FamilySearch

Last updated

FamilySearch International
PredecessorGenealogical Society of Utah
FormationNovember 13, 1894;129 years ago (1894-11-13)
Founders
Founded at Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Type Nonprofit organization [1]
Purpose
Location
Area served
Worldwide
Services
  • Record digitization and preservation
  • digital record access
  • genealogical collaboration tools
  • genealogical training
President and CEO
Steve Rockwood [2]
Parent organization
 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Website familysearch.org

FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family History Department. [3] [4] The Family History Department was originally established in 1894, as the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU); it is the largest genealogy organization in the world. [5]

Contents

FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. Facilitating the performance of LDS ordinances for deceased relatives is another major aim of the organization. Although it requires user account registration, it offers free access to its resources and service online at FamilySearch.org. In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than 5,100 FamilySearch centers in 140 countries, including the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. [6] The Family Tree section allows user-generated content to be contributed to the genealogical database. As of March 2023, there are over 1.5 billion individuals in the tree and the historical records database contains over 5.7 billion digital images, including digitized books, digitized microfilm, and other digital records. [7] [8]

History

Genealogical Society of Utah

Logo of the Genealogical Society of Utah Genealogical Society of Utah logo.svg
Logo of the Genealogical Society of Utah

GSU, the predecessor of FamilySearch, was founded on 1 November 1894. Its purpose was to create a genealogical library to be used both by its members and other people, to share educational information about genealogy, and to gather genealogical records in order to perform religious ordinances for the dead. It was founded under the direction of LDS Church leaders, when the First Presidency appointed Franklin D. Richards as the first president. [9]

The society published the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine from 1910 to 1940. [10]

The GSU began microfilming records of genealogical importance in 1938. [11] In 1963, the microfilm collection was moved to the newly completed Granite Mountain Records Vault for long-term preservation.[ citation needed ]

In 1975, the GSU became the LDS Church's Genealogical Department, which later became the Family History Department. At that time, its head officer was renamed president from executive director, starting during Theodore M. Burton's term. [9] However, the title "President of the Genealogical Society of Utah" and other GSU titles were still used and bestowed upon department officers.

In 2000, the Church consolidated its Family History and Historical departments into the Family and Church History Department, and Richard E. Turley Jr. became managing director of the new department and president of the GSU. Later this decision was reversed and the Family History Department was separated from the Church History Department, becoming its own department. [12]

In 2008, the Vatican issued a statement calling the practice known as baptism for the dead "erroneous" and directing Catholic dioceses to keep parish records from Latter-day Saints performing genealogical research. [13]

Presidents of the Genealogical Society of Utah

NameTermNotes
Franklin D. Richards 1894–99 [9]
Anthon H. Lund 1900–21 [9]
Charles W. Penrose 1921–25 [9]
Anthony W. Ivins 1925–34 [9]
Joseph Fielding Smith 1934–61 [9]
Junius Jackson1961–62 [9]
N. Eldon Tanner 1963 [9]
Howard W. Hunter 1964–72 [9]
Theodore M. Burton 1972–78 [9]
J. Thomas Fyans 1978 [9]
Royden G. Derrick 1979–84 [9]
Richard G. Scott 1984–88 [9]
J. Richard Clarke 1988–93 [9]
Monte J. Brough1993–2000? [9]
Richard E. Turley Jr. 2000?–08 [14]

FamilySearch

FamilySearch logo used 2006-2013 FamilySearch logo.svg
FamilySearch logo used 2006–2013

In 1998, the GSU began digital imaging of records and in about August 1998 the decision was made by LDS Church leaders to build a genealogical website. In May 1999, the website first opened to the public as FamilySearch. [15] The beta version, released April 1, almost immediately went offline, overloaded because of high popularity. [4] Only a few days after the official launch, the website had received an estimated 100 million hits. To handle the load, site visitors were only given access to the site for 15 minutes at a time. [16] In November 1999, 240 million names were added, bringing the total number of entries to 640 million. [17]

