As genealogy increases in popularity, the FamilySearch organization is offering a growing collection of free online classes to help people with their family history.
FamilySearch.org currently offers 140 classes, with more being added every month. Course material ranges from beginning to expert skill level.
“The goal of the initiative is to educate more people worldwide about how to find their ancestors,” said Candace Turpin, FamilySearch instructional designer.
Classes include 30-minute filmed sessions—many of which are taught by experts at the world-famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA—and electronic handouts.
Browse FamilySearch's online classes.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Report from RootsTech: Elder Scott
Check this link out for an overview of what the Prophets and Apostles have said about family history work, including Elder Scott's recent remarks at the RootsTech confernce in Salt Lake City, Feb. 12.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Watch FH Devotional Online
We have previously announced that Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will be presenting a devotional address to all of the family history consultants in attendance at the RootsTech conference. We are now pleased to announce that anyone with Internet access will be able to see a live video stream of his devotional address.
The devotional will take place on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon MST. Those wishing to attend in person must register (click here); those wanting to view the devotional over the Internet can go at 11:00 a.m. MST to rootstech.org and then click on the link under the headline
“FREE Live Presentations Online”
The format of the devotional will include time for Elder Scott to answer some questions from the audience. We would encourage you to e-mail your questions ahead of time to branchout@familysearch.org. Those who plan to view the program on the Internet can also e-mail in their questions.
The devotional will take place on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon MST. Those wishing to attend in person must register (click here); those wanting to view the devotional over the Internet can go at 11:00 a.m. MST to rootstech.org and then click on the link under the headline
“FREE Live Presentations Online”
The format of the devotional will include time for Elder Scott to answer some questions from the audience. We would encourage you to e-mail your questions ahead of time to branchout@familysearch.org. Those who plan to view the program on the Internet can also e-mail in their questions.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
RootsTech coming to SLC
Brigham Young University is pleased to participate with FamilySearch in redesigning the Conference on Computerized Family History, the Technology Workshop and the FamilySearch Developers Conference, under the same umbrella. This will create a new and unique national forum for genealogists, software developers, and researchers to move genealogy forward.
Themes for the conference include: using social networking to collaborate as families and societies, data backup and digital preservation, using multimedia, records and media digitization, how to use cloud computing to deploy reliable, scalable systems, handwriting recognition and automated transcription, mobile computing devices and applications, GPS mapping, and much more.
Technologists and genealogists from around the world will gather at the first annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 10-12, 2011. The new conference, hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by leading genealogical organizations, aims to bring technologists and genealogists together to help deepen understanding of current technologies and discover new ideas in applying technology to genealogy. Learn more at rootstech.familysearch.org.
�When the users and creators of technology come together, innovation occurs,� said Jay Verkler, president and CEO of FamilySearch. �The RootsTech Conference will accelerate that innovation through panels, discussion groups, and interactive demonstrations.�
Josh Taylor, Director of Education and Programs for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, says the time is right for such a conference. �The collection of technologies present at the last National Genealogical Society Conference in Salt Lake City was so impressive that we see a need and opportunity for a strong annual technology genealogy conference to pursue solutions for the unique challenges facing genealogists,� Taylor said.
The RootsTech Conference is designed to foster innovation by bringing technology users and creators together in a meaningful way. Thousands of genealogists who use technology in pursuit of one of the most popular hobbies in the world will discover how new and emerging technologies can improve and simplify their activities. Genealogists will be treated to technology prototype demonstrations, interactive workshops, and opportunities to test innovative new product and service concepts. Technology providers will get the opportunity to demonstrate product concepts face-to-face to their customer�the family history enthusiast�and better understand their needs.
�Technology is driving a revolution in family history,� said Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com. �We�re excited to participate in the RootsTech Conference, and we see it as a great chance to explore with genealogists how technology can help them even more in the future.� The RootsTech 2011 conference will be hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by Ancestry.com, New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), Brigham Young University, Microsoft, Dell and other leaders in the genealogy community.
Themes for the conference include: using social networking to collaborate as families and societies, data backup and digital preservation, using multimedia, records and media digitization, how to use cloud computing to deploy reliable, scalable systems, handwriting recognition and automated transcription, mobile computing devices and applications, GPS mapping, and much more.
Technologists and genealogists from around the world will gather at the first annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 10-12, 2011. The new conference, hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by leading genealogical organizations, aims to bring technologists and genealogists together to help deepen understanding of current technologies and discover new ideas in applying technology to genealogy. Learn more at rootstech.familysearch.org.
�When the users and creators of technology come together, innovation occurs,� said Jay Verkler, president and CEO of FamilySearch. �The RootsTech Conference will accelerate that innovation through panels, discussion groups, and interactive demonstrations.�
Josh Taylor, Director of Education and Programs for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, says the time is right for such a conference. �The collection of technologies present at the last National Genealogical Society Conference in Salt Lake City was so impressive that we see a need and opportunity for a strong annual technology genealogy conference to pursue solutions for the unique challenges facing genealogists,� Taylor said.
