Family History Tips: Part 21

Exploring the Wide Range of Genealogical Sources Beyond Ancestry: FamilySearch 

by Brenna Corbit, Technical Services Librarian

For the past year, I have addressed many strategies of getting more out of your database searches, using Ancestry.com as a prime example. But Ancestry.com is not the end-all be-all of genealogical research. They would certainly want you to believe that, but the Internet is host to thousands of other sources. I would like to kick off this portion of these instructions with an introduction to the Mormon Church’s family history website. 

Next to the behemoth Ancestry, I would venture to say the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints’ FamilySearch.org is the second largest genealogical resource online. The site is free, but free registration opens up more of the site’s potential. 

The belief of the religion is to research your ancestors and baptize them by proxy into the church, but registration with the site does not mean you will be asked to become a member. Because of the church’s tenets, they have been going throughout the world microfilming various records and in the process digitizing them in order for its members to conduct their research. 

Home page of familysearch.org

Contrary to some beliefs, the church has not amassed all the genealogical sources of the planet, but their collection is most impressive. Searches can be narrowed down to a country with the interactive map. Like Ancestry, there are many search filters and you can use wild cards. To refresh your memory, an asterisk * represents any number of letter combinations and a question mark ? represents only one letter: e.g. a wildcard search for Mierzejewski would be m*r*sk? 

Besides the indexed searches, some of the collection consists of digital images from the church’s vast microfilm collection, but they are unindexed and require manual searches. Much of the un-digitized microfilm is available for viewing but must be ordered through the site’s catalog. 

Films will be sent to a Family History Center in your area. Ours is located on 3344 Reading Crest Avenue in Muhlenberg Township. The service is free, but there is a small shipping fee. The church’s goal is to digitize and index as much as possible. 

You can build your family tree with its free GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) software, of which you can attach your records you have researched. Also, remember that GEDCOM files are interchangeable with other genealogical family tree software based on this data exchange one of which is Ancestry. Other site bonuses are its many tutorials, which I highly recommend, and an emailed newsletter chock full of information and announcements. 

Although Ancestry’s database collection keeps growing, it is simply adding much of what is available elsewhere online, including much from FamilySearch. The advantage to going directly to the other sites is that what Ancestry cannot find in, say, the 1930 U. S. Census, may be found with an index search on another. 

Until next time, I encourage you to explore the many other resources of this free genealogical giant. If you need help navigating, registering or ordering microfilm, you know where to find me and Mary Ellen Heckman.