In 2009, the LDS Church launched a collaborative tree known as "New FamilySearch". It was the precursor to the current "FamilySearch Family Tree", and was only available to church members. [18] The system was an attempt to combine multiple genealogical submissions to FamilySearch's databases into one single tree, but it did not allow users to edit information that they had not submitted. It also was difficult to add sources to individuals in the tree or determine what was the correct information among multiple submissions. By April 2011, plans were in place to redesign the database into a more collaborative platform. [19]

In 2011, the FamilySearch website received a major redesign. The previous site had allowed users to only search one database at a time, but the new version allowed sitewide searches of multiple databases. It also included the addition of more databases as well as some digitized and indexed microfilms. [20]

On 16 November 2012, it was announced that the new Family Tree database would be available to all users of New FamilySearch, and that the New FamilySearch database would eventually be phased out. [21] On 5 March 2013, it was announced that Family Tree would now be available to everyone, whether or not they were members of the LDS Church. [22] [23] On 16 April 2013 FamilySearch completely revamped the site design generally, with new features and a changed color scheme. Some of the new features include an interactive fan chart and some printing capabilities, as well as the ability to add photos to Family Tree. [24]

In February 2014, FamilySearch announced partnerships with Ancestry.com, findmypast and MyHeritage, which includes sharing massive amounts of their databases with those companies, and members of the LDS Church receiving free subscriptions with these companies. They also have a standing relationship with BillionGraves, in which the photographed and indexed images of graves are both searchable on FamilySearch and are linked to individuals in the family tree. [25] [26] At the end of 2015, FamilyTree had 1.1 billion persons added by 2.47 million contributors. [27]

In August 2017, FamilySearch discontinued distribution of physical microfilm to its family history centers due to large-scale availability of digital images of those films and planned digitization of remaining films. [28] In May 2018, FamilySearch added and digitized its 2 billionth record. [8] In September 2020, FamilySearch announced that it now includes 8 billion names, 3.2 billion digital images, and 490,000 digital books, with over 1 million new records each day. 7 billion names from almost every country were added within the last 10 years. [29]

Activities

RootsTech

Since 2011, FamilySearch International has organized an annual family history and technology conference called RootsTech. It is held annually in the Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference is attended by genealogists, technology developers, and members of the LDS Church. In 2014 there were nearly 13,000 people in attendance. As of 2020, it is the world's largest family history and technology conference in the world. [30] It is the successor to three former conferences: the Conference on Computerized Family History and Genealogy, the Family History Technology Workshop [31] and the FamilySearch Developers Conference. [32]

Website

Historical Records

The main service of the FamilySearch website is to offer access to digital images and indexes of genealogical records. These images can be searched along with a number of databases. While access to the records is always free, some records have restricted access, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center, an Affiliate Library or by LDS members. [33] [34] FamilySearch.org also contains the catalog of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions, including over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche; 490,000 books, serials, and other formats; and 4,500 periodicals. [35]

FamilySearch Family Tree

FamilySearch FamilyTree (FSFT) is a "one world tree," or a unified database that aims to contain one entry for each person recorded in genealogical records. All FamilySearch users are able to add persons, link them to existing persons or merge duplicates. Sources, images, and audio files can also be attached to persons in the tree. [36]

There are also several features specific to the membership of the LDS Church, facilitating temple ordinance work. In keeping with an agreement with Jewish groups and to prevent abuse, performing LDS ordinances for Holocaust victims or celebrities results in account suspension until the researcher proves a legitimate family connection to the subject of their search. [37] FamilySearch allows users to input same-sex marriages or other unions. [38]

Indexing projects

Searchable indexes of the records on FamilySearch are created by volunteers of the FamilySearch Indexing program. To ensure greater accuracy, each batch of records is indexed by an indexer and is then checked by a more experienced indexer. Indexing volunteers need not be members of the LDS Church. FamilySearch is currently working with genealogical societies all around the world to index local projects.

