Re: [ranchos] Re: Microfilm data in LDS canyon vaults to go online

[Alberto Duarte <albertodua@...>]

Sounds good and also promising.

Albert Duarte Prieto.
Santa Maria, California

--- readysetgo95814 <mcortez3@...> wrote:

> This is great.  Thanks for sharing Victor.
> 
> Maria
> 
> --- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "v.h.villarreal"
> <raices_regias@y...> 
> wrote:
> > For your information,
> > 
> > > Microfilm data in LDS canyon vaults to go online
> > > 
> > > By Carrie A. Moore
> > > Deseret Morning News 
> > >       Ever wonder what's inside those secured
> > > vaults, owned by the LDS Church, positioned high
> > > inside the granite walls of Little Cottonwood
> > > Canyon?
> > >       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
> > > Saints is working toward allowing anyone with
> > > Internet access to learn more than they've ever
> > > known before about the information contained on
> 2
> > > million-plus rolls of microfilm housed there.
> > > Currently, the church is compiling searchable
> > > indexes to that information and will eventually
> make
> > > it available for free through an automated
> database
> > > on the Internet.
> > >       The church excavated the vaults containing
> > > those records on property it purchased in the
> 1960s,
> > > providing a safe repository during the height of
> the
> > > Cold War for birth, marriage, death and census
> > > information it considers essential for the
> salvation
> > > of mankind after death. Now church leaders seek
> to
> > > make the information more readily available to
> the
> > > world.
> > >       "The goal is to create
> (Internet-accessible)
> > > indexes to all the films we have in the vault.
> > > That's a long-term process and that's a lot of
> > > films," according to Paul Nauta, manager of
> public
> > > affairs for church's FamilySearch.org Web site.
> > > "We've not announced when people will begin to
> start
> > > seeing" the indexes.
> > > 
> > >        Those attending the annual Federation of
> > > Genealogical Societies' conference this week at
> the
> > > Salt Palace will get a "sneak preview" of the   
>   
> > > church's plans. As the project progresses over
> time,
> > > indexes to records from 110 nations previously
> > > stored on microfilm will become accessible to
> > > virtually anyone, anywhere, through the Internet
> via
> > > the touch of a few keystrokes.
> > >       "We're showing people how we'll be
> creating
> > > indexes from those films. Sometime in the future
> > > we'll ask people to help us create the indexes
> and
> > > make them publicly available, and little by
> little
> > > we'll start to index the films from the vault
> like
> > > we did with the 1880 (U.S.) Census.
> > >       "The challenge now is it takes a lot of
> people
> > > and a lot of time" to create such an index.
> > > "Currently, you have to look at images on paper
> or
> > > burn them on a CD and distribute those to index
> the
> > > data. We're moving the whole process to the
> Internet
> > > and this is a prototype of what that might look
> > > like. . . . That's what the biggest buzz is at
> the
> > > conference."
> > >       Conference attendees are using a lab at
> the
> > > Salt Palace equipped with a number of computers
> to
> > > demonstrate the new automated database. The
> > > microfilm information includes birth, marriage,
> > > death and census records.
> > >       New advances in indexing software
> utilities
> > > and applications mean the LDS Church "now has
> the
> > > ability to produce lots of indexes faster," than
> it
> > > did with previous databases it has digitized,
> > > including the 1880 U.S. Census. Making that
> database
> > > available online was a 12-year project, using
> tens
> > > of thousands of volunteers.
> > >       In the future, the new technology "will
> > > provide automated indexing" for an
> ever-increasing
> > > number of microfilms "so people can readily
> search
> > > it from their homes."
> > >       As the number of family history
> researchers
> > > continues to grow - one study showed 40 percent
> of
> > > Americans have done research on their family
> history
> > > and another said 90 percent have expressed
> interest
> > > - demand for online indexes that simplify
> searching
> > > for ancestors has soared, he said.
> > >       How much time will it take to digitize all
> the
> > > films in the vault?
> > >       "Let's put it this way, it will depend on
> how
> > > much volunteer help we get," Nauta said. "I
> think we
> > > can digitize the films to be indexed to stay up
> with
> > > demand, but much will depend on how many
> volunteers
> > > we can generate worldwide to index their records
> of
> > > interest. If, in a couple of years, we could get
> a
> > > million indexers worldwide, we could put a big
> dent"
> > > in the massive undertaking.
> > >       The indexing demonstration and other
> planned
> > > improvements to the popular FamilySearch.org Web
> > > site are drawing standing-room-only crowds at
> the
> > > convention. The changes "will make great strides
> to
> > > simplify and increase the success of the family
> > > history experience," he said.
> > >       Just when the first indexed information
> from
> > > the microfilms will become available online has
> not
> > > yet been announced. "We don't want to be swamped
> > > with people before we're ready to handle it,"
> Nauta
> > > said.
> > >       The new developments won't make more than
> > > 5,000 small family history centers housed in LDS
> > > chapels worldwide obsolete. Previously, those
> > > looking for information contained on the
> microfilms
> > > stored in the church's Granite Mountain Records
> > > Vault had to request that copies of information
> on
> > > the films be sent to their local center. At some
> > > point in the future, that likely won't be
> necessary
> > > any longer, he said, but "that will continue to
> be a
> > > role for a long time.
> > >       "Family history centers will continue to
> be a
> > > mainstay" for accessing information on the
> > > microfilms for some time to come.
> > >       As more of those records become digitized
> and
> > > indexes become available, the role of the local
> > > centers, he said, "will probably change. Some
> people
> > > have no Internet access, and they'll use them
> for
> > > that. The role of the family history centers
> will
> > > evolve over time to help people get started"
> with
> > > their research because "many people don't know
> how
> > > to do that. They will become more fundamental to
> > > help people get and stay organized, and to
> answer
> > > questions they have doing their research."
> > >       Many of those in town to attend the
> conference
> > > are also making use of the church's renowned
> Family
> > > History Library, less than a block from the Salt
> > > Palace. Hours have been extended to accommodate
> > > guests, with the library open from 8 a.m. to
> 10:30
> 
=== message truncated ===



	
		
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