FamilySearch Wiki:Wikiproject Glean from FamilySearch Historical Collections

Project Purpose and Description This project makes Wiki users aware — especially at the county level — of online collections which are available for free at FamilySearch.org.

Project contributors find, describe, and link from the Wiki to the collections at FamilySearch by posting to county or state pages under appropriate topics.

Preparation

 * 1) Open a state page in the wiki. This lets you get to the needed counties or state topics you find as you go through the FamilySearch Record Collections.
 * 2) Be sure to sign in to the Wiki so you can edit
 * 3) Please use wikitext
 * 4) Navigate to Historical Records of a state at FamilySearch.org  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Click Search tab [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Select Records [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Click the US part of the world map [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Select the state  This gives you the list of records to be posted to the Wiki. [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] Copy the URL of this "State List" to a Sticky Note or other file — you will be needing it again.

Records and where to post them

 * The list of FamilySearch records for a state may be long:
 * Focus only on those for the state or the counties within it
 * Bypass those for the United States

Where to post Indexed collections
 * Post statewide items to the appropriate state topic page, under the heading "Online" or "Online Collections."
 * You may have to add the heading at the beginning of the state topic page, as many were written before archives and private entities were making digital images available.
 * Post county or city/town items to the county page under the appropriate topic(s).

Makeup of the Wiki posts
Examples for posting to the Wiki
 * Click to examples of the slightly different posts needed for 1) single county, or statewide collections and the posts for 2) those subdivided into various counties.


 * A third example shows the format for giving users additional information, such as the types of records included in the collection.
 * It is interesting to note that even a topic like "Marriage Records" might have applications, ministers returns, registers, parental permissions, and more, each type of record created around a marriage, each for a different purpose, each with slightly different information.

Wiki posts are to help the users
 * Years included in the collection
 * Type these at the beginning of each post, even though they are repeated in the title of most collections.
 * Having years at the beginning is more "at a glance" for the users, especially as other items are posted.


 * 3 links in each post gives users great flexibility:
 * The first link takes the user directly to: a) to the search page of an indexed collection b) or to the browse records page of the county for a subdivided collection
 * The second link takes the user one step back, keeping them in context: a) Link to the list of all collections for the state (for indexed or statewide collections) b) or to the list of counties (for a subdivided collection)
 * The third link is to the FamilySearch.org home page, giving users access to all options

Indexed FamilySearch Records
Step by step
 * 1. Click Show all ... [# of items for the state you selected]. Bypass all United States collections
 * 3. For each indexed state or county collection:
 * a. in FamilySearch Records, click to the collection
 * b. in the Wiki,
 * i. Open the appropriate state topic page or county page
 * ii. Click the edit box for the correct section. NOTE: You may need to add "Online" as a new heading at the top of a state topic page. Many were written before online collections existed.
 * iii. Post the link and description to the Wiki page in this format:


 * 1861-1865 — one of the Arkansas Collections at FamilySearch.org — Indexes and images

Currently editing
You may prefer to put these in sticky notes rather than typing over and over:
 * The RecordSearch Template, just paste the current ID number and title into it.
 * The wording and link to the [state] collection, such as this one for Arkansas, one of the Arkansas Collections
 * The link to FamilySearch at FamilySearch.org — Indexes and images

Image Only Historical Records

 * Navigate to Historical Records of a state • at FamilySearch.org [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Search  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Records  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  Click the US map  [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] select the state
 * Slide down to [State] Image Only Historical Records
 * Bypass all United States items
 * Statewide items: add them to the topic wiki pages for the state. See example Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929
 * Most collections will be posted to a Wiki county page under the appropriate topic(s). • In most cases, the county is identified. • If only a town is mentioned, use Wikipedia to identify the county. • Otherwise, just put it on a state page for that topic.

Examples of Wiki posts
Click a link to see an example The examples show how to post FamilySearch record collections. Some collections focus on one place, such as one county or a statewide collection. Other collections are subdivided when they contain several counties.

Many record collections have several types of documents. Probate Records, for example, may contain wills, administrations, loose papers, inventories, ... well, you get the idea.

The examples below show the preferred format for each type of post. A table below each example shows the exact wikitext with explanations.

One State or County
one of the Arkansas Collections at FamilySearch.org — browse images
 * 1867-2013 — Arkansas, Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery Records, 1867-2013, Little Rock, at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse unindexed images)

Multiple counties
Many of the image only collections at FamilySearch cover several counties. We want users to get directly to the page with records for that county.

Please link to the "waypoint" to one county's portion of the collection. Users can get to the full list of counties by clicking the collection name given in your post.

Example:
 * 1873-1974 - Cleveland County Probate Records 1873-1974, part of at [FamilySearch.org] - Browse images

This post consists of several parts, as explained in the box below:

Multiple types of documents
Some records have many types of documents and researchers want a brief list of documents they will see if they click to the collection. In this case, simply add the word "Includes" at the end of your post, with a brief list.

Here's an example:
 * 1819-1924 — Arkansas County Probate Records 1819-1924, part of at FamilySearch.org — Free, browse images; Includes Administrations, Guardianship, Wills, and more

Key to Wikitext codes
Links to FamilySearch Record Collections get users to the best links first, then 1 step back to a more general link, yet still in context, then to FamilySearch.org. This gives the user freedom to use more of the collection than just one link.

For this project, FamilySearch record collections have 3 links:
 * 1. The first link is directly to:
 * a. The County part of a subdivided, browse-able collection
 * b. Or the first useful page, if not subdivided into counties
 * i. Indexed collections: link to the "Search Collection" page
 * ii. Browse-able collections: link to the first "Browse images" page
 * 2. The second link goes back just 1 step, to:
 * a. Subdivided, browse-able collections: The first "Browse images" page
 * b. Indexed or browse-able collections that have not been subdivided into counties: The state's list of all FamilySearch collections
 * 3. The third link always goes to the FamilySearch.org home page

Understanding the Wikitext codes used

Phase 2 (optional)
Indexed statewide collections

Do they need to be posted to county pages? The "Intro" templates on the county pages will link to the state topic page. This almost eliminates the need to post directly to each county.

EXCEPTION: When a few counties have more entries than most, they can be posted to those counties. A "coverage table" if it exists for this collection, will tell the number of entries for each county.
 * 1) See if there is a "coverage table" for this collection. From the main page for the collection, click Learn more, and look for a link to a coverage table.
 * 2) If no coverage table, let the Intro template suffice.
 * 3) Is the coverage pretty consistent county to county, based on the coverage table?
 * 4) Yes. Let the Intro template suffice.
 * 5) No. If the coverage seems spotty, post it to the state topic page AND to only the few counties with high number of entries. Do not post to counties with little or nothing.