Family Research

The Family History Center

Originally posted in GERMAN-AMERICAN-L by Nancy Ring-Kendrick on Mon, 28 Dec 1998.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) runs the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The FHL has one of the most impressive collections of genealogical material in the world. Microfilmed copies of hundreds of thousands of birth, marriage, death and other records containing well over a billion names have been gathered from all over the world and are stored at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many of the resources of the Family History Library are available through Family History Centers. Here are some of the resources that can be found at Family History Centers. FamilySearch Software on CDROM, which include the IGI, Ancestral File, Social Security Death Index, etc. (See the FamilySearch FAQ for more information about these CD's). While most of the data contained on these CD's are NOT available online on the internet, some of these databases are starting to appear online at Infobases LDS Family History Network and Ancestry Search.

Microfiche indexes of material held by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. A film ordering service, by which much microfilm copies of much of the material in Salt Lake City may be borrowed for viewing in the Family History Center. Local genealogy information. A place to meet other genealogists.

The Family History Library sells the inexpensive Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software package for MSDOS and the Macintosh. PAF is available from:

          Salt Lake Distribution Center
          1999 West 1700 South
          Salt Lake City, UT  84104-4233  USA
          800-537-5950

For information and links regarding the Family History Library and Family History Center information, please click the colored url's (browser location, address) below:

ROOTS-L Resources:  Family History Centers and Library
http://www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/fhc.html

Family History Centers World Wide:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/5137/fhc.htm

FamilySearch™ (Tutorial regarding the Family History Center, Library,
etc.)  http://www.firstct.com/fv/lds3.html

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
http://www.firstct.com/fv/igi.html

U.S. Social Security Death Index: (SSDI):
http://www.firstct.com/fv/socsec.html

Military Index:
http://www.firstct.com/fv/military.html

Family History Library Catalog (FHLC):
http://www.firstct.com/fv/fhlc.html

Personal Ancestral File (PAF):
http://www.firstct.com/fv/paf.html

"How to Gather 1001 Names an Hour from a Family History Center" Guide.
http://www.firstct.com/fv/1001site.html

Email the Family History Center Library Staff:  fhl@byu.edu

Family History Centers by State:
http://www.deseretbook.com/famhis/frameless.html

International FHCs - Canada
http://www.deseretbook.com/famhis/frameless.html

Family History Center; "How do I Begin?"
http://www.deseretbook.com/famhis/frameless.html