WHAT'S NEW ON familysearch.org?
Presentation by Jack and Sylvia Sonneborn, York, Pennsylvania
I. What is FamilySearch?
A. FamilySearch is the world's largest genealogy organization.
B. FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving and sharing records for over 100 years.
C. FamilySearch has over 4,500 Family History Centers in over 80 countries.
D. FamilySearch operates and maintains the FamilySearch.org website.
A. What Can I Find at FamilySearch?
FamilySearch Portal
FamilySearch Indexing
Records
Family Trees
Community Trees
FamilySearch Wiki
Training
Tech Tips
Forums
Genealogy Software
Catalog of Resources
Scanned Books
Order Microfilm/fiche
Directories of FH Centers
II. Many of you have used the OLD, or Classic Family Search site. If you used the older version of
FamilySearch, you will recognize these records on Classic familysearch.org:
A. Ancestral File – This is a database of user-contributed data before March 2000
B. Pedigree Resource File – Contains user-contributed family trees to the FamilySearch site since
May 1999
C. The IGI, or International Genealogical Index – This database contains user-contributed data
and extractions of original records
D. US Social Security Death Index - Death dates are mainly from the period 1962 to 1988. It can
be accessed through many websites – FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, Onegreatfamily.com,
Rootsweb.com, GenealogyBank.com.
E. Census - US 1880; British Isles & Canadian 1881
F. Vital Records Index - from Mexico and Scandinavian countries
G. Family History Websites - Search by surname
H. Many of these records have been merged in the new FamilySearch sites.
III. FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
A. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been revising the FamilySearch site. [They
describe it as a mansion with many rooms, and each room contains a website that is useful for
the genealogist. You can access these rooms through FS, or you can type a separate URL into
your browser.]
B. In order to assist users, the Church asks you to establish one user name and one password for
all LDS sites and to sign in for optimal use of the site.
1. Perhaps some of you have already visited some of these ‘new’ sites and have been
prompted to ‘REGISTER’
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2. A user of the LDS genealogical websites needs to establish a Family Search Account
(public) or LDS Account (church members), in order to obtain the best results while
searching the sites.
3. Open familysearch.org to register. Click on “Sign-in” to register. Follow instructions.
IV. Next, we will learn how the buttons/blue tabs in the upper left hand corner open up to "rooms in the
mansion" or individual sites for your research and repository of your family history records:
A. RECORDS ~ FamilySearch Records –
1. Home Page https://www.familysearch.org
2. Contains billions of names across hundreds of worldwide collections (>100 countries).
3. Goal is to have all microfilmed records digitized and searchable (2.5 million rolls = 10
years to convert to digital format @ 5 minutes per roll).
4. There are over 200 teams in over 45 countries digitizing new records as we speak.
5. 380 million new digital images will be added in 2012.
6. Access to entire records collection is FREE*.
7. By clicking on the birth record, I found a birth record for my father.
8. To see collections, click on a location.
B. TREES ~ FamilySearch Trees https://familysearch.org/family-trees
1.To access User Submitted Trees, use blue tab or use the URL above to
access these trees. [Not all surnames will be included.]
2. The IGI, Ancestral File and Pedigree Resource are included at this site.
3. Upload your own family history GEDCOM using the link provided at the end of this
section.
C. TREES ~FamilySearch Community Trees http://histfam.familysearch.org
1. Community Trees are lineage-linked genealogies from specific time periods and
geographic localities around the world with supporting sources. Each Community Tree
is a searchable database with views of individuals, families, ancestors and
descendants, as well as having printing options.
2. Links
a. See Community Trees
b. Read Search Strategies for Community Trees
c. See Oral Genealogies
D. CATALOG ~ FamilySearch Online Catalog ~ https://familysearch.org/#form=catalog
1. In the online catalog, patrons can search for the records that are housed at the Salt
Lake City Family History Library; the original records are stored in the Granite Vault,
and they are being digitized and indexed if the Church has copyright permission.
2. If the publication titles are listed in red, they are available online.
3. If they are not online, patrons may order many of the records on microfilm or
microfiche online for a shipping and handling fee and view them at local Family History
Centers free.
