We Can Help You

Your local Family History Center and your ward Family History Consultants can help you with these features on FamilySearch.org :

Searching for AncestorsHistorical Records – records of your ancestors from official sources
Submitted Genealogies – unofficial family trees submitted by members
Microfilm Catalog – find records on microfilm that have not yet been digitized
Family Tree – this is where your ancestors want to be
Resource Wiki – is a place to find what resources exist, and how to find them

Preparing Names for the Temple (This is now done on the computer on the Church's family history site www.familysearch.org)
Create a LDS online account if you don't have one
Recover a forgotten user name or reset the password
Add or Find a name in Family Tree
Reserve ordinances in Family Tree
Print a Family Ordinance Request to print temple cards
Share ordinances with the temple file, if you can't to the temple work yourself

Documenting Your Family History in Family TreeAdd an online source citation you have found
Create a source citation
Add historic family photos
Add historic family stories

Finding Software to keep your family history records (Some of it is free)
On familysearch.org click About (at the bottom of the page) and then click Products

(And of course we can also help you to order microfilms and use them in our FHC.)

What is where?

Reminder: at http://rootstech.org/ it is currently possible to watch some of the main sessions online.
At RootsTech some future changes and additions to https://familysearch.org were announced, so check for these over the next few weeks.

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What is Where?

There seems to be some confusion over how and where to do searches on https://familysearch.org
I would like to take a moment to clarify this.

Below the words "Discover Your Family History", you will find these menus. (These links are live.)

Records

Genealogies

Catalog

Books

 

1. Records is already opened, allowing you to search through primary source records that (a) have been indexed by FamilySearch, or (b) posted as browseable images by FamilySearch, or (c) indexed by commercial companies and made available on FamilySearch.
(a) These records have names that are computer-searchable, and often have original page images. Where there are page images, these can be viewed for free. This is where all the records indexed by FamilySearch are made available.
(b) These are original page images where names cannot be searched by computer, but where the images can be viewed online for free. You need to know the time and place to find specific names and events.
(c) These are indexes from companies such as Fold3, Ancestry.com, and Findmypast.co.uk so the index is computer-searchable for free, but viewing the original page images is done on a paid site.

2. Genealogies is where you will find family trees submitted by patrons to Ancestral File and to Pedigree Resource File. These are fully computer-searchable.

3. Catalog is where you will search the Family History Library Catalog for microfilmed records that have not yet been digitized or indexed. If the microfilm has been digitized, there is a link (in red) to that particular data set. At present the majority of the FHL holdings are only available on microfilm film. Films rented at https://familysearch.org/films/ will be sent to the Family History Center of your choice for viewing.

4. Books allows you to read approximately 40,000 books placed online for researching families.

5. Family Tree is located on the upper menu. To use it you need to sign-in https://familysearch.org
This is where we can work together to build a family tree of humanity.
It is " described as "open-edit" and "source centeric", everyone can make changes and is expected to provide sources.
What can you find in Family Tree?
(a) It contains family trees and individual records submitted by patrons (so there is some overlap with Genealogies).
(b) It also contains the IGI (International Genealogical Index) submissions and extracted records (so there is some overlap with Records).
(c) LDS Church Membership Records for deceased individuals (useful to those researching LDS ancestors).
(d) Sources with links to original records (this is in the early stages but is building).
(e) Historical family photos (still in beta, but going public soon).
(f) Historical family stories (still in beta, but going public soon).
(g) Hidden records of millions of living people, hidden to protect their privacy.
(h) Visible records of living people you have added. (No one else can see these records. There is no way to share them with other patrons.)
(i) LDS patrons have access to a little additional information: visible records of their living parents, spouse, and children; and temple information.

So, where to search depends on what you are looking for.

Over the next few months we can expect many exciting developments: New data sets in Records, as more Indexing projects are completed; and in Family Tree, the public release of Photos and Stories, new charts, better interfaces with affiliate software programs, adjustments to the "look and feel", and so forth.

