail. (I have wondered why the Chicago National Archives branch doesn't offer to scan and email the records - but, the U.S. Postal Service came through with flying colors - and I'm really not complaining.)

Fannie Greenfield, as shown in my most recent post, was indeed Feiga Grinfeld who'd arrived at New York Harbor with my great grandfather Avrum Garber on 10 November 1922 aboard the Aquitania.[4] Her Declaration of Intention, the first papers individuals filed in the naturalization process, indicated that prior to emigration she'd been living in Warsaw. She had been born in Baranovka and was a widow who had been married to Schachna Grinfeld.[6]

I found the Warsaw residence information interesting. When Avrum's youngest children, Feiga and Aron Garber, arrived in New York in the Spring of 1922, they had identified their cousin Feiga Grunfeld of Warsaw as their closest relative in Europe.[5] I'd thought that Volhynia Gubernia, also known as Wolin, could have been misidentified as Warsaw on the manifest since I'd never known any of my relatives to have lived in Warsaw. And on Feiga's manifest, both Feiga and Avrum stated they'd been most recently living in "Wollin." [4] But, both Feiga's Declaration of Intention and Petition identify Warsaw as her last residence prior to emigration.

Fannie's 1932 Petition for Citizenship confirms the information on her Declaration and other information about her family and origins. She was a widow with three grown children (Leah Grinfeld Salzman of Louisville, Kentucky and Robert and Ray of Cincinnati, Ohio).[7] 

The document also provides some new information that, ultimately may provide some additional color to the story of my great grandfather's emigration. The British manifest for Feiga and Awrum's voyage indicated that the Aquitania of the Cunard line had sailed from Southampton, England on 4 November 1922. [8] Fannie's Petition indicates that she had initially sailed from Rotterdam, Holland. So, now, instead of assessing a travel route from Labun to Southampton, I must consider Labun (to perhaps Baranovka) to Warsaw to Rotterdam to Southampton. Perhaps Avrum lived for a few months in Warsaw after his youngest children left for the United States? More questions for another time.

Right now I'm savoring the sweet taste of a modicum of research success (as well as those darn Milky Ways). More questions will be answered when I contact Fannie's living relatives (and get over my chocolate cravings).

Notes
1. 1930 U.S. Census, Hamilton County, Ohio, population schedule, Cincinnati, Enumeration District 31-151, sheet 23-A, dwelling  223, family 442, Fanny Greenfield; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 October 2011).
2. 1940 U.S. Census, Hamilton County, Ohio, population schedule, Cincinnati, Enumeration District 91-208, sheet 65-B, household 100, Fannie Greenfield; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 June 2012).
3. Hamilton County, Ohio, United States District Court (Ohio: Southern District). Naturalization Index (Ohio), 1852-1991. Family History Library microfilm 1,819,412, Salt Lake City, Utah.
4. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 18 June 2012), manifest, Aquitania, Southampton to New York, arriving 10 November 1922, list 4, Feiga Grinfeld; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial T715.
5. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 19 June 2012), manifest, Lapland, Antwerp to New York, arriving 2 April 1922, list 7, Feiga and Aron Garber, citing National Archives Microfilm Serial T715.
6.  Hamilton County, Ohio, United States District Court (Ohio: Southern District). Declaration of Intention no. 16529, Faiga Grinfeld, 29 March 1929.
7. Hamilton County, Ohio, United States District Court (Ohio: Southern District). Petition for Citizenship no. 9857, Faiga Grinfeld, 12 January 1932.
8. "Passenger Lists Leaving UK, 1890-1960," digital images, FindMyPast.co.uk (http://www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 1 January 2009), manifest, Aquitania, Southampton to New York, departing 4 November 1922, ticket numbers 8667 and 8668, Faija Grinfeld and Awrum Garber.

Catch and release fiching

An emailed comment from Mark Jacobson regarding yesterday's post on Family History Library microfilm and document acquisition made me realize that I'd left out a pretty important bit of advice: before one orders a film or a record: 

• check to see if the desired records have been already posted online at FamilySearch.org, and

• check with your local Family History Center to see if they already own the selected film.

Is the film already online?

 

Direct method

Go to the FamilySearch website and query the collection in the online records. Select "Records" from the tab on the upper left. If the collection of interest has been indexed, one may only need to type a name in the search boxes provided. If one wishes to search on the exact name, click the little box to the immediate right of the box or click on the small box immediately to the left of "Match All Exactly," then search. The results will provide all the records that FamilySearch has online for that name in all collections.

If one would rather look for a particular collection, then do not search on names. Go to the bottom of the page and browse by location. To see the records collections from the United States, for example, click on United States.

All 636 (more coming soon) online collections will be listed alphabetically. One may sort by latest update by clicking "Last Updated" in blue on the upper right. Or, scroll through the state list in the left column and select the location of interest. I selected New York.

One may ford through the collection from New York, or sort them by date, record type or data type (records with or without online images) using the topics in the left column. Those collections with small cameras to the left of the name have images. Those that indicate "Browse Images," have not yet been indexed by name. You may find, however, that they may have been presorted by county. 

 

Search the Microfilm 

This takes us back to where we were in my previous post. Start at the FamilySearch home page, select catalog and, for this example, type in New York, New York. The results will include all collections on film for New York County. If one selects "Census - 1905," note that last segment of the description for that collection includes "availability: Online." This is the first indication that one may view the documents from the comfort of ones own computer.

Click on "New York state census records for Manhattan Borough and Bronx, 1905." The resulting page will provide the expected list of available microfilm. But also, the red text provides definitive information about and a link to the online records for these films.

