Now Indexing: Iowa Birth Records

Quick batches: bet ya can't just do one!

For my monthly indexing project, this time I grabbed the record set called "Iowa Birth Records 1921 - 1942." The way the online indexing projects now work at FamilySearch.org, I can't seem to find what I'm looking for quickly. The lists are arranged differently, for some reason. So rather than scroll through endless lists to try and find one focusing on a geographic area of my own research interest, I just grabbed one. I told myself helping out with the Iowa birth records would at least tangentially relate to my own family circles: my mother was born in Iowa. Who knows? I might even index her own record.

What I failed to notice was the additional tag for this record set: "Quick batch." I had no idea how quick a quick batch could be! I picked my set, opened it up, read the instructions and set to work. I indexed just one birth certificate when the next instruction said I had finished the "set" and would I like to submit the "batch" now.

Talk about quick! I like to repeat the same record set in one session because that way I only have to go through the tedious process of reading all the instructions once. This time, I could rinse and repeat to my heart's content: each "batch" of work was only one birth certificate. I could do something as easy as that all day long.

When the web indexing system was revised several months ago, I had noticed that it is possible to set up groups to work on indexing projects. I'm not sure exactly how that works, but I'm game to experiment on it.

I would love to see our local genealogical society adopt a project to index at FamilySearch. There are all sorts of records scanned and available in browse-only mode; I'd love to see those things changed to searchable status. If there is anything we can do to get our pet projects online in that accessible status, that would be great. I'll have to test the system out and see if we can put together a group of volunteers who can rally behind our cause. That "many hands" approach has done wonders for volunteer projects in the past; this certainly is a worthy cause for giving back to the genealogical community.