FamilySearch Wiki talk:Help wanted on the Arkansas pages

Wilma To Do's

 * Help wanted page for Arkansas:
 * get hub from caleb and link
 * Intro: Joy is getting another image: the one we have is too much like a tombstone. Then we'll redo the intro
 * Maintenance section - talk with team leads?, Who?
 * Correct link to Other Projects


 * Icon for How to make you first edit -- next to the hub?


 * Many hands make light work image: Is this needed on a reformatted state?


 * Maintenance area: What is really needed here, once a state is reformatted? Couldn't it just say last major check of links, etc.: August, 2014. After a reasonable time you may want to.... [list options, such as check links, redo some of the others listed under things you can do, etc.] Then they could decide to check links or for more info to add.


 * Courthouse and Local Resources tabs and format. Done AdkinsWH 22:46, 7 August 2014 (UTC)
 * Johnson County, Arkansas Genealogy Websites -- tabs and format Done AdkinsWH 23:56, 7 August 2014 (UTC)
 * Ruth: will you do the "County Offices..." piece of this? I realize it should be under Courthouse as well, but let's give it here where many may look for it.
 * Towns and communities
 * Topic Intros
 * Have Joy or Bo reconcile the county records page to the county topic list on the right. Also have them be sure there is an Intro template for each topic.


 * Post the County page to Yammer for feedback


 * Present the concept of Help Wanted Pages to Danielle, Caleb, Guiseppe: once a pattern is developed, post that (adapted?) task on the Help Wanted pages of each state, with a link to "How to do it" which has the current best pattern for that page/task.


 * Finish the bulk of the "Wanted Pages" excel sheet. Then post to help wanted pages for each state, country.

Wiki Content Team To Do's
Priority 1 tasks are assigned to the Wiki Content Team. Our first purpose is to get the most important information into the Wiki for each state and its counties. To do this, our focus is on one state at a time to discover patterns that can be easily adapted to other states.

NOTE: The pattern concept was proven to work by Ruth2Jones in July, 2014. She adapted the pattern used in the Illinois Births before 1877. It took days to create the Illinois page, and took her mere minutes to adapt it to Arkansas -- two states with vastly different records.

The tasks are posted on the talk page.


 * If you wish to join the team, please leave a comment on my talk page. AdkinsWH 16:49, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

Leftovers from other states

 * Illinois Online Birth, Marriage, Death Records article incorporate into Illinois Vital Records article, then the Online Birth, Marriage, Death records….. article can be deletedRuth J. Jones 17:50, 22 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Wilma and Ruth will discuss and work on this and have others review to be sure we are on the mark.
 * When finished, change the links on the Illinois home page and be sure the links are correct from the How to find Illinois birth records page.
 * Once we have the pattern, we can skip the step of creating the Online BMD page.


 * Template:Census Online (state) Break it up in segments; before 1850; 1850-1870; 1880-1940 to work better with the How to Find Birth Records before county records were kept. Done for AR.
 * This should be done for every state as the How to Find Birth records page is updated. Joy started this for every state July 16, 2014.
 * Progress:

Arkansas state pages
Projects we should perhaps consider


 * check all links to see that they work properly, and lead to the most helpful pages (Ruth's suggestion 4 Aug 2014)

Pages needed

Claimed, in process

 * Create the Arkansas Home page in sandbox. Claimed by AdkinsWH 01:29, 19 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Refinement needed before community review
 * Have Yammer/Community review


 * Arkansas Record Selection Table Adapted from TN by AdkinsWH 16:51, 23 July 2014 (UTC) Still to resolve
 * Minorities
 * Public records
 * Do we want that template "Links to Arkansas-related Topics" in this (or other pages?)


 * Update the AR Vital Records page. Note: Wilma and Ruth will discuss this and have the others review to see if we are on the mark.
 * The need: So the links from the "how to find birth information before (date birth records were begun for that state)" will give the users not just the links, but easy to understand information.
 * the How to find AR Birth Records, How to Find AR Marriage Records, How to Find AR Death records will remain. Birth, marriage, and death links should be well clarified, then added AR Vital Records page.


 * Create a page Arkansas Genealogy Local Resources from the "shell" page User:AdkinsWH/Sandbox Local Resources shell
 * Copy the information to appropriate sections from Arkansas Archives and Libraries, Arkansas Societies societies, museums, FHCenters. This will likely require attention, as it may not be a simple cut and paste.
 * We decided to keep websites as a separate page.
 * This page has been created and I think it is under final review by Wilma Ruth J. Jones 18:50, 1 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Arkansas Obituaries We learned of this need from the Rec Sel Table. Feel free to check this topic for another state, as much of the info will adapt easily to AR. Claimed By Ruth J. Jones 16:59, 28 July 2014 (UTC)  Submitted page to Wilma by email for OK to place into Wiki Ruth J. Jones 14:06, 1 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Arkansas Guardianship We learned of this need from the Rec Sel Table. Feel free to check this topic for another state, as much of the info will adapt easily to AR.Claimed by Ruth J. Jones 14:06, 1 August 2014 (UTC) Submitted page to Wilma by email for OK to place into Wiki Ruth J. Jones 15:50, 1 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Create the page Arkansas Migration from the Migration trails mentioned on the (old format - before August 2014) state page.
 * This page will also need some intro.
 * Has an intro been added to Illinois Migration page? Claimed by Ruth J. Jones 16:06, 1 August 2014 (UTC)  However, Ruth does not feel qualified to create and introduction, and has asked Wilma to do so.  Submitted initial possible page for Wiki placement to Wilma by email Ruth J. Jones 18:38, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

State Completed Tasks

 * Template:Census Online Arkansas Break it up in segments; before 1850; 1850-1870; 1880-1940 to work better with the How to Find Birth Records before [date???]
 * Done AdkinsWH 22:11, 25 June 2014 (UTC)


 * Update Arkansas County Creation Dates and Parent Counties. Joy has updated this page for every state except LA with links to details of Boundary Changes. Done by end of June 2014


 * Create the page Arkansas Online Birth, Marriage, Death Records and copy information from the page Arkansas Online Genealogy Records Claimed by Ruth J. Jones 17:56, 22 July 2014 (UTC) Ruth placed an Arkansas Online Birth, Marriage, Death Records page 23 July 2014, and notified Wilma for review.
 * Clarify the links, see pattern: Illinois Online Birth, Marriage, Death Records


 * How to Find Arkansas Birth Records Update the years before births were recorded using the pattern on Illinois How to find... page.
 * fix the chart in 'How to find AR Birth Records'; so far a 1st draft has been developed from the IL model (15 July 2014) - this may be easier once the VR page is finished Ruth Jones is working on this AdkinsWH 22:49, 25 June 2014 (UTC) Ruth completed this AdkinsWH 21:17, 23 July 2014 (UTC)
 * To help users, this needs to be done for every state. (Not by Wiki Content Team as this time, however. Getting the pattern down for 3-4 states, then it can become a good project.AdkinsWH 22:51, 25 June 2014 (UTC))


 * State topic list
 * Add "Arkansas" to the state topic list
 * add topic "Social Networking Groups". Link to Arkansas Genealogy Local Resources
 * I think these tasks have been completed.Ruth J. Jones 18:56, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

Prep for community/yammer review

 * New format for County page
 * Records page
 * record categories
 * Breadcrumb trail

Prep for Excel copying

 * Prep so the pages can be done in Exel
 * Get sandbox pages acceptable
 * Refine intro paragraphs for each record topic
 * Create the "shell" page in Excel. Protect it, so we don't accidentally write over it.
 * Topic list, add the word "County" to the county topic lists
 * Link to the County Records and Information page
 * Create Intro templates for each category. Thought these could be adapted from WA, but could not find them. Adapt, therefore, from WA county pages. Claimed AdkinsWH 01:38, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

Pages to create/complete
Sandbox pages (requires Yammer and Community critique)
 * Create a county home page Claimed by AdkinsWH 20:44, 18 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Create a Courthouse and Local Resources page which also combines Courthouse, library, societies, museums, FHCenters -- this will be done through the Excel stuff.


 * Create a separate page with only County Genealogy Records and Information (Accidentally started page in actual space, not a sandbox.)
 * Make sure there is an intro template for each topic
 * Decrease the heading levels by 1 less "=" They start at level 4, decrease to level 3
 * Be sure to get links to the new pages


 * Update the Websites page with tabs Done AdkinsWH 23:56, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Add information to topics

 * Cemeteries
 * Wilma needs to refine this so it is easy to do from county to county.
 * We are not looking for more to add to any county. The ones listed are enough for now.


 * Vital Records
 * Team: discover at a glance pattern. There are certainly complicated patterns, such as our early work with Salt Lake County, Utah Claimed by Ruth J. Jones 16:38, 4 August 2014 (UTC) BUT ANY HELP WELCOME


 * FHL (WorldCat? ACPL?) links in these sections: Cemeteries, Church History AND Church Records, History, Obituaries, Probate Records, Vital Records
 * Wilma, Ruth, team: refine format. Perhaps Carol or Sister Heaston would enjoy this


 * Glean from Internet sites:
 * Ancestry.com (done already by BO and Joy for AR)
 * Archives.net???
 * Others, so long as they actually have databases
 * Not from Linkpendium and CyndisList. They certainly are wonderful sites, but they make their living and reputation from gleaning the Internet. They don't maintain their own databases of information, therefore, if we glean from them, we are essentially bypassing them. And we want to encourage all they do.

County completed tasks

 * Glean from Internet sites
 * Ancestry.com completed by Bo and Joy, probably in May 2014


 * Historical Timelines
 * Bo completed several counties before we realized this should be a community assignment. Bo's work helped to establish the pattern others can follow.