A Whirlwind Tour of
FamilySearch Resources

Thomas Tolman Family Organization
     Semi-Annual Meeting
        October 20, 1012

                        Ben Baker
           bakerb@familysearch.org
Learning Resources

•   Research Wiki – Community-built research advice
•   Learning Center – Genealogy courses by area, subject and skill level
•   Discussion Forums – Post questions
•   Tech Tips – How to apply technology to family history
•   Getting Started – Videos and other items for beginners
FamilySearch Centers

• Find a family history center near you
• Links to other learning resources, library catalog, etc. that can be
  accessed from other links as well
Ways to Give Back – Anyone can help

• Gift of time – Index records to produce searchable indexes
                 Can do in short time periods
                 Great for youth
                 Practice mission language or learn a new one
• Gift of knowledge – Contribute to research wiki
• Gift of money – Donate to help further the work
• Gift of insight – Volunteer to evaluate new FamilySearch products
FamilySearch Blog

• Updates on latest happenings at FamilySearch
• Announces new features, newly available records, etc.
Signing in with your LDS Account

• LDS church members receive access to additional resources
    • Need membership number to sign up
    • Additional search results when searching historical records
    • Additional self help resources including regarding temple ordinances
    • Access to temple ordinance data and reservations
• Must be signed in to see FamilyTree
• Non-LDS church members can get accounts too
Help

• Videos, manuals, FAQs, etc
• LDS-specific helps require log in as an LDS member
Records Tab

• Used to search indexed historical records
• Use logo to return to main familysearch.org
  site to perform searches
• Don’t forget to sign in to get more results
  (LDS church members have access to some
  records the public does not)
Trees Tab

• Can search user submitted trees such as Ancestral File
  (AF) and Pedigree Resource File (PRF)
• Can submit GEDCOMs still (more features in future)
• Not to be confused with Family Tree tab at top
Catalog

• Search entire Family History Library catalog by
  various criteria
Catalog Search Results

• Learn to use facets to narrow results by Year,
  Category, Availability and Language
• Shows items that have been digitized and/or
  indexed (online availability)
Family History Books

•   Digitization effort for all books in FH Library
•   Also has books from other locations
•   Many books have been OCRd and can be searched
•   Access search from Books tab or
    books.familysearch.org
Books Search Results

• Can refine results here as well
• Click on link to view book
• Some books are searchable (have been OCRd)
All Record Collections

• All Record Collections link from main page can
  also be used to find specific collection and
  search or browse records
Historical Record Collections

• Narrow search by collection name and/or
  Place, Date, Collection Type facets
• Selecting a collection allows collection specific
  searches
• Camera icons indicate which collections have
  digital images - can browse collections that
  are not yet indexed
• Click on Last Updated to see what collections
  have been updated recently
Records Being Added Daily
• Over one million images processed every day
• As of 2012 23% of vault is digitized
• Expect to have all 2.4 million rolls of microfilm
  at vault digitized in 3-4 more years
• Over 200 cameras at archives throughout world
• Ongoing effort to digitize FH Library books
Family Tree Tab

• Must be logged in to see tab
• How to get access (invite link not necessary soon)
  http://www.familysearch.org/invite/familytree_tab (LDS)
  http://www.familysearch.org/invite/public1 (non-LDS)
• Lots of training resources (videos, manuals, guides, lessons, etc.)
  https://familysearch.org/tree-training
FamilySearch Family Tree
•   Will replace new.familysearch.org soon
•   Public access, not just LDS church members
•   Ability to attach sources
•   Can edit data/relationships others contributed
•   Flag non-matching duplicate people
•   Provide justifications for all changes
•   Change history – can restore previous edits
Tree Tab

• Tree view of ancestors and children
• Click on names to bring up Person Card
    • Use View Tree link to place ancestor at main position
    • Use View Person link to open person page
Person Tab

• Place to view/edit all information about a person
     • Vitals (name, birth, death, etc)
     • Other information
     • Family Members
     • Sources
     • Discussions
     • Temple Ordinances
     • Change History
     • Merge or Mark Not-a-Match Possible Duplicates
     • Future Additional Tools
Search Tab

• Look for people in the tree by name or ID number
Watches

• Add watches to people you’re interested in
• More critical in open-edit Family Tree system
• Will receive weekly e-mail of changes others
  make to these people
• Use Watch List tab to manage your watches
Temple Ordinances

• Reserve temple ordinances at
  bottom of person page
• Click on drop down arrows to
  view ordinances for additional
  parents/spouses
• Use Temple tab to manage
  reserved ordinances
History Drop Down

• Use History drop down to return to
  previously viewed persons
Sources
• Links historical documents to
  people in the tree
Historical Records Search Results

•   Camera icons indicate records with digitized images of originals
•   Add life events/relationships to narrow searches
•   Filter results by particular collections, places, dates etc. (facets)
•   Webinar on obtaining better results from searches
    https://familysearch.org/blog/familysearch-webinar
Source Box

• Add records to source box to be able to
  attach to people in tree
• Found easiest to work with two windows
  or tabs open. One for records and other
  with the tree.
• Each person in a record has a different link
  and should be attached separately
Adding Sources to a Person in Family Tree

• Go to Source Box to attach from list of sources you’ve
  added from FamilySearch record searches
• Can create a new source to anything
    • FamilySearch records will have a tree icon and will
       auto-generate a lot of citation information and may
       improve over time
    • Anything with a URL can be attached (Ex. Record on
       Ancestry, picture on Flickr, personal web site, etc.)
    • Don’t need a URL, can just enter a normal citation
• Clicking on icons will jump directly to source
• Can tag sources as having information specific to birth,
  death, etc.
Edit Bad Data

            • Edit or delete
              conclusions and
              relationships with
              change history

            • Justifications for
              changes
Possible Duplicates
Merge Duplicates or
 Mark Not a Match
For more information, see manual, handouts and webinars at
https://familysearch.org/tree-training
Q &A