Zotero Connector not working on FamilySearch site

DonnaCoxBaker

The catalog of the FamilySearch database--massive and massively used worldwide--doesn't interpret items into discrete item types, when using the Zotero connector. It interprets everything as a web page. What has to be in place for a page to be interpreted as a catalog item, eligible for meaningful extract into Zotero item types?

DWL-SDCA

As a recovering genealogist I know the usefulness of this resource. However, what items do you hope to import into Zotero? The information and documents available on the site are essential sources. But, unless I am missing something, the metadata the site provides is grossly incomplete without lots of additional hand-entry of needed reference information necessary.

The database contains books but even if one clicks through to the "digital version " page (where there is Dublin Core metadata) the available metadata is incomplete. Legal and church record document records supply essentially no useful metadata for automated reference use. The census-record metadata is missing key information but what is there is presented in an irregular format -- it allows a searcher to have help locating records on the FamilySearch site but not the original microfilm records the site has online. One can search for itams by LoC and (sometimes) ISBNs but this metadata isn't provided on the webpages in a consistent way such that it can be reliably scraped into a Zotero record. The family records files allow information about the persons who compiled them but this is not presented in any standard format that might be useful to use in a citation. The site has much of its information behind a paywall that requires revealing extensive personal information. Thus, I didn't try to sign up (again) for greater access.

fcheslack

https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/exposing_metadata

DonnaCoxBaker

Thanks so much to you both. This is what I needed. I will send the metadata requirements to FamilySearch, but it sounds like the work required on the FS end will be prohibitive. Perhaps, though, they can use it on new material.

Much appreciated!