Hold onto your hats!

Fill-in, Save, and Email FGRs and Pedigree Charts

On the FHCNET Forum there has been some discussion of having charts that can be placed on a website, Facebook page, or blog. The idea is that relatives can download them, fill them in, save them, and email them to you so you can update information on their branch of the family. e.g. in preparation for a family reunion.
( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FHCNET )

I created a Family Group Record and a Pedigree Chart in Excel97 format. This is as close to a universal file format as I could find. Any office software created since 1997 can normally read these files.

If these would be any help to you, you have my permission to use them as you see fit.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/fillable_FGR.xls
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/fillable_pedigree_4_generations.xls

Here is a snip of the pedigree chart ...

Mac Genealogy Lesson

Mac Genealogy – Can Be the Best of Both Worlds

A good Mac genealogy software site: http://www.macgenealogy.org/Recently Updated Genealogy Software (as listed on the site above)

• Reunion 10.0.4 (Sep 2012)
• Family Tree Maker for Mac 2 21.2.5 (Sep 2012)
• ohmiGene 5.31.1 (Sep 2012)
• iFamily for Leopard 2.753 (Aug 2012)
• PAWriter Version 101 (Jul 6 2012)
• MacFamilyTree 6.2.14 (6 Jul 2012)
• Heredis for Mac 2.0 (Jun 2012)
• GEDitCOM II 1.7 Build 2 (14 March 2012)
• Family Bonds/Ties (German) (Jan 2012)
• GedScape (Jan 2012)
  

What are most popular? Probably Reunion and Family Tree Maker, where I live.

What will sync with new.familysearch.org and eventually familysearch.org/tree? At present the only choice is MacFamilyTree, although FamilyInsight will sync Family Tree Maker Mac with nFS/FT.

Is there free software? Yes!!! Personal Ancestry Writer II http://www.macgenealogy.org/paw2u/

Find the instructions and download link at http://www.lanopalera.net/Genealogy/AboutPAWriter.html

or at http://www.lanopalera.net click the link to PAWII on the left hand side of the page. The author describes it as what Mac PAF 2.3.1 might have become, if it had continued to be developed. (Mac PAF was Mac OS9-based software.) 

Macs and Windows

Macs can run Windows software, with help. e.g. BootCamp, Crossover, VMWare Fusion, Parallels

These will allow you to run Windows genealogy software in addition to Mac software, if you choose. 

FamilySearch Software?

Why is FamilySearch not developing Mac Software? Actually FamilySearch is moving away from developing software for any particular OS (operating system). Instead it is developing web sites that can be accessed from any computer that has an up-to-date browser. (Safari works fairly well, but Firefox or Chrome sometimes works better.) Being web-based means that the material can usually be accessed regardless whether you are using Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Unix, FreeBSD, BeOS or whatever OS you may prefer. 

Maintenance: Being web-based also means that we need to delete the temporary internet files frequently. And if a page fails to load correctly, make sure that the pop-up blocker is turned OFF. Then click the screen reload/refresh  icon to reload the page. On many computers pressing the F5 key will also refresh the page. 

[These are the notes I created for last week's class on Mac Genealogy. -  Bill Buchanan]

Printed Research Guides

From time to time we receive requests for the old printed research guides from FamilySearch. We realize that these may be outdated, but some patrons still ask for them. Some can still be found at http://lib.byu.edu/sites/familyhistory/alphabetical-list/  
Or you can browse there: https://www.familysearch.org > Books > Family History Books > Brigham Young University Harold B Lee Library > Unique Collentions - Family History > Alphabetical List

For more up-to-date resources, use the FamilySearch Wiki: https://www.familysearch.org > Learn > Wiki
The wiki articles are hypertext, they can be printed but not in the form of booklets.

If you are aware of resources that are missing from the wiki, you can add them. That way we all benefit!