The RootsTech Conference is designed to foster innovation by bringing technology users and creators together in a meaningful way. Thousands of genealogists who use technology in pursuit of one of the most popular hobbies in the world will discover how new and emerging technologies can improve and simplify their activities. Genealogists will be treated to technology prototype demonstrations, interactive workshops, and opportunities to test innovative new product and service concepts. Technology providers will get the opportunity to demonstrate product concepts face-to-face to their customer�the family history enthusiast�and better understand their needs.
�Technology is driving a revolution in family history,� said Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com. �We�re excited to participate in the RootsTech Conference, and we see it as a great chance to explore with genealogists how technology can help them even more in the future.� The RootsTech 2011 conference will be hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by Ancestry.com, New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), Brigham Young University, Microsoft, Dell and other leaders in the genealogy community.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
What's Your Story?
A new television series that captures the fascinating processes of teaching, learning, and mastering storytelling. Join master storyteller Donald Davis on his annual retreat where he trains 14 student storytellers in the art of storytelling in five episodes.
Watch as Davis guides these aspiring storytellers through a natural discovery of their stories by taking them on a series of “memory tours” of the places, people, and problems they have experienced. You’ll learn how stories build bridges, create identities, and enrich our relationships and our lives. You’ll also see how storytelling will enrich your home as your own family will laugh together, come to a new, shared understanding, and find enduring meaning in your relationships.
Watch episode one, "We All Have a Story: The Process."
Watch episode two, "Back Home: Place."
Watch episode three, "In The Worldbook Encyclopedia: People."
Watch episode four, "The Heart Of Story: Problems."
Watch episdoe five, "Putting It All Together: The Secret Ingredient."
Watch as Davis guides these aspiring storytellers through a natural discovery of their stories by taking them on a series of “memory tours” of the places, people, and problems they have experienced. You’ll learn how stories build bridges, create identities, and enrich our relationships and our lives. You’ll also see how storytelling will enrich your home as your own family will laugh together, come to a new, shared understanding, and find enduring meaning in your relationships.
Watch episode one, "We All Have a Story: The Process."
Watch episode two, "Back Home: Place."
Watch episode three, "In The Worldbook Encyclopedia: People."
Watch episode four, "The Heart Of Story: Problems."
Watch episdoe five, "Putting It All Together: The Secret Ingredient."
Thursday, January 13, 2011
FamilySearch news you can use
January 10, 2010
Information and tips
FamilySearch Website Updated
For most of 2010 many of you were involved in testing the beta.familysearch.org website. As 2010 came to a close that beta site became the familysearch.org website. Change is not always easy, and, as consultants, one of our jobs is to assist others through these changes. Here are a few items that may help you help others:
· As records were added to the site through digitizing and indexing microfilms, the older site technology became inadequate. Therefore changes were necessary—not just because FamilySearch wanted to make the site prettier, but because without them FamilySearch would be limited in the amount of searchable records the site could handle.
· There is a link on the bottom right of the familysearch.org home page that takes you to the old site. This link will eventually go away, but it will be available until all of the functionality of the old site has been transferred to the new site.
· There are more changes to come to the site, just as there is more data to come and much more data to digitize and index. Please do all you can to help others learn and embrace the changes. Having access to this new data and technology will allow us to do more temple work for our ancestors and bless countless lives.
· When you give feedback or make suggestions, make sure that what you say is sufficient for us to take action. Just saying that you do not like something is not very helpful. If you can say why you don’t like it, give an example of how it doesn’t work, suggest how it could be better, or, if reporting a bug, tell us what steps to take to replicate the bug, you are providing useful feedback.
FamilySearch Accounts for the General Public
The new.familysearch.org website will, sometime in the future, become integrated into the familysearch.org website and become the “Family Tree” menu option. The new.familysearch.org website will then go away. Since the general public has access to familysearch.org, there needs to be a way to distinguish between members of the LDS Church and those who are not LDS Church members. Therefore FamilySearch accounts were created. Anyone who is not a member of the LDS Church can register for and get a FamilySearch account. Members of the LDS Church can register for and get an LDS Account. Familysearch.org accepts both LDS Accounts and FamilySearch accounts. Consultants need to know the difference in the two types of accounts and be able to help members and the general public register for the appropriate accounts. Clicking the Create a New Account link on the familysearch.org website will allow anyone to register and choose either an LDS Account or a FamilySearch account. Once Family Tree is moved to familysearch.org, only those with LDS Accounts will be able to see information about temple ordinances.
Helping Youth Register
You may have opportunities to assist young people to register for an account. Please be aware that anyone under the age of 18 is required by law to have parental permission to register for their own account. This is in compliance with the Internet Privacy law. Consultants should not check the parental consent box when registering a youth for an account; only parents or legal guardians should do that. To do otherwise would be illegal and expose the consultant to liability.
