Some of the sources described in this outline list the Family History Library’s book, microfilm, microfiche, compact disc, and computer numbers. These are preceded by FHL, the abbreviation for Family History Library
. These numbers may be used to locate materials in the Family History Library and to order microfilm and microfiche at Family History Centers.
You can use the computer number
if you have access to the Family History Library Catalog on computer. The Computer Number Search is the fastest way to find a source in the catalog.
The computer Internet is growing in importance to genealogists. Sources found on the Internet are cited in this outline with their Universal Resource Locator (URL) address.
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FAMILYSEARCH™
FamilySearch at Family History Centers. FamilySearch is a collection of computer files containing millions of names. FamilySearch is a good place to begin your family history research. Some of the records come from compiled sources, and some have been extracted from original sources. The Family History Library and many Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch. A few FamilySearch resource files—for example, the U.S. Social Security Death Index
, and the U.S. Military Index
—are found on the Family History Library and Family History Center version of FamilySearch, but not on the FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service.
Family History Library and Family History Center computers with FamilySearch do not have access to the Internet, computer on-line services, networks, or bulletin boards. Those services are available at many public libraries, college libraries, and private locations. Limited access to the Internet is available on a few computers in the Automated Resource Center in the Family History Library.
FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service. The Internet site at www.familysearch.org allows you to preserve your genealogy, order Family History Library publications, learn research strategies, and look for information about your ancestors in the following resources:
Ancestral File, a file of over 35 million names organized into families and pedigrees.
International Genealogical Index, an index of over 600 million names extracted out of vital records primarily from the British Isles, North America, and northern Europe.
Family History Library Catalog, a description and classification of over 2 million microfilm reels, and hundreds of thousands of genealogical books. You can search the catalog by family name, locality, author, or book or film number.
SourceGuide, a resource that contains a collection of over 150 “how-to” research outlines for states, nations, or genealogy topics, an extensive glossary of word meanings, and a catalog helper.
Family History Centers, a list of locations where you can order the microfilms described in the Family History Library Catalog and SourceGuide.
Web Sites, a categorized list of thousands of links to Internet sites related to family history.
Collaboration Lists links you to user-created mailing lists of researchers interested in similar genealogical topics.
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©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
[FamilySearchTM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/9/2001]