Sourcing in the FamilySearch Family Tree

Firstly go to https://familysearch.org/ and click Sign In

This will take you to a form where you input your user name and password, and click the Sign In button.

Now you will return to the home page, but your name will be shown in where Sign In used to be, and there will be a new Family Tree menu beside the FamilySearch logo. Click it to view your family tree.

If your tree is not displayed, you may need to refresh the screen. If you have not yet been given access to the Family tree, click Help and search for the term: Family Tree access

Then open the document about access to the family tree, and click the internal link to get access.  

Now your tree will be displayed, with your children on your left and your ancestors on your right. You can browse your tree or click on Search to search for an individual. Click on the name, then View Person to view the information about that person. You can scroll down to see all of the information.

Scroll down to the Sources area.

To create a new source, click Create a New Source.

In our example, we will add a photograph of Thomas George Ing and his wife Martha Jane Forsbury.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/Thomas%26MarthaIng-LGB.jpg

We will include notes and the web address (URL) and save this source.

And now their marriage certificate:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/Thomas%20Ing-Martha%20Forsbury%20marriage.jpg

And of course, when we have added them to Thomas, who else will we add them to?

This is where the FamilySearch Source Box is handy. We do not need to re-create the source, we just need to click on Martha's name and scroll down to her Sources. Open the Source box and attach the sources to Martha. It takes less than a minute. Compare that with adding sources on other sites and in software you may have!

This is very cool! If you have linked to a photo or document, anyone viewing the person's Details page will be able to see the photo or document by clicking the link! Try it. Search for KXVY-4H6

When we find something when researching in FamilySearch, it only takes a click to add it to our Source Box. Then we go to the person's Details (View Person) page, scroll down to Sources , open the Source Box, and Attach the source. It only takes a minute or so.

When creating sources, popular sites for uploading photos and documents include Picasa and Flickr, and of course the Public folder of your own Dropbox account if you plan to maintain it over time.

 

Once you have attached a source to everyone it applies to, you can safely remove it from your Source Box. (But do not remove the image from the remote website.) The source will remain attached to the people you attached it to. This will help to keep your Source Box to a manageable size.

Online Training Video Problems

Online Training Video Problems

We have some excellent free training videos especially on the new FamilySearch Family Tree

but you may experience problems.  

These videos can be found at https://familysearch.org/ by clicking on Help, and then looking below the search form on the left-hand side of the screen. They can also be found at https://familysearch.org/serve / https://familysearch.org/consultant or https://familysearch.org/tree-training 

Some users are finding that some videos play without a hitch, but the videos in MP4 format are impossible to use. This document should help.

Problem:

I can't play many of the FamilySearch training videos available online

Symptoms:

The link doesn't work! It brings up an error message.

The sound is muddy/it sounds like it has an echo

The picture is too large or the wrong shape for my screen

Note:

The videos that cause problems are usually in MP4 movie format, and the computer is running Microsoft Windows. (MP4 is a common Apple movie format.) The video on sourcing in the Family Tree is a typical problem case. This video can be found in the Family Tree area of the Help Center.

Solutions:

Your computer may not have a suitable player installed. If this is the case, you can install a free player that supports MP4 movies. Popular choices include Apple Quicktime http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ and VLC media player http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

If the sound seems muffled or has an echo, you probably have the file open multiple times and the copies are playing out-of-sync with each other. In that case, close the extra players, and the sound should become crisp and clear.

If you can only see part of the picture, pressing Crtl+F may resize it to fit your screen.

Download the video:

In many cases, downloading the file will give you better control of how it looks and sounds. To download it, right-click on the link and select Save target as/Save link as, then choose a location for it. The Quicktime and VLC software have a variety of settings in the View or Video menu. In Quicktime, Ctrl+3 is the shortcut to resize the image to fit the screen.

Training:

These videos provide excellent training. If you plan to use them for a class, workshop, or other group setting, try them in advance to make sure everything is working. This is especially true if you are using an unfamiliar computer that may not have an MP4 movie player installed.