Have you ever wished you had an open line to the Family History Department so you can share your successes and obtain help with challenges in your family history center? You have one with the monthly report!
We call the monthly report the voice of family history centers. The report helps us understand how family history centers are doing, discover trends, and identify opportunities to answer questions or provide help. Because the monthly report is so valuable, we strongly encourage center directors to complete and submit their reports regularly.
Through the monthly report, center directors communicate basic statistics, such as numbers of patrons and hours of service. They also share success stories of helping patrons and supporting local priesthood leaders and express concerns that allow us to address specific needs. Each month, we reach out to center directors and respond to their questions and concerns.
In addition, regular monthly reporting is an important factor when the department determines which family history centers qualify for additional computers and other resources. Centers that have not submitted their monthly reports regularly will be much less likely to receive additional computers.
Where Do I Find the Report Form?
Family history centers receive an email reminder monthly from the Family History Department that includes a link to the report form. The email is sent to each center’s ldsmail account, so be sure to check your center’s ldsmail account regularly. (Note: if center directors do not check their ldsmail account regularly, the account may become deactivated. If you need help with your account, contact Family History Center Support at 1-866-406-1830.)
The report form also is available through the director page on LDS.org. In the Quick Links section, see the Monthly Report link.
By clicking the link in the email or on the director page, you see the following page:
Enter your family history center unit number in the search box, and click Continue. You will then see the monthly report form. Here is the upper portion of the form:
Complete Your Report
Complete the following fields on the form:
- Click the drop-down list for the Month field, and select the month you are reporting.
- Click the drop-down list for the Year field, and select the year.
Patron Usage
Directors typically obtain patron usage information from their patron logs.
- Number of hours the center was open this month. Enter the total number of hours your center was open to serve patrons during the month. Include special hours when your center was open for events or classes conducted or hosted by your center.
- Number of first-time visitors. Enter the total number of visitors during the month who visited your center for the first time.
- Total number of visitors (not including staff). Enter the total number of visitors during the month. Every single visitor should be counted in this field, including all those who attended classes or events or who did research, and so on. Count each visit made by a patron. For example, if the same person visited your center on five days during the month, count each visit (in this case, five). Note: When staff come to the center to serve their assigned shift, they are not considered visitors, even if they work on their own research. When they are not on their assigned shift, staff members who come to the center to do research are considered visitors.
- Number of member visitors (not including staff). Enter the total number of visitors during the month who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Using the number you enter in this and the previous field, the Family History Department will calculate the total number of visitors who are not members of the Church.)
Center Resources
- Number of member staff. Enter the number of your staff who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Number of community volunteer staff. Enter the number of your staff who are not members of the Church.
- Number of events (classes, group visits, and so on) hosted this month (if applicable). Enter the number of events, such as classes, group visits, or activities, conducted or hosted by your center during the month. Include events that took place in other parts of the building or outside the building.
Share Your Comments
The next three fields allow you to share with us your successes and concerns. Your comments are very helpful to us and allow us to address your specific needs.
- How is your center working with priesthood leaders to support their goals?
- Please share your experiences, ideas, or success stories.
- What can we do to improve your experience as a director?
Submit Your Report
Once you have entered the information in the monthly report form, click Submit, and you are done!
What If I Want to Keep a Copy of the Report?
Currently, the report form does not include a print option. To keep a copy of the information you submit, you can create a simple form of your own in which you enter the information for your own files; you can copy and paste into your own form the comments you submit online.
Some center directors use screen capture tools (such as the Windows Snipping tool) to keep a screenshot image of their report before submitting it.
If I Make a Mistake in a Report I Submitted, Should I Submit a Corrected Report?
We encourage you to check your report carefully to ensure it is complete and accurate when you submit. If you do submit a report that includes a mistake, such as the wrong month, or if you want to send corrected information after you have already submitted your report, submit a second, corrected report. Although it complicates the reporting system when you submit two versions of a report for the same month, we appreciate your desire to correct your reports. But do check them carefully before submitting!
Should I Go Back and Submit Monthly Reports I Have Not Yet Submitted?
Yes, if you have not sent in a report for a few months or missed submitting some earlier reports, please submit reports for the missing months. The information helps us obtain a full perspective on family history centers generally, and having a record of regularly submitting your reports will help you when you submit a request for replacement or additional computers.
Thank You for Submitting Your Reports
We appreciate all the center directors who faithfully complete and submit their monthly reports, and we encourage all directors to do so. We welcome the voice of family history centers.
