Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Requesting a Microfilm Image From the FHL

I read Diane Gould Hall's post on Photo Duplication Requests on FamilySearch back in July on her excellent Michigan Family Trials blog, and thought to myself "Randy, you really need to do that!"

Last week, I identified the will of John Seaver on a microfilm in the Family History Library Catalog as a document that might help me solve a research challenge (see Attacking a Seaver Relationship Problem - Parents of Joseph T. Seaver (1805-????)).  I'm going to request a digital photograph of that document from the Family History Library.

The FamilySearch Wiki page describing this service is  https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Services.  This should be read from top to bottom.  The site says:

"Photoduplication is a service provided to FamilySearch patrons who would like individual images from microfilm or fiche, copies of records, or pages in books that can be found in the Family History Library."

"WE WILL LIMIT YOUR REQUEST TO FIVE (5) REQUESTS PER MONTH.  EACH REQUEST CAN CONTAIN ONLY ONE (1) IMAGE.  Requests are processed in the order they are received. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery."

And:  "There is NO CHARGE for photoduplication services e-mailed to you. We do not mail photocopies."



The FamilySearch website has the Photo Duplication Services form at  https://familysearch.org/ask/photoduplication

Here is the form I filled out (two screens):



I know that the 1853 will of John Seaver in Bristol County, Massachusetts is in Volume 99 of the microfilms for Probate records 1687-1916; index, 1687-1926 [Bristol county, Massachusetts] on page 189, but I don't know if it is only on page 189 or if goes on to page 190 and perhaps further. I guess, in the worst case, if it continues on but I get only page 189, I can request the next page with another request. I asked for "page 189 + if more than one page."

I'm actively looking for more single pages that I "want" to request in digital image format. Unfortunately, most of them are multiple pages.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/10/requesting-microfilm-image-from-fhl.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


5 comments:

Elizabeth Handler said...

I'm looking forward to see if you do receive multiple pages in response to your request.

If you have any ancestors in the late 1800's-early 1900's New York City, this is a fabulous way to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates. I have a spreadsheet where I keep track of the ones I want to request and I request five every month!

Joe Lowry said...

Randy - how does one figure out the page number without looking at the microfilm (and thus just save the record themselves)? Thanks!

Randy Seaver said...

Joe, I cheated and had the Probate docket Index already so I knew the volume and page number for the will. I found that about 15 years ago but had never looked for the actual document. It was on my to-do list for February at the FHL.

Anonymous said...

Wow...I had no idea they offered this free service. Thanks for the tip, Randy.

Edward Black said...

This service of FHL ended not long after the posting of this blog.

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Services

Photo duplication Services were discontinued as of December 5, 2014.