If one goes through this exercise and there is no red text on the results page (as in yesterday's post), then be assured that there are no current online images for the queried collection on FamilySearch.org. Go fiche!

Teaching us to fiche

See update of this post, below, under the section "Ordering just the Document from FHL." (26 Jan 2013)

A couple of recent posts on the JewishGen Discussion Group (JGDG) indicate that not everyone is familiar with a quick and inexpensive remote source for acquisition of many documents: the Family History Library (FHL). More and more, FHL is digitizing records from their microfilm vault and putting them online for free. But it will be quite a while before they have everything online. So, for those records not yet online, the old fashioned methods of looking through microfilm or using regular mail to order document copies are still useful.

In the most recent JGDG post, a researcher wanted to know how to acquire a particular naturalization record filed in 1910 with the Kings County, NY Supreme Court. I will use this record as my example, but any vital record or census record FHL holds may be ordered in a similar fashion with similar resources.

 

Finding the Record in an Index

I initially found the record via stevemorse.org , but one may go directly to the Kings County Naturalization Index page on the Jewish Genealogy Society of New York webpage, and find a large box with information on acquiring naturalization records from Kings County Supreme Court. One option is to contact the Kings County Clerk’s Office, directly. This may entail a wait of several months for ones order to be filled.

For those of us too anxious to wait, the better (less expensive and faster) option is to order either the microfilm containing an image of the record or a paper copy of the record, itself, from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Search in the JGSNY naturalization database located the following indexed naturalization record:

Swoff, Barnett; Declaration Volume – 33; Dec. Page – 21; Dec. Year – 1910; Petition Volume – 46, Pet. Page – 152

Since Barnett Swoff appears to have completed the naturalization process, the important information is related to the Petition, not the Declaration (also known as the first papers). Usually, documents filed earlier in the naturalization process will be placed with the final papers once the naturalization process is complete.

 

Locating the Correct Microfilm Number

JGSNY has, conveniently, provided a link to FamilySearch.org (the online arm of the FHL) so that one may easily locate the appropriate FHL microfilm. They have not, however, updated their information with the fact that microfilm must now be ordered online at https://familysearch.org . Since, one would have to go to that website anyway to order the microfilm and since I want to teach one how to fish (or fiche), I will walk through locating the microfilm number via familysearch.org .

 

FamilySearch.org Microfilm Search

From among the options near the top of the page, click on “Catalog.” A search box will appear. FamilySearch lists the larger jurisdiction first.  For the NY Kings County Supreme Court naturalization record, one would put in “New York, Kings, Brooklyn.” The resulting list will include numerous databases or records held by FHL from Kings County, NY. 

Scroll down to the ones for Naturalization. FHL has microfilm rolls of both indices and images of the documents. Since we already have the indexed results for Barnett Swoff (above), click on the option for the actual images.

Scroll through the microfilm roll index to find the roll that contains Petitions in volume 46. It is roll number 2,317,635.

If one would like the microfilm to be sent to the Family History Center of ones choice, one must have a free account with FamilySearch. It’s pretty simple to get one and set up a password. Microfilm rental is $7.50 for each film. And one may expect that the Family History Center one designates will receive the film in 10 days to a few weeks. One may track the progress of ones order online.

 

Ordering just the Document from FHL

As of 25 January 2013, FamilySearch has changed their document ordering procedure so that it is now better than ever(!). One may now order online and receive ordered images via email. And now there is NO FEE for the service - as long as the documents are sent via email. A few weeks ago I ordered some documents via snail mail and enclosed a $4 check. I received the documents via email with a very nice note saying my fees would be remitted and that they would soon provide ordering via email. Now it's live.

If one has the date, petition volume and page number or document number, one might consider ordering a copy of the document, rather than the whole microfilm from FHL. Given enough good information, the wonderful people at FHL will find the document on the microfilm, make a copy and send it to you. Understand, however, this is not a research service. One must first do ones own research and provide the information needed to easily find the image on the microfilm. This is a phenomenal service provided by the Family History Library. For those without a local respository of original records or a Family History Center nearby, this may be your best choice.

Once one has the film number (and make sure to check and recheck the number – one doesn’t want to make a mistake on the order), download the order form (unfortunately this process still requires paper and snail mail). These days the form is a tad difficult to locate on the familysearch webpage. 

Go to “Help” which is located on the upper right of the page and put “photocopies” in the search box. Among the returns on your search will be one for a form for ordering copies of documents from microfilm/fiche ("Request for Photocopies - Census records, Books, Microfilm, or Micofiche"). Save the form on your computer. The form is fillable .pdf, so one may type in the information and then print (the typed information cannot be saved on the form) or print and fill in by hand.

Fill in the first page with your contact information and decide how you will pay. Note that each page copied will be $2 and that the minimum order is $4. The maximum number of documents that may be requested in one order is 8. For a naturalization petition document, expect four pages: the Declaration of Intention, the Certificate of Arrival, the Petition of Naturalization and the Affidavit. There may be fewer pages, but sending money for four ($8) is the best bet. If you send too little, you may not get your copy with the first request. If you send too much they will send you a credit toward your next order.

Once you’ve filled out page one, go to page two and fill in the middle area. Write the document’s microfilm number with appropriate commas (i.e., 2,317,635) – this makes it easier for FHL employees to read it correctly. Then, move across the table filling in the subject's name, name of the document, date (as much as known) of the document, location of the court or original repository, volume number, document number, etc.

Make a copy of the order for your records. Write a check for the correct amount or provide your credit card information. Send the form to the address shown on the top of the first page.

If all goes well, in about a month your mailbox will be filled with a large white envelope containing your FHL prize!

For a follow-up post, see "Catch and Release Fiching"