Ancestry.com Full Edition Back in Family History Centers!

It's been confirmed! Ancestry.com has been put back into all the Family History Centers. Give your FHC a little time to get it set up but it is available for download in every center! Thanks so very much to FamilySearch and to Ancestry.com for working together and making this work! Genealogists everywhere will be so happy! Get busy now and find your family!

Family History Center at Utah State Prison Thrives

Yes, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a Family History Center at the Utah State Prison and it has been in existence for 20 years. Missionaries are assigned to the prison and they have 58 volunteers who go to the prison to supervise and help the inmates do indexing of microfilmed records. A couple of those volunteers are friends of mine and enjoy the work immensely. These volunteers serve in the prison seven days a week and three shifts a day from 8am to 8pm.

To read more about this inspiring story recently published in the Church News, see "A Rescue From Bondage".

                                                                                       Picture by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Family history centers in Salt Lake area will be consolidated

Today, the Mormon Times supplement to the Deseret News announced the recent closing of 24 Family History Centers that have been housed in various LDS Church buildings throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Instead, the Church will open a new Family History Library named the "Riverton FamilySearch Library".


This new library, "designed to create more space, extended hours and expanded resources for family history work, will open next month in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley. The Riverton FamilySearch Library will be an asset similar to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City."  It is located in church offices at the intersection of 13400 South and Bangerter Highway in Riverton.

To read the entire article, click here.

For those of you who live on the west side of the valley and into Utah county, this will be very convenient and beneficial. All the resources you currently have at the smaller FHCs will be available, as well as the full version of Ancestry.com. In addition, more classes will be provided.

This change currently does not affect the other half of the Salt Lake Valley, but, I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen in the future. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is looking for volunteers to work at the center.

U.S. Federal Census Records Made Simple

Probably the most used resource for genealogists is the census record. You have the ability to build the family structure and extract basic vital information by using the data found in these records. The U.S. Federal census records were compiled for every ten year period beginning in 1790.

Censuses were first implemented by Congress and were generally used to determine taxes and for determine apportionment for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the beginning, only the head of household's name was gathered along with a count of people in the household. However, not all people were treated equally! For instance, slaves were counted separately and no names were recorded during the early years. Each census year after 1790, additional information was gathered from the people. It was 1850 before a census asked for the names of every member of the household.

As all census records are “not equal”, neither is the accuracy of the information. There are original documents, hand-written copies of originals and summaries of the censuses. Accuracy was dependent on a number of things including illegible handwriting, the desire of the enumerator to follow the established rules, and the desire of the household members to provide accurate answers to questions. Simply put, some people did not know how to spell names or even know their age. Those things were not as important or as common as they are today. Also, people stretched the truth in some cases to avoid taxes or the law. Some even avoided the enumerator. So don’t think you have the wrong person just because he aged 14 years between censuses, or she only aged 6 years!

Sometimes enumerators were required to make copies of their records which required manually hand-copying their originals to a new paper or form. Some of the originals were even lost or destroyed. Over the years, some census records were destroyed in fires, lost in transport, misplaced or thrown away by mistake. The entire 1890 census was burned in a fire in Washington DC in 1921.

Of the census records that have survived over the past 220 years, copies can be found indexed as well as preserved in both microfilm and digitized images. This brings a new level of frustration to the genealogist. Not all data is indexed correctly, nor are the images all of the same clarity and quality.
Indexes and images can be found online now in both free locations and subscription websites. Each site has its own search engine and level of quality. New technology helps to improve the accuracy and quality and, in many cases, the records are being re-indexed and re-scanned.

Locating Census Records Online - Your first question may be “where can I find them?” To that question I have provided the links and directions to the websites you can use, as well as, links to tips for using census records in your research. So if you haven’t ventured into your own research, give census records a try.


To gain free access to census indexes and images from home:

Heritage Quest online – All you need is to sign in with your library card number from your libraries website. The census images are almost complete.  A few still need to have all names indexed instead of just the head of household name.

Utah local and state libraries – quick access 

Salt Lake County Library  

Provo City library 

Orem Public Library

Logan Library 

Washington County (Utah) Library  

Weber County Library 

Utah College and University access

Here’s a link to all Utah libraries   

       
            Utah Educators and Students -
You have access to Heritage Quest if you or your child is a registered  user of my.uen.org.  If you are not registered yet, click here.
             K-12 Schools
            Information about access in other states   
  
Note:  Free access to Heritage Quest is provided at Family History Centers located in various LDS Church buildings around the country.  Use the Family History Center portal: access through the FHC portal of subscription sites located on the computers desktop.

Other free sites with census records:

FamilySearch Records Search - currently has the following census records online 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (no images), 1900, 1920 (partial index only)

US GenWEB – has some records partially online-some indexed and some images. Access this easily by state through this link.

