Citing FamilySearch digital film, no database or collection title, no suggested citation

By Mike Bartholomew on Mon, 01/17/2022 - 23:22

Forums

This is a follow on to a previous topic (Browsable Images @ Family Search):

https://www.evidenceexplained.com/node/1984

I've attempted to follow the advice given for that topic for a naturalization citation. The FamilySearch record is from a digital film, but not from a database or collection title. Unlike the above example, it has a catalog record title that does not indicate the location for the document. FamilySearch does not suggest a citation. There is a sufficiently descriptive title for the document on one of the first images. The following is my attempt at the citation.

District Court (Ward, North Dakota), "North Dakota Ward County Naturalization Records 1886 through 1903",  v. 5,  p. 72, declaration of intention for Anders H. Melbo, 13 December 1902; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMY-YCZY : downloaded 14 January 2022), image 799 of 835; imaged from FHL digital film 7787016, citing State Historical Society of North Dakota.

All of the reference information in layer 1 can be obtained from the actual record image #799 and the title image #5. Is it too redundant to write both (Ward, North Dakota) and "North Dakota Ward County..."?

For layer 2, the URL points directly to the document image of interest. Under the Information tab, the catalog record title is, Declarations of intention, 1886-1954, which does not mention the state or county. Maybe it is not important as layer 1 covers that. Since it isn't a collection title and FamilySearch does not suggest a citation, I interpreted that I should not use the catalog record in the position of the collection or database name.

For layer 3 where the FHL digital film is given, the Information tab also identifies the digital film Item Number, Item 5, and Film/Digital Note, Declarations, v. 5 (or E), Oct 1902-July 1903 (index for A-E). Should those be listed after the film number? I added, citing State Historical Society of North Dakota, because that shows on all of the images.

Your comments are always appreciated.

 

Submitted byEEon Tue, 01/18/2022 - 10:20

Well reasoned, Mike. Let's look at each layer separately.

Layer 1:

     1. District Court (Ward, North Dakota), "North Dakota Ward County Naturalization Records 1886 through 1903",  v. 5,  p. 72, declaration of intention for Anders H. Melbo, 13 December 1902;

In this case, the images I am seeing do not include a cover with an exact title. The words you put in quotes, as the title, are an appropriate descriptor, but our descriptors do not go in quotation marks. They are our own words. We are not quoting anything.  Citations use quotation marks around the title of a manuscript volume only when we are copying those words exactly (i.e., quoting) directly from the cover, the spine, or the inside title page.

This issue provides a solution to the repetition that has bothered you.  EE would suggest:

      1. Ward County, North Dakota, District Court Naturalization Records, vol. 5, 1902–1903: 72, declaration of intention for Anders H. Melbo, 13 December 1902;

This follows the basic pattern for citing courthouse books:

      1. Jurisdiction that created the record book, ID of Record Book Series, specific volume: page, specific item;

You'll note one other alteration that I made.  To ID the record book series, you wrote:

 ... Naturalization Records 1886 through 1903, volume 5 ...

It's not clear why you chose that pair of dates. 1886 is when the series begins (and when the county record-keeping began), but the imaged volumes run through 1954. But that's FamilySearch's "series" date—not a "series date" within the county courthouse itself. The ending date for the volume actually is 1903. Unless the book actually contains some records as early as 1886, we would use the dates that volume 5 actually cover: 1902–1903.

Layer 2:

...; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMY-YCZY : downloaded 14 January 2022), image 799 of 835;

Everything is fine here.

Layer 3:

...; imaged from citing FHL digital film 7787016, item 5, citing imaged at State Historical Society of North Dakota.

I started to provide an explanation for each of these alterations; but, knowing you enjoy the challenge of parsing these points, I think I'll let you think it through and give us the reasons. I expect it will be a very quick exercise for you.

Submitted byMike Bartholomewon Tue, 01/18/2022 - 13:31

EE, it appears I misinterpreted a few things.

In layer 1, I used the title, "North Dakota Ward County Naturalization Records 1886 through 1903" in quotations because that is what image 5 of the digital film showed, which I mistakenly took to be either the cover or inside title page. But in hindsight, that was not logical because the film addresses five different volumes, none of which shows a separate spine or cover. I suppose the summary name was created as an image to outline the content of the film. Volume 1 does start in 1886. Volume 5, the last on this film ends in 1903. Each volume starting image has a divider stating the Volume number with no other information. Images 9 to 11 of the film identify all of the naturalization records for the county, listing volume names or numbers and start and end dates. Volume 5, which is part of my citation, was originally called Volume "E" covering October 2, 1902 - June 11, 1903.

And, I agree that the following the courthouse citing pattern is more appropriate. I should've paid more attention to 8.31 in Evidence Explained.

I prefer your solution to layer 3. I was somewhat confused by the suggestion for layer 3 from a previous topic (Browsable Images @ Family Search) at https://www.evidenceexplained.com/node/1984, which stated:

; imaged from FHL digital film 5882803, citing Devon Record Office.

I was following that lead, and it felt like the words "imaged from" and "citing" were reversed. Your suggested solution for my citation seems to fit better.

Thank you again for your help. I have several different naturalization citations to create. They all come from FamilySearch digital film records with the same format, even though they are from different localities.

Submitted byEEon Wed, 01/19/2022 - 09:19

Mike (and Robyn), my apologies. It looks like, when I answered Robyn last Saturday morning, I got lost in the weeds. There in Layer 3, I put the words "imaged" and "citing" in the wrong sequence. Instead of "imaged from ...., citing Devon Record Office," I should have said "citing ....., imaged at Devon Record Office."  I have fixed that earlier thread. Thank you, Eagle Eyed Mike, for catching this!