Category: FamilySearch

FamilySearch and Computer-assisted Indexing for Digitized Records

Note: This article was previously published on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2021-10-29/computer-assisted-indexing-familysearch-records-231067This article is interesting from several different aspects. First, there are some interesting and updated statistics. Here is a quote with some of the statistics from the above linked article to start out. In September, FamilySearch announced a milestone 83 years in the making — the completion...

New at FamilySearch: Feeds and Groups

You may have noticed that FamilySearch recently introduced two new features for helping you connect with others and share information: Feeds and Groups. The Feeds feature helps you share memories and other information with friends and family, similar to how social media works. With the Groups feature, you can create groups for sharing memories, messages, and temple reservations (for Latter-day...

The 10 Most Common Mistakes in Online Family Trees

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   The number one all time most common mistake observed in online family trees arises from copying some other person’s family tree information especially if the information comes from paper family group sheets or an old GEDCOM file. The fact that you inherited information from a relative, even...

The Family History Guide in the FamilySearch Portal

Shortly after The Family History Guide went online in 2015, it was added to the Portal page in the family history centers. Currently there are about 5,000 family history centers in operation around the world. With the recent FamilySearch changes to catalogs and materials, the Portal was updated. We are happy to say that The Family History Guide still enjoys...

Following Your Ancestors on the FamilySearch Family Tree

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. In social networking, following has become endemic. In this context, when we “follow” someone, we are interested in learning about what happens in their lives. On the FamilySearch.org Family Tree, following is considerably different. The function of following is to learn about any changes being made to a particular individual...

Understanding Merging on the FamilySearch Family Tree

Note: This article by James Tanner was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. The FamilySearch.org Family Tree was originally seeded with previously collected individual and family histories from five major collections: the Ancestral File, the Pedigree Resource File, the International Genealogical Index, and Membership and Temple records from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These records were not directly added to the Family Tree. They were...

Considering the Future of FamilySearch Family History Centers

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   https://www.familysearch.org/fhcenters/locations/ FamilySearch.org in conjunction with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church) has a huge network of 5397 Family History Libraries and Family History Centers around the world as of the date of this post. These libraries and centers range in size and content from the Salt Lake...

Getting to Know FamilySearch Community and Partner Trees

When we think about using the Search menu in FamilySearch, the most familiar choice is right at the top: Records. The other items in the menu may be less familiar, however. Halfway down the menu is the Genealogies option, which is an interesting one. Many of us are aware that a huge number of user-submitted pedigrees are available on FamilySearch....

Re-opening of the Family History Library

After a lengthy closure due to the COVID pandemic—which allowed some time for a major remodeling project—the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, July 6. Here are a few of the highlights, according to the Deseret News: Building remodel. The building was last remodeled in 2002, and changes were needed...

The FamilySearch Wiki and The Family History Guide

As you might expect, we are sometimes asked what the difference is between the FamilySearch Wiki and The Family History Guide. You may have wondered that as well, so this article will point out some similarities and differences between the two that may be helpful. Similarities: Both help with family history research. As a side note, the full name of...