Thursday, October 7, 2010

Current Red Star Collections on FamilySearch Record Search

Like many other researchers, I have struggled to determine what New or Updated Collections are added to FamilySearch Record Search every month.


FamilySearch sends out helpful emails to me from time to time, and they have long lists of collections that are being indexed or are completed, but the lists don't always match what shows up on the Record Search list of collections each month. It's nice to know what's in the pipeline, but I really want to know what is now available for me to use.

So, as an occasional service to all of my readers, I'm going to go through the FamilySearch Record Search list every so often and list the collections with the Red Star that denotes a new or updated collection. Then, all of us can compare the lists from time to time and determine what has been recently added. Unfortunately, the FamilySearch Beta collection list does not indicate newly added or updated collections, only the number of records available. 


On 21 September, there were 457 collections on the FamilySearch Record Search list.

On 7 October, there are 448 collections on the FamilySearch Record Search list.  The new and updated collections, as denoted by a Red Star, are:

* California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1835-1931 (last updated 15 September 2010)
* Civil War Pension Cards (90% complete, last updated 18 September 2010)
* New York, King's County Estate Files, 1866-1923 (last updated 10 September 2010)
* Rhode Island State Census, 1925 (last updated 10 September 2010)
* South Carolina, Civil War Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865 (last updated 16 September 2010)

* United States Census, 1910 (61% complete, last updated 12 September 2010)
* United States, Navy Widow's Certificates, 1861-1910 (last updated 16 September 2010)
* United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783 (last updated 16 September 2010)
* Czech Republic, Northern Moravia, Opava Archive Record Books, 1571-1905 (browse images only)
* Czech Republic, Southern Bohemia, Trebon Archive Church Books, 1650-1900 (browse images only)

* Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1810-1869 (2% complete, last updated 16 September 2010)
* Spain, Municipal Records (browse images only)
* Central America, Colonial Census Records (browse images only)
* Brazil, Catholic Church Records (browse images only)
* Jamaica, Civil Birth Registration (18% complete, last updated 15 September 2010)
* Chinese Genealogies (browse images only)

There are 16 Red Star collections on the list today, all added or updated since 10 September 2010.  However, all of these were on my list from 21 September, so nothing new has been added since then.

Therefore, it is apparent that, if the number of collections is correct, that 9 record collections were deleted from the Record Search Pilot list and no new collections have been added since 21 September.  Presumably, those collections deleted from Record Search Pilot site are available on the FamilySearch Beta collections list.

There are 470 collections listed today on the FamilySearch Beta collections list, so there are at least 22 collections only on FamilySearch Beta.

Are the 16 collections noted above with a Red Star on the FamilySearch Beta site?  YES, they are!  However, it is impossible to tell if the most recently added collections are exactly the same on the two sites.

FamilySearch's last press release about the newly added databases on FamilySearch Beta is posted here from Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter blog.  I checked that list against what's on the FamilySearch Beta list and they were all there, although(some databases on the FamilySearch press release list are combined in the FamilySearch Beta collections list.  The list of newly added databases indicates if images or indexes were added during the reporting period.
 
The bottom line here, for me, is that researchers need to use the FamilySearch Beta site to ensure finding all records available, since the Record Search Pilot site is gradually losing databases. 

3 comments:

Carol said...

I still search both data bases, but, the Records Search one, (NOT the Beta one), has been moved down the page, and says, retired September 2010.

this page:

https://www.familysearchlabs.org/

I actually preferred the older Search data set, I find the Beta one to be a frustrating experience.

Guess I will have to adjust tho, eh??

Delia Furrer said...

I also prefer the old search. The new one is pulling up way too many records even if you specify more options. Another one is that whenever I put in a state, it pulls up states that I didn't request. Maybe I am using it correctly.
Thanks Randy for checking these records out for us, I have found some good stuff on this website and things I probably would have never found.

Delia Furrer said...

Incorrectly....