 National Archives Libraries - If you visit or live in a State that has a NARA location you can access census records. Here is a link to the NARA locations.

Census Finder - locate the available websites that contain free images or transcriptions of census records from all over the world.

Access Census Records By Subscription:   Access to some census records can be of higher quality and easier to use if you subscribe to the companies website.


Ancestry.com has the most complete set of census records available online.  If you have a subscription, click here.   

The LDS Church provides free access to the census images for Ancestry at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and at all other Regional Family History Centers around the country.  See a list and links for Regional Family History Centers . 

The LDS Church also provides free access to the following subscription websites through the FHC portal at ALL Family History Centers, not just the regional ones.

Footnote.com:   Currently this subscription website has the 1860 and 1930 US census records.

World Vital Records: Contains some indexes.  Most images can only be browsed at the present time.
 One other subscription website contains some images and indexes. That is  Genealogy.com:   Only about half of the census years are indexed.

Tips for using Census records - Use the following links to great sources of information.

US Census explained

What’s in U.S. Census records 1790 – 1930?     

Clues in census records, 1790-1840

Cues in census records, 1850-1930

Reading the census  

Federal census facts  

Tips for using Census records at Heritage Quest online

Finding Families in Pre-1850 Censuses

Census Questions and Research Tips

Searching Census Records

U.S. Federal Census Dates

Draper Temple Accepting FORs

Draper Temple has been accepting FORs (Family Ordinance Requests)for three days now and the process is working fine. For an unknown period of time they will still accept TempleReady disks. However, use a FOR whenever possible, rather than TempleReady if you want to see your completed ordinances online anytime soon.

Ordinance work that is completed by using a FOR to print cards will show on new FamilySearch immediately. Ordinance work that is completed using cards processed using TempleReady WILL NOT SHOW on nFS for up to ten months! Apparently the information has to be hand processed and will take plenty of time to complete.

So what options do you have if you don't have access to nFS yet?

1. Make arrangements to go to your local Family History Center and have a FH Consultant/staff person help you convert your TempleReady data to a FOR. This process can increase the number of duplicate records that have to be combined in nFS, so it is not necessarily the best option.

2. A better method is to use RootsMagic 4, a third party software program certified by FamilySearch (also available at the Family History Center) to create a FOR through nFS. If you don't have access to nFS yet, you will still need a consultant/staff person to login to nFS and sign you in using the helper feature in RootsMagic. RootsMagic will import your family information from your PAF file, or any other software that you currently use.

This process is relatively simple. Import your data into RootsMagic (File>import). Make sure you can see the gray temple icons to the right of each name on the screen. (If not, go up to Tools>File Options and turn on LDS Support and the FamilySearch icon tab and add the check mark.) Just click on the gray icon and sync or add your person to new FamilySearch.

When all your names are synced or added, click on the yellow "caution" icon next to the blue tree (the gray tree turns blue when you are synced) and select "Reserve Ordinances".

Then go to File>FamilySearch>FamilySearch Central. Click on the large Temple Work icon at the top. Select the ordinances you want printed to a FOR and print your FOR.

If you want more detailed instructions on using the nFS features in RootsMagic 4 go to the tutorials located here. (You can always ask questions by contacting me below.)

Update at New.Familysearch.org Utah and Idaho Release

A new tab has recently been added to New.Familysearch.org Utah and Idaho Release website. The “Assist Members” tab now includes the following helpful information:

1. Family History Center specific instructions
2. Printable instructions for accessing the online training
3. How to creating a FOR from a TempleReady disk
4. Help on including more than one person on a FOR
5. Explanations concerning ancestral issues
6. Instructions for members with pioneer ancestry

I’d suggest you take the time to read the information, especially if you are a consultant and/or you serve in the family history center.

Are you prepared?

Another question that has been asked lately is “when are we as individual stakes in Utah and Idaho considered READY to receive access to new FamilySearch on a stake by stake basis?”

Well, the answer lies on the REPORT tab. The bottom line is “A stake will be considered ready when each ward and branch in the stake has at least one family history consultant who has completed all of the preparation steps outlined on the Prepare page.” So what does that mean? It means that you need to GET PREPARED by following the outline on the PREPARE tab.

1. Watch the DVD online.
2. Complete the E-Learning Courses online
3. Actively use the new FamilySearch website
4. Report your readiness to the High Priest Group Leader in your ward.
5. Then the HPGL reports to the high councilor with FH responsibilities.
6. Then the high councilor reports to the stake’s Area FH Advisor.

(Note: Since my calling is on a stake basis, if you are in my stake, please let me know when you are ready and we will take it from there.)