At the end of 2010, 548 million vital records had been transcribed and made publicly available through the FamilySearch website. [39] In April 2013, FamilySearch Indexing completed their goal to offer 1 billion indexed records online. [40]

Education

FamilySearch offers free lessons on FamilySearch.org to help people learn how to find their ancestors. The topics range from basic research to training on specific record types and are designed for both beginners and experienced researchers. Most of the classes come from research consultants in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, but FamilySearch is also collaborating with partners such as the Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, Missouri, to record and post classes.

In 2007, it was decided to start a Family History Research Wiki to help FamilySearch users and others researching genealogy and family history to find and share information on data sources and research tips. The first version of the wiki was built on the Plone wiki software product, but it was soon discovered that MediaWiki software was much more suitable, so in January 2008 it was moved to the MediaWiki platform. In the intervening years it was rolled out in other languages, and as of July 2014 it was available in 11 languages. [41] The other language wikis are found via links at the bottom of the wiki homepage. The wiki in English had over 79,500 articles and over 150,000 registered users as of July 2014. [42]

Facilities

FamilySearch Library

FamilySearch operates the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library was built in 1985 as a successor to previous libraries run by the Genealogical Society of Utah. The library is open to the public and has a large collection of international genealogical materials, including microfilm, books, and digital materials. The library's catalog and many of their digital materials are located at the FamilySearch website.

Granite Mountain Records Vault

FamilySearch stores copies of their records in a dry, environment-controlled facility built into Granite Mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Salt Lake City, Utah. The storage facility is known as the Granite Mountain Records Vault. The vault stores over 2.4 million rolls of microfilm and 1 million microfiches.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch operates over 5,100 FamilySearch Centers in 140 countries around the world. The centers are branches of the FamilySearch Library, often located within LDS Church buildings. Their purpose is to help people with their genealogy and provide access to and help with genealogical materials and software provided by FamilySearch.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genealogy</span> Study of individual descent and bloodline

Genealogy is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives. The field of family history is broader than genealogy, and covers not just lineage but also family and community history and biography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FamilySearch Library</span> Genealogical library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The FamilySearch Library (FSL), formerly the Family History Library, is a genealogical research facility in downtown Salt Lake City. The library is open to the public free of charge and is operated by FamilySearch, the genealogical arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is a database of genealogical records, compiled from several sources, and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Originally created in 1969, the index was intended to help track the performance of temple ordinances for the deceased.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Square</span> United States historic place

Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah.

Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites.

Granite Mountain is a mass of solid rock one mile up Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of Utah, not too far from Salt Lake City, Utah. Despite its name, Granite Mountain is primarily composed of quartz monzonite, an igneous rock similar to granite in appearance, physical characteristics, and chemical composition. This is the same material used to construct the Salt Lake Temple and the facade of the LDS Conference Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FamilySearch Center</span> Genealogical centers operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

FamilySearch Centers (FSC), formerly Family History Centers (FHC), are branches of the FamilySearch Library (FSL) in Salt Lake City, Utah, operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The centers supply resources for research and study of genealogy and family history. As of 2024, there are more than 6,316 FSC in 149 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BYU Family History Library</span>

The BYU Family History Library (FHL) is located in the Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It is one of the Family History Centers devoted to assisting library patrons in genealogical research. It began as a small section of the BYU library in 1962, and later expanded into a branch of the Family History Library, the genealogical library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1964. It was formerly known as the Utah Valley Regional Family History Center. The BYU FHL houses a large collection of physical materials, such as microfilms, photographs, books, and other documents. It also offers access to digital materials, including genealogical databases and digitized newspapers. Scanners, computers, and printers are also available. The BYU FHL assists patrons online through its website, YouTube channel, and hosted webinars. It also offers classes in a variety of areas related to genealogy.

Archibald Fowler Bennett was a longtime employee of the Genealogical Society of Utah who was such a figure in the promotion of family history research in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that he became known as "Mr. Genealogy".

MyHeritage is an online genealogy platform with web, mobile, and software products and services, introduced by the Israeli company MyHeritage in 2003. Users of the platform can obtain their family trees, upload and browse through photos, and search through over 19.9 billion historical records, among other features.

