Family History Class

Spokane 22nd Ward

Lesson 8

Family History Library and Centers

Overview

• The development of microfilming began during World War I

• The Genealogical Society of Utah was among the first to send out photographers to microfilm genealogical data on site

• James Black was one of the church’s first microfilming pioneers

• Original microfilms are stored in Granite Mountain Vault in Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City

Visiting the Family History Library

• Located at 35 North Temple Street in Salt Lake City• An average of 2,700 people visit each day.• Its doors are open 82 hours per week, including

many holidays• It has more than two million roles of microfilm and

700,000 microfiche• It employs some of the world’s leading genealogists• Visitors from all over the world come to visit

Family History Library• Main floor houses computers with FamilySearch and

books with genealogical data for the US and Canada• Second floor houses complete US Census, as well as

computers.• Administrative offices and cataloging facilities are on

the third floor• First lower level houses books and microfilm for

international genealogical records• Second lower level has books/microfilms for the

British Isles

Library Rules

1. Handle film, books, and equipment carefully

2. Cellular phones used only in lobby

3. Don’t leave personal belongings unattended

4. Maintain quiet so others can work1. Children under twelve must be supervised

5. No food and drinks allowed

6. No smoking allowed

7. Don’t take more than 5 microfilms at a time

Library Rules (Continued)

• If you will be gone from your microfilm reader for more than 30 minutes, take your possessions with you so someone else can use it

• Use no more than 5 books at a time. Return them to the red shelves on either end of the bookshelves when finished

• Limit yourself to 5 photocopies if others are waiting

Visiting the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

• The facilities of the JSMB are designed to help tourists and those who are new to family history

• On the main floor, hundreds of computers are located in the FamilySearch ™ Center

• On the 4th floor are more than 70,000 printed family histories, as well as a copy of the 1920 Soundex and Census– Also on this floor are 8 million family group records

submitted by Latter-day Saints

Family History Centers

• Most people aren’t able to go to SLC to use the main Family History Library

• For that reason, the Church has an ongoing program to establish branches throughout the world

• Computers with FamilySearch ™ are located in them

• Through the microfilm ordering service, there is access to the vast microfilm collection of genealogical records in SLC

Ordering a Microfilm

What Why

Search the Family History SourceGuide on CD-ROM or the Family History Library Catalog

To determin which records are available for your area of research

A trained volunteer will be there To help you place your order

Once you find records that may contain information about your ancestors,

You can order them for about $3.25 per microfilm

The microfilms must be read at the FHC but

Can be kept anywhere from 3 weeks to an indefinite loan

For More Information

• Read “Early Church Information Guide,” “Family History Library and Family History Centers,” and “PERiodical Source Index (PERSI” in Family History SourceGuide on CD-ROM available from LDS distribution centers or the FHC

• Visit the Family History Center nearest you and see how they can help

Class Assignments

1. Search the Family History SourceGuide for information about the area where one of your grandparents or great-grandparents lived

2. Plan a visit to the FHC3. Take a tour of the main Family History

Library on the FamilySearch website at www.familysearch.org