So the sooner you are ready, the sooner your stake will gain access to new FamilySearch when it begins release in your temple district.

Aren’t you getting excited? :)

Read-only Access to nFS for all Members

According to the following memo that was distributed to all employees and missionaries of the Family History Library, all members currently can register for new FamilySearch in a read-only format. It goes on to say that there should be no TempleReady disks taken to any of the temples effective immediately. And, it says that all temples currently can accept the FOR's (Family Ordinance Requests).

However,according to the recorders office at the Draper temple, they WILL NOT be able to accept the FORs until AFTER July 14th, 2009. They will not receive the necessary software until that time.

Here is a copy of the memo for your information.

From: Merrill White
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009
Subject: Read Only new FamilySearch Accounts
Importance: High

Please pass this along to all employees and missionaries

Limited access to the new FamilySearch to view completed ordinances (Read Only Accounts)

During the last two years, the Church has been introducing a new process for preparing ancestral names for the temple. This process includes a new system used in temples to record completed ordinances and a new FamilySearch Web site, new.familysearch.org, where members may view and update information about their ancestors and see completed temple ordinances. This new process is now being used in most temples worldwide. Temple ordinances that are completed in these temples do not appear in the International Genealogical Index (IGI).

Members of the Church who want to see and verify current completed temple ordinances must view them in the new FamilySearch Web site. This new Web site is not yet available to all the members in Utah and Idaho. Therefore, members who have prepared ancestral names for the temple within the last year using the IGI may go to new.familysearch.org and register to create a limited-access account. Once their stake in Utah or Idaho has been rolled out their account will automatically become a full access account.

If a member tries to create a limited access view account and they receive a message that says the system is not yet in their temple district they can receive a ‘Read Only’ account in one of two ways:

1. If they have never registered on www.FamilySearch.org with their membership number and confirmation date then they can go do so now. After registering and doing an IGI search on the website they will receive notification that they will be given ‘Read Only’ access and that they will be able to register at new.familysearch.org in 24-56 hours for this limited access.

2. If they already have an account at www.FamilySearch.org then they can send an email request to FamilySearch Support to be given a ‘Read Only’ account. To do this they need to follow these steps:

a. Send an email to support@familysearch.org
b. The email subject title must read: NFS READ ONLY REQUEST
c. Include in the email their Full Name and Full LDS Membership Number
d. They will then be given access within one week.

While the members use this limited access to the new FamilySearch Web site, they will continue to use TempleReady in family history centers to prepare ancestral names for the temple. The use of the IGI to verify temple ordinances should be discontinued and replaced with the limited-access view in the new FamilySearch Web site, or Family Tree Project on labs.familysearch.org. If a patron desires to utilize a Third Party FamilySearch Affiliate Product to do this checking, such as Family Insight, Ancestral Quest or Roots Magic, they may do so. Their ‘Read Only’ Account will allow them to pull down data from new FamilySearch, but not correct or push data back up to the system. It is not an expectation that staff at the Family History Library will know how to use these products. They are available on the Library Patron Desktop and in family history centers for the patron to utilize if they wish.

Once a TempleReady submission file has been created the cards must be printed in the Family History Library. Effective immediately, TempleReady disks should no longer be taken to the temple to process. Temples are only accepting Family Ordinance Requests (F.O.R.). If a patron does come to the FHL requesting that an .sub file be converted to an F.O.R. we can just submit and print their .sub file in the Lobby at the Temple Card desk. We need not convert .sub files to an F.O.R. at this time.

If a patron does have ‘Read Only’ access, but they would rather not use TempleReady to process the names, you can sign-in as a helper for them utilizing the ‘Helper Function’ in the new FamilySearch. To do this you:

1. Sign-in to your new FamilySearch account.

2. Select the Helper Function option.

3. Enter their Full Name, Birth date and Helper Access Number which usually is the last 5 digits of their membership number.

4. Select the names they wish to take to the temple. Be sure to check possible duplicates and combine them. If no ordinance data is found then you can select and clear the names for temple ordinances and print an F.O.R. for them to print their cards in the lobby or at the temple.

CAUTION: In offering this service we must sit with them while they do this since we are signed in helping them on our accounts. We also can only clear a few names at a time. I would limit this to no more than 15-20 names maximum.

Members should only use this limited access to the Web site to find and verify temple ordinances for their ancestors. Concerns over duplicate information about ancestors and other data related issues should not be submitted to FamilySearch Support at this time and will be politely deferred by our support staff. Once full access to the new Web site is available to Church members in Utah and Idaho, these types of concerns may be reported and corrected.