FamilySearch Indexing is a volunteer project established and run by FamilySearch, a genealogy organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The project aims to create searchable digital indexes of scanned images of historical documents that are relevant to genealogy. The documents include census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, military and property records, and other vital records maintained by local, state, and national governments. However, to access the billions of names that appear on these images, indexes are needed to be able to search them efficiently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church History Library</span> Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The Church History Library (CHL) is a research center and archives building housing materials chronicling the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The library is owned by the Church and opened in 2009 in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

Richard Eyring "Rick" Turley Jr. is an American historian and genealogist. He previously served as both an Assistant Church Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as managing director of the church's public affairs department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WeRelate</span>

WeRelate.org is an American wiki genealogy website that provides genealogy tools and data. WeRelate is a non-profit and is funded by tax-deductible donations and is managed by unpaid volunteers. WeRelate had over 2 million person pages by March 2011 and claimed to be the "world's largest genealogy wiki".

GenealogyBank.com is an online subscription genealogical service that provides access to records useful in family history research. GenealogyBank is one of the largest collections of digitized U.S. newspapers, dating back to 1690. In addition to digital newspaper archives, GenealogyBank also offers other online genealogy resources including the Social Security Death Index, obituaries, government publications, and historical books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family History Research Wiki</span> Genealogy wiki

The Family History Research Wiki provides reference information and educational articles to help genealogists find and interpret records of their ancestors. It is a free-access, free-content, online encyclopedia on a wiki, hosted as part of the FamilySearch site. It is sponsored by FamilySearch, a non-profit organization and genealogical branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anyone may read any of the articles, and almost all articles can be edited by registered users (contributors); registration is free.

James William Grant FRSE FRAS, 3rd Laird of Wester Elchies (1788–1865) was a Scottish astronomer and landowner. On 23 July 1844 he was the first person to observe and record the existence of the star Antares B.

Philanthropies, formerly LDS Philanthropies, is a department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is responsible for facilitating donations to humanitarian and educational initiatives. The department works under the direction of the church's Presiding Bishop. The most widely known educational projects are the operation of church-owned schools, such as Brigham Young University (BYU). Humanitarian funds are given to Latter-day Saint Charities which sponsors and organizes relief efforts. In 2019, the church reported over 3,000 community-based projects with an excess of 2,000 partners, in locations around the world. A 2020 statistic reported a total of $2.3 billion that had been donated over Philanthropies' existence.

Geneanet is a genealogy website with 4 million members. The database consists of data added by participants and is intended for all genealogists. The website is collaborative and the data added by the members are available for free to any interested people. An optional annual subscription provides additional search options and additional records.