News for New.FamilySearch.org Trainers
It is never appropriate to enter fictitious data into new.familysearch.org, even for training purposes. For those who train others on how to use new.familysearch.org (the Family Tree) there is a special website designed for you to use at training.familysearch.org. Here you can enter test data, demonstrate how to use the data, and then revert back to your original data. This allows teachers to set up special teaching scenarios that they can then reset for the next class. It is very important that the live production website, new.familysearch.org, never be used for test cases or have fictitious data entered into it. If you ever see anyone entering fictitious data into the live website, please inform them about the training site. Certain products from companies other than FamilySearch do not work on the training website. Please contact the vendor of the product to see if a solution is available.
First Polish Indexing Project Now Available
With the addition of its first Polish project, FamilySearch indexing now has projects available in 11 languages. If you would like to help index Polska—Ksiegi Metrykaine—Diecezja Lublin, 1902–1945, please contact FamilySearch or e-mail kontakt@piotrreszka.pl to learn more.
New Records Added to FamilySearch Website
The updated FamilySearch website has some new records to search. Nearly three million new digital images were posted this week, helping family historians researching their ancestors in Canada, Spain, Venezuela, and the United States. The U.S. Social Security Death Index is also a new addition to the site, with over 7 million indexed records. You can search all of these records and more at FamilySearch.org.
We hope this information has been helpful to you, and we appreciate all that you do to help move family history forward.
FamilySearch
Information and tips
FamilySearch Website Updated
For most of 2010 many of you were involved in testing the beta.familysearch.org website. As 2010 came to a close that beta site became the familysearch.org website. Change is not always easy, and, as consultants, one of our jobs is to assist others through these changes. Here are a few items that may help you help others:
· As records were added to the site through digitizing and indexing microfilms, the older site technology became inadequate. Therefore changes were necessary—not just because FamilySearch wanted to make the site prettier, but because without them FamilySearch would be limited in the amount of searchable records the site could handle.
· There is a link on the bottom right of the familysearch.org home page that takes you to the old site. This link will eventually go away, but it will be available until all of the functionality of the old site has been transferred to the new site.
· There are more changes to come to the site, just as there is more data to come and much more data to digitize and index. Please do all you can to help others learn and embrace the changes. Having access to this new data and technology will allow us to do more temple work for our ancestors and bless countless lives.
· When you give feedback or make suggestions, make sure that what you say is sufficient for us to take action. Just saying that you do not like something is not very helpful. If you can say why you don’t like it, give an example of how it doesn’t work, suggest how it could be better, or, if reporting a bug, tell us what steps to take to replicate the bug, you are providing useful feedback.
FamilySearch Accounts for the General Public
The new.familysearch.org website will, sometime in the future, become integrated into the familysearch.org website and become the “Family Tree” menu option. The new.familysearch.org website will then go away. Since the general public has access to familysearch.org, there needs to be a way to distinguish between members of the LDS Church and those who are not LDS Church members. Therefore FamilySearch accounts were created. Anyone who is not a member of the LDS Church can register for and get a FamilySearch account. Members of the LDS Church can register for and get an LDS Account. Familysearch.org accepts both LDS Accounts and FamilySearch accounts. Consultants need to know the difference in the two types of accounts and be able to help members and the general public register for the appropriate accounts. Clicking the Create a New Account link on the familysearch.org website will allow anyone to register and choose either an LDS Account or a FamilySearch account. Once Family Tree is moved to familysearch.org, only those with LDS Accounts will be able to see information about temple ordinances.
Helping Youth Register
You may have opportunities to assist young people to register for an account. Please be aware that anyone under the age of 18 is required by law to have parental permission to register for their own account. This is in compliance with the Internet Privacy law. Consultants should not check the parental consent box when registering a youth for an account; only parents or legal guardians should do that. To do otherwise would be illegal and expose the consultant to liability.
News for New.FamilySearch.org Trainers
It is never appropriate to enter fictitious data into new.familysearch.org, even for training purposes. For those who train others on how to use new.familysearch.org (the Family Tree) there is a special website designed for you to use at training.familysearch.org. Here you can enter test data, demonstrate how to use the data, and then revert back to your original data. This allows teachers to set up special teaching scenarios that they can then reset for the next class. It is very important that the live production website, new.familysearch.org, never be used for test cases or have fictitious data entered into it. If you ever see anyone entering fictitious data into the live website, please inform them about the training site. Certain products from companies other than FamilySearch do not work on the training website. Please contact the vendor of the product to see if a solution is available.
First Polish Indexing Project Now Available
With the addition of its first Polish project, FamilySearch indexing now has projects available in 11 languages. If you would like to help index Polska—Ksiegi Metrykaine—Diecezja Lublin, 1902–1945, please contact FamilySearch or e-mail kontakt@piotrreszka.pl to learn more.
New Records Added to FamilySearch Website
The updated FamilySearch website has some new records to search. Nearly three million new digital images were posted this week, helping family historians researching their ancestors in Canada, Spain, Venezuela, and the United States. The U.S. Social Security Death Index is also a new addition to the site, with over 7 million indexed records. You can search all of these records and more at FamilySearch.org.
We hope this information has been helpful to you, and we appreciate all that you do to help move family history forward.
FamilySearch
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