Policy regarding Missionary Access to FHC

[npurser]

I am a Stake Technology Specialist, recently I spoke with a Family History Consultant in our Family History Center who said that there was a new policy that the missionaries should be using their phones and not the family history center computers for doing their missionary work. The same thing was mentioned to me on a call with a senior missionary who was helping provide technical support for the FHC. I want to confirm this church policy before bringing it up to the Stake President or Mission President but am not finding anything. Is there an official policy that missionaries are no longer supposed to be using the Family History Center computers? If so, does anyone know where it is documented?

[russellhltn]

I have heard the same. However, those same sources will quickly say they're not official.

While I can't find anything to say it's prohibited or discouraged, I see nothing about encouraging it either. The closest I've found is the Missionary Handbook 7.5.4 Teaching with Technology. (Which says nothing about where/how they're supposed to access computers.)

If you're running into issues, then it would certainly be a good idea to bring this up with the stake president to talk to the mission president about. Times change. The Missionaries didn't always have phones. It's entirely possible this something that has been in place for quite some time and should be re-examined. If the missionaries are creating problems, then that give you a reason to speak up.

I know in my stake the FHC/FSC staff has taken to locking up the copier paper tray as someone was using the center's copier after hours.

[kpilk]

The old 2014 FHC operations guide specificaly gave missionaries access to the computers if they wasn't being used for family history. That disappeared when the update 2021 FHC Operations guide came out. During covid certain missionaries did get permission to use them for facebook proselytizing. For them to use them now they need to go through the mission President to the stake presidents for access but even then the computers are owned by FamilySearch not the Stake. The FSC director or someone they authorise need to be present while they are used and be able to see the screens. The missionaries do not need access unless bringing investigators to introduce them to the FHC consultants. Most mission Presidents want all electronic communication to be done on the mission supplied devices so they can monitor there use. Any printing they need to do should be in the resource centre on the mull function printers there and as permitted by the Bishop through the resource center specialists.
I have at times had to put a password on the Patron account to control it when unauthorised access by unknowns has been happening. The standard setting is no password and where physical security is good should stay that way.

[juancano]

Has there been any official update on this policy? The missionaries in our Stake have master keys, which give them access to every room in the chapel (a holdover from COVID, when they were given free access to all church facilities here). We are finding evidence of missionaries using the FSC for storage and as a changing room. They are also printing out baptism programs and English Connect lessons on the center printer.

If they have free access to the centers, then we won't say anything, but I can find no policy after 2015 regarding their use of the room. It would certainly help if Salt Lake addressed this. We are getting a little tired of cleaning up after them most weeks.

[russellhltn]

This comes up parodically in the Center Chats. There is no policy. It's allowable if the Stake President and the Mission President agree.

I'd talk to your stake president about changing the access.

As for the printing, I'd pull the paper tray and hide it along with the paper supply in a locked cabinet. That will discourage "outside use".