E. BOOKS ~ Family History Books (beta) - http://books.familysearch.org
1. Collection of over 40,000 digitized genealogy publications.
2. Each name is being added to a family tree.
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F. LEARN ~ FamilySearch Training - https://www.familysearch.org/learn
1. WIKI ~ FamilySearch Research Wiki - https://wiki.familysearch.org
a. Research Wiki – free collection of family history articles, especially by
location for research, provided by family history enthusiasts from
around the world.
b. Guides researchers on where and how to find information to aid their
research.
c. Allows the researchers to contribute knowledge to help others.
d. Open source, just like Wikipedia, but focused on the genealogy community.
e. Nearly 70,000 articles. Adding 1,000 pages per month.
2. RESEARCH COURSES – over 250 training courses covering a wide range of subjects
from around the world in various formats (audio, video & interactive slides).
3. FORUMS - https://forums.familysearch.org
a. Discussion Forums – Ask a question about family history
b. Message board to pose questions about family history, such as how to find
information in a particular country or information about a particular family or a
deceased person that you are searching.
c. Often monitored by support missionaries and other FH experts
G. FAMILYSEARCH CENTERS - https://familysearch.org/locations
1. Services offered – catalog, order microfilms and microfiche online to view in FH
Center, free courses, location of centers
2. Genealogical Resources ~ FamilySearch Centers ~ FamilySearch Portal for
Premier Family History Websites
3. The Portal is available at all Family History Centers. Access through icon on opening
page.
4. Provides free access to a variety of resources: Ancestry, World Vital Records, Fold3
(Footnote, Heritage Quest, And more!
5. Online Film Ordering ~ Family History Centers Tab https://www.familysearch.org/films
a. Allows you to order genealogical resources from the Family History Library.
b. Orders are delivered to your local Family History Center for your use.
6. This section will help you to plan a trip to the Family History Library, SLC,Utah – Click
on “The Family History Library”
H. INDEXING - https://indexing.familysearch.org
1. Volunteer indexing program for worldwide records collection (>150,000 active
volunteers from 130 countries).
2. Indexing done on your home computer at your own pace. Two people index each
page.
3. >2.5 billion names online.
4. >150 million indexed records added each year.
5. Indexing directions and projects
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I. BLOG - FamilySearch Blog - Keep informed of what is happening in the family history
community
V. Some individual URL's of FAMILYSEARCH.ORG - another way for direct access to the site
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG/LEARN
WWW.INDEXING.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
WWW.FORUMS.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
WWW.HISTFAM.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
HTTPS://FAMILYSEARCH.ORG/family-trees
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG/FILMS
WWW.BOOKS.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG/TECHTIPS/
Catalog of records in SLC Library ~ https://familysearch.org/#form=catalog
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG/LOCATIONS
https://familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library
VI. New FamilySearch - www.new.familysearch.org
A. Independent family history repository with over 500,000,000 records on trees
contributed by researchers (church members and public).
B. Multiple opinions for the events can be entered but duplicates should be merged.
C. Opportunity for sources, evidence, analysis, and discussions so multiple researchers
can work together.
D. Currently in limited usage to the public
E. . Soon to be replaced by FamilyTree
VII. FamilySearch Family Tree (beta) found at www.familysearch.org
A. Family Tree will replace new.familysearch.org. Trees are contributed by researchers.
B. Multiple opinions for the events can be entered.
C. Opportunity for sources, evidence, analysis, and discussions so multiple researchers can work
together.
D. Currently in limited beta release. Will go public this year!
E. Once registered, sign into familysearch.org and the Family Tree tab will appear i upper left
hand corner by FamilySearch logo. Click on "Family Tree" to open it.
F. Family Tree may be activated by the public by calling FamilySearch. But first try these links:
https://familysearch.org/blog/family-tree-access/ (Copy and paste into Browser)
http://familysearch.org/invite/familytree_tab (Click here)
VIII. Tech Tips ~ FamilySearch Tech Tips - https://www.familysearch.org/techtips
A. Find answers to your technical questions.
B. Learn about new genealogy tools.
IX. BILLION GRAVES - FamilySearch has partnered with Billion Graves.
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://familysearch.org/searchapi/search/collecti
on/2026973
Questions? 1-866-406-1830
FamilySearch Support
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