References

  1. ↑ "About FamilySearch". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  2. ↑ Nauta, Paul G. (July 1, 2015). "FamilySearch International Appoints Steve Rockwood as President and CEO to Replace Dennis Brimhall Who Retired". FamilySearch Blog. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ "World's Largest Family History Event Held in Utah". RootsTech. February 2, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2019. Stephen T. Rockwood is the managing director for the Family History Department of the LDS Church and president and CEO of FamilySearch International, representing the close connection of the two organizations.
  4. 1 2 Davis, Erik (July 1, 1999). "Databases of the Dead". Wired. Retrieved August 3, 2019. The article refers to the "Family History Department" of the LDS church as the entity behind the creation of the original FamilySearch website.
  5. ↑ Noyce, David (August 3, 2017). "Mormon genealogy library unveils a fun new way to discover your roots". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Find a Family History Center and FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  7. ↑ "FamilySearch Company Facts" . Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "FamilySearch Adds 2 Billionth Image of Genealogy Records". FamilySearch News Releases. April 23, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Allen, James B.; Embry, Jessie L.; Mehr, Kahlile B. (1995), Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994, Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, Brigham Young University
  10. ↑ Meyerink, Kory Leland (1998). Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records . Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, Inc. p.  710. ISBN   9780916489700.
  11. ↑ Pugmire, Genelle. "LDS Church celebrates 120th anniversary of Genealogical Society, now FamilySearch". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  12. ↑ T, Justin. "Breaking News: Changes in Family and Church History Department Organization". Juvenile Instructor Blog. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ Muth, Chad (May 2, 2008). "Vatican letter directs bishops to keep parish records from Mormons". Catholic News Service. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Biography - Richard E. Turley Jr.", Church Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 12, 2008, retrieved November 20, 2008
  15. ↑ "Sowing Seeds for Family Trees". Wired . May 24, 1999. Retrieved August 3, 2019.{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  16. ↑ Toone, Trent (March 28, 2017). "How technology revolutionized family history work in recent decades". Deseret News. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  17. ↑ "640 Million Names Added to Familysearch Site". Ancestry Magazine . Ancestry Inc.: 9 January–February 2000.
  18. ↑ "Updated FamilySearch.org to Bring New Features Under One Roof". Church News. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. July 16, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2019. New.familysearch.org, which replaced TempleReady last year and includes the Family Tree feature, will be integrated into the updated site.
  19. ↑ "The Case for moving to "Our Tree" : A FamilySearch White Paper" (PDF). FamilySearch International. April 2011.
  20. ↑ Crume, Rick (June 9, 2011). "Inside the New FamilySearch.org". Family Tree Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ Green, David (November 16, 2012). "Family Tree Now Available To new.familysearch.org Users". FamilySearch Blog. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  22. ↑ Wright, Matt (April 12, 2013). "Family Tree is Available to All Users". FamilySearch Blog.
  23. ↑ Lloyd, R. Scott (March 11, 2013). "FamilyTree: New FamilySearch Service Promotes Collaboration". Church News. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  24. ↑ "FamilySearch launches redesigned website". KSL News. April 18, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  25. ↑ Brimhall, Dennis (February 26, 2014). "FamilySearch Partnerships: Some Questions and Answers". FamilySearch Blog. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  26. ↑ "MyHeritage Partners With FamilySearch To Add Billions Of Historical Records To Its Genealogy Database". Tech Crunch. October 15, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  27. ↑ Sagers, Diane (December 29, 2015). "2015 Year in Review: FamilySearch Grows as World's Foremost Family History Resource". FamilySearch Blog.
  28. ↑ FamilySearch (May 30, 2017). "Microfilm Distribution to Be Discontinued on August 31, 2017". FamilySearch Blog. Retrieved August 3, 2019. Improving search results and indexing additional records is on-going work, as is improving international resources for those living in countries outside of the United States.
  29. ↑ "FamilySearch Hits 8 Billion Searchable Names in Historical Records". FamilySearch News Releases. September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  30. ↑ Toone, Trent (November 12, 2020). "Trent Toone/4 keynote speakers announced for RootsTech's first virtual conference". Deseret News. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Family History Technology Workshop". Brigham Young University.
  32. ↑ "Conferences and Workshops". ce.byu.edu. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  33. ↑ "What are the image restrictions in Historical Records?". FamilySearch Help. Retrieved August 3, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  34. ↑ Tanner, James (August 27, 2017). "Restricted Records on FamilySearch.org". Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: Genealogy from the perspective of a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  35. ↑ "About the Family History Library". FamilySearch.org. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  36. ↑ Morton, Sunny (February 15, 2019). "The World's Largest Shared Family Tree". FamilySearch Blog. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  37. ↑ Jensen, Derek P. (March 7, 2012), "Mormon church blocks whistle-blower's access to baptism data", The Salt Lake Tribune , archived from the original on October 21, 2013
  38. ↑ "FamilySearch completes project to allow same-sex family trees". Deseret News . Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  39. ↑ "FamilySearch Volunteers Have Indexed Over 500 Million Records". FamilySearch Blog. February 1, 2011.
  40. ↑ Connolly, Courtney (April 22, 2013). "Thanks A Billion". FamilySearch Blog.
  41. ↑ "FamilySearch Wiki:Non-English versions of the wiki". FamilySearch Research Wiki. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Statistics". FamilySearch Research Wiki. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
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