FamilySearch International announced the launch of a new page for its Family History Library located in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It will provide new online patron experiences and up-to-date information on the library’s services and activities.

The new webpage enables guests to better access existing site services, such as visitor information, collections and hours of operations, and introduces many new and expanded services. For example, patrons worldwide can now schedule 20-minute appointments for free personal research consultations with the library’s genealogy experts in multiple languages, accommodating varying time zones worldwide. Personal consultations are conducted live online and are currently offered in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and English. More languages will be added. And book look-up services will be coming soon.

The webpage is available in German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Chinese. Japanese and Italian languages will be added soon.

Although the library itself is currently closed due to a global pandemic, it is now able to create more of its signature personalized discovery experiences online for patrons worldwide.

In the new online learning center, hundreds of the library’s previously recorded how-to webinars are now available on-demand, along with other help tips and instructions based on your research needs.

The library has more than 340,000 genealogically unique books, 1.3 million microfilms, 190,000 microfiche, and a collection of 18,460 maps from around the world. While the goal is to make all library materials available to people throughout the world, some items and digital materials are contractually restricted and available only at the Family History Library.

To read more about the services that will be available when the library reopens after the pandemic see:

https://media.familysearch.org/familysearch-family-history-library-launches-new-webpage/

FamilySearch owns and operated over 5,000 satellite branches of the Family History Library in 141 countries (https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations). Additionally, it has over 1,100 affiliate libraries

Jan Meisels Allen

Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee