Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog

What Is the Family History Library Catalog?
The Family History Library Catalog describes the records in the collection at the Family History Library. It is a guide to family histories; birth, marriage, and death records; census records; church registers; and many other records that may contain genealogical information. These records may be in a book, on microfiche or microfilm, or in a computer file. Most microfilm and microfiche records can be sent to your nearest Family History Center.

The Family History Library Catalog is available for free on the Internet as part of FamilySearch.org, on compact disc, and on microfiche.Compact disc and microfiche versions are significantly outdated, and do not list films acquired after the publication date on the disc or microfiche.

Before you use the Family History Library Catalog, choose a person about whom you want to find more information, and decide what you want to learn about him or her. For example, you may want to find your great-grandmother's death date and place. To do this, you need to decide what types of records are likely to contain that information.

Which Catalog Search Should I Try?
The type of search you should do is determined by the kind of catalog entries or records you want to find. Click on the name of each search to learn more.

Use the following table to determine what type of search to do:

When It's Not in the Catalog
Before concluding it is not in the Family History Library Catalog try the following strategies:


 * Look again in Surname Search for variations of the family name.
 * Change the jurisdiction in Place Search. For example, if it is not at the county level, try again under the town, state, or national levels, or in neighboring counties and towns.
 * Try a variety of searches. Use a Keyword Search, Subject Search, Author Search, or Title Search.
 * Try again later. The Family History Library is constantly acquiring new materials.

Try other repositories. Many other libraries and archives have information about ancestors. Try their online catalogs to see if they have what you need. For example, try catalogs like the WorldCat (world's largest network of online content and services), or the Daughters of the American Revolution Online Library Catalog.

If a repository's catalog is not online, try contacting them by phone or mail to learn if they have records about an ancestor. For a directory of U.S. historical genealogical societies see http://www.obitlinkspage.com/hs/index.html For a list of various kinds of libraries and archives try dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Libraries/

Search the Internet. Many records are being digitized and put on the Internet. Search engines like Google, or Yahoo can help locate information. Also the Family History Library Internet Favorites can help find useful genealogical Internet sites.

Related Content

 * Abbreviations in the Family History Library Catalog
 * Deciphering Family History Library Catalog Entries
 * Family History Library Catalog Locality Subject Subdivisons
 * Family History Library Catalog Overview (11 minute online video)

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