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Subject: [DEARMYRTLE-L] Beginning Lesson #12 - Using LDS FHCenters
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 06:54:08 EDT

DearMYRTLE's DAILY GENEALOGY COLUMN
Beginning Genealogy Lesson #12
Using LDS Family History Centers

From:
DearMYRTLE,
Could you answer two questions for me? I have been told that the LDS records
are not researched. Is that correct? Have they gone into county courthouses
and copied the records just as they are written?

DearPHHGENE,
Thanks for the great lead in to today's overview of using a LDS Family
History Center! Let me state in response to your first question, some records
could be construed to be "not researched well" if one considers that a large
number of researchers have elected to submit their compiled genealogies in
book or computerized format. The LDS Family History Library cannot verify the
quality of research that had been done. It is left to us as competent
researchers to verify the lineages proposed by others. Hopefully they left
big audit trails by citing their sources.

As to your second question, the LDS Family History Library (formerly the
Genealogical Society of Utah) has obtained microfilm of original courthouse,
parish and other vital records form towns, counties and countries all over
the world. They also have microfilms of abstracted records, where in
individuals may have done their own indexing or notations of entries they
found searching the original books. As you can see, it is essential to verify
everything, and determine the reliability of the materials.

Now some more specifics for beginning genealogists on why its advisable to
use the resources of a local LDS Family History Center.

The LDS Family History Library is the "main branch" in Salt Lake City, Utah.
There are over 3,400 "local branches" known as LDS Family History Centers
located throughout the world. Each has "lending library privileges" with the
main FHL in Salt Lake. You don't have to be a member of the LDS Church to use
the facilities, nor do your ancestors have to have been members for microfilm
of their original records to be archived there. When I was first getting into
genealogy, I knew about the LDS Family History Library, since I happen to be
a member of the LDS Church. I was amazed how many other people hold the
Library in high regard. Now I understand that the LDS Family History Library
has the single largest collection of genealogical materials in the world. In
fact they add about 5,000 new items a month! That simply incredible!.

I have previously designed an entire collection of articles in my column area
on AOL detailing the various collections common to each LDS Family History
Center, titled USING LDS FHCENTERS. Check out the following articles some of
which I've managed to copy over to my web page:

Checklist for LDS FHCenter Research
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/prior/my960101.htm

FHC #1 - Before You Go
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/fhc1.htm

FHC #2 - The IGI
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/99/fhc2.htm

FHC#3 - Using the FHL Card Catalog (FHLC)
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/99/960216.htm

FHC #4 - Parish & Vital Records List
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/prior/my960223.htm

FHC#5 - Special Collections I & II
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/99/fhc5.htm

FHC #6 - PERSI Index
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/prior/my960405.htm

FHC #7 - Family Registry
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/fhc7.htm

FHC #8 - Family Group Record Archives
FHC #9 - FamilySearch (tm) Computer Databases Overview
FHC #10 - Medieval Records ID Unit

RELATED TOPICS:
Elsie Says...IGI is a good place to start
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/99/970127.htm

Everton's FHC Address Search - Search for a Family History Center Near You
http://emh.everton.com/fhc.htm

NEW! Ancestral File, SSDI and V2.6 Family Search
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/99/990334.htm

Getting Your Own Copy of the FHLC
How Reliable are the Records?
Does the LDS FHL Have It All?
Overcoming DO NOT CIRCULATE Microfilms
Indexing Projects & Name Extraction Program
Handicapped Access to LDS FHL
NEW FHC Address Access!
Locating LDS FHCenters

For a photo tour of a typical LDS Family History Center, check out the
following WEB page:
A Family History Center in Huntsville, Alabama located at:
http://members.aol.com/terryann2/fhcinal.htm

This past month, the LDS Church has begun a BETA test of a FamilySearch Web
site, which is located at:
http://www.familyseaarch.org

The site is clearly labeled with the caution: "This is the FamilySearch
Internet test site. Due to test requirements, the site may be unavailable at
times or experience periods of slow response." My understanding is that the
test site will work for a few weeks, then will be taken down for further
refinements, with a formal debut and press release announcement to follow
sometime this early summer.

Definitely use the facilities of your local LDS FHCenter. Research there can
save you bundles in travel dollars and provide access to previously compiled
genealogies as well as original court, vital and church records often buried
in musty archives, libraries and basements of historical societies. As the
FamilySearch test site develops, I will be sure to write more and let you
know about this valuable resource!

Myrt :)
Daily Genealogy Columnist
America Online Keyword: roots or myrtle
http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/index.htm
1.0 (my970320)

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