Thanks so much for your support and assistance in this transition process. Any questions please let me know. Thanks,

Merrill White
Family History Library Patron Services
(801)240-6405
whitedm@familysearch.org

Ancestry FH Library Edition - (still) Available at the FHC

Regular Family History Centers (like ours) still have access to the Library Edition of Ancesty.com. Only regional (large multi-stake) Family History Centers and the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake have full access to Ancestry.

So, what good is it you ask? Well, there is still a great deal of information and helpful tools that will be of great benefit to you. As of May 2009 the following databases are available.

Census Records-Index Only
1841-1891 British Censuses
1841-1891 Wales Censuses

Census Records-Index and Images
1916 Canadian Census
1880-1920 US Censuses

Passenger Lists-Index Only
Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959
Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1948
Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1943
California Passenger and Crew Lists, 1893-1957
Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957
Florida Passenger Lists, 1898-1951
Galveston Passenger Lists, 1896-1948
New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945
Seattle Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1957

Draft Registration-Index and Images
US World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
US World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942

NOTE: There are a few of the above listed titles that you may find are missing from Ancestry’s list of available databases, but, you can still search for them and access the data.

Using Your Personal Subscription at the FHC
According to FamilySearch help (Document ID: 101501) a patron can access their own subscription at the FHC.

Accessing a patron's personal Ancestry.com subscription account:
Ancestry.com allows their individual subscribers to access http://www.ancestry.com/ from any computer that is connected to the Internet, even when visiting the Family History Library or a family history center. Part of the subscriber's agreement with Ancestry.com is that their personal account login information will only be used by the subscriber and not shared with another individual, and that the subscriber must log off their personal Ancestry.com account when they are finished.

If a patron is unable to login to their own personal Ancestry subscription while visiting a family history center, it is the responsibility of the patron to contact Ancestry.com at 800-262-3787 for support. It is suggested that they call from the family history center from where their personal subscription access problem took place.

Get Started! ...part 2

Research Your Data...continued

2. Utilize Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. Cyndi’s List contains, literally, over 264,000 links to genealogy websites that are indexed by subject, location or keywords. These are free and subscription-based web sites that contain transcribed data, published family pedigrees and histories, training materials, historical data, photographs, reference and finding aids, and, just about anything you can possibly imagine having to do with family history. Cyndi’s List is your “table of contents”, your “index” to the Internet for genealogy.

3. The Internet has many message boards, blogs and mailing lists available to help you communicate with others around the world who have similar interests in research and training on family history and genealogy.

4. Utilize a Family History Center.

a. FH Centers are staffed with people from who have been called to serve as Family History Consultants or by local genealogy enthusiasts.

b. The FH Center has free access to a number of subscription websites. Currently those include:
Ancestry.com Library Edition
Footnote.com
Genline.com
Godfrey Memorial Library (contains the Newspaper Archives)
Heritage Quest
Kindred Konnections
World Vital Records

c. The FH Center has all of the published Pedigree Resource Files on CD that contain much more information than what is online at FamilySearch.

5. Utilize the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake.

a. You can search the library catalog online FamilySearch.org from your home so that you are prepared before going to the library. The library contains millions of records published on microfilm, microfiche, books and CD’s. Searching the catalog will provide you with information on what is available, film numbers, book references, etc. to save you time, narrow your search, and identify availability of applicable records.

b. Training classes are also provided for free at the library. A schedule is listed here.

Starting This Blog!

Hi everyone!

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT a creative writer by any means – but – what I AM is an avid genealogist who loves to share the joy of family history and genealogy by teaching others. That’s what I do! I teach at our local Tri-Stake Family History Center and periodically at the UVPAFUG, as well as a lot of friends.

I, like everyone else, am pressed for time. Currently, we only teach one class a month at the FHC and it’s difficult to get everyone there – staff, consultants and Priesthood leaders. We never seem to have time to teach the patrons unless they happen to come to the center. So that is why I started this blog – to give the staff, consultants, Priesthood leaders AND patrons a chance to learn more on their own – even at midnight in their PJ’s!

You can email me below and I’ll get to your questions as quickly as possible. I won’t know all the answers, but I’ll do my best to try to find the answers and hopefully not make a lot of mistakes along the way. You have great ideas and great answers, too, so we’ll share our knowledge as best we can. Give me your ideas, too.

So here we go! I’ll start with some of the basics and work up from there. I know there are millions of web pages out there with great info and I’ll link to them a lot. I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel, but, I want to provide a place where you can go that starts from the beginning – building on each others knowledge – one rock-solid, Granite block at a time!

I want the wonderful staff at the FH center to be able to easily show patrons how to get started – and how to continue their research. And I want the patrons, and others, to feel like this is an extension of the center – a place they feel comfortable to ask questions and can easily go to find help, especially when the center isn’t open. If it’s not simple to you then I’ll start over.

So, let’s get started!

Sue