SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - Log onto www.familysearch.org and you will find a newly redesigned site that's easier to use and offers assistance from expert genealogists. Just a year and a half after its successful launch, the FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service now offers a Research Guidance tool that's particularly helpful for novice family history enthusiasts.

Click on the "Search" tab, then "Research Guidance" and a virtual genealogist introduces herself, "My job is to help you find records that may contain information about your ancestors." A customized tour follows as the virtual genealogist walks the user through the research process and points to key resources and information available in the Family History Library along the way.

"It's like having an expert genealogist at your side," said Becky Kemp, Product Manager for FamilySearch Internet. "FamilySearch has always provided a wealth of information but with the virtual research assistant, novice genealogists can now learn how to use it and how to find it."

Research guidance is also valuable for experts who specialize in a particular locality but need help in an area outside of their expertise. The new tool is expected to acquaint genealogists with the Family History Library in an entirely new way.

Paul Nauta, Director of Planning and Communications for the Family and Church History Department, hopes Research Guidance will encourage more people to search their family roots.

Some people shy away from or postpone doing their genealogy because it can be difficult and time consuming. Research Guidance makes it easier by giving users a successful place to start and staying with them through the process."

Another new feature of the completely redesigned website is the Family History Library section which provides facts about the Family History Library in Salt Lake City including services, hours, descriptions of the collection, tips for preparing for a visit to the Library, frequently asked questions and contact information.

The updated website also allows for future growth, accommodates translation into other languages and makes features more visible. Visitors now have access to news releases and available products as well as information about educational opportunities in family history research.

The Family and Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to producing high-quality products for the family historian. It maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources. To promote local and family history research, the Church also maintains the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and over 3,400 Family History Centers in 64 countries.