Volunteer FAQ
Question that isn't answered below or in the FAQ?
Ask the volunteer coordinator who covers the area where you're volunteering:
I no longer wish to volunteer, who do I contact?
Contact the volunteer coordinator you've been corresponding with. If you can't recall who that was, fill out the volunteer removal form.
I'm finished, now what?
Send it in! Instructions can be found on the photographer page
Note: If sending a .txt file, sometimes they will embed themselves into an e-mail instead of remaining an attachment. To get around this rename the extention to something other than .txt (use .text for instance)
I've already signed up as a volunteer and would like to add another cemetery to my to-do list, do I have to use the sign-up form again?
No, you can e-mail the coordinator directly to reserve the new cemetery (reply to previous correspondence). But first, please check that the cemetery hasn't been completed (locate the cemetery page) and isn't on the coming soon list. Also take note of the cemetery ID code and include that information when corresponding with the coordinator.
TRANSCRIBER
See also: Volunteer FAQ for Indexers
Can I use other resources to verify information on the headstone?
Of course! It's sometimes helpful to locate a death registration if a headstone is unclear. Keep in mind though that official records and headstones do not always match. Year of death may be off a year or two, age may be off by several years, spellings can be different, etc. Our focus is the stone itself and what it has to say. It's up to researchers to worry about the differences. So even if you find a discrepancy do your best to stay true to the information on the stone and if needed note discrepancies in the COMMENTS column.
I'm familiar with the person(s) named on a headstone, can I add extra information?
Yes but please keep it short and put it only in the COMMENTS column (unless it fills in missing information in the other columns)
PHOTOGRAPHER
What happens if someone sends in photos for a cemetery I've reserved?
The submitter will be informed that the cemetery has been reserved and their photos will be held until you've completed photographing the cemetery. Your photos take priority but we will compare theirs to yours to see if there are any stones you may have missed or if some are easier to read. If so these photos will be included *in addition* to yours (not in place of).
Do I have to index my own photos?
No, but it does help get them online faster as photos need to be indexed in order to show up in our search feature. If you'd prefer not to index (which is okay!) send in your photos once you've finished photographing the cemetery and an indexer will index them.
INDEXER
See also: Volunteer FAQ for Transcribers
Do I get to pick which cemetery to index?
No but you can state a preference (e.g. cemeteries in Manitoba) and if there is a cemetery that needs indexing that matches you'll get it. Otherwise we prioritize which cemeteries have been waiting the longest.
Why is everyone on a stone indexed (also: Why are relatives indexed)?
In short, for genealogical purposes. When using cemetery records we may find relatives that were previously unknown, by indexing each name when it appears on a stone it increases the likelihood of this occurring.
For example, John RUSSELL is named as a parent on his daughter Sarah's headstone, but Sarah isn't named on John's stone. If there were no other record of Sarah her headstone would be the only one stating her relationship to John. By indexing John as he appears on Sarah's stone it indicates that there is information about him on that stone.
Sometimes this will mean one person will end up in our index multiple times. That's okay as long as each time they are in the index they are linked to a different photo. One photo may show their headstone, one may show them as a spouse, five may show them as a parent. But they all help website visitors find every stone a particular person is named on.
