Introduction to LDS Family History Centers: Accessing Family History Library Materials in Your Area

An introduction to family history center locations, available records, Internet access, microfilm ordering, and service fees.

Although some of our records are on the Internet at www.familysearch.org, most are in microfilms, microfiche, books, and CDs at the Family History Library. To access records of the Family History Library without visiting the library itself, you can visit one of our family history centers (FHCs). Centers with Internet connections also offer free access to certain portions of web sites which would normally require a subscription fee, such as http://heritagequestonline.com and http://worldvitalrecords.com Each family history center is staffed by volunteers who can show you how to search for records of your family. There are three ways to find the nearest family history center:


 * 1) Visit our Website at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp and type your locality into the search box.
 * 2) Telephone us at 1-866-406-1830 (United States only).
 * 3) Check your local phone directory under "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" for a family history center.

Each center has unique hours of operation, so be sure to telephone your local center for their scheduled hours before you visit. A catalog that lists the Family History Library's records is available at each Family History Center and on our Web site at www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp. If you find a description of a microfilm or microfiche you would like to see, you can request a copy of it for a fee. The center staff will place the order and the copy will be mailed to the family history center of your choice, where it will remain for a short time for you to use. Some centers also have machines you can use to print a photocopy from a microfilm or fiche. Ask the staff at the center about current fees and ordering procedures. There is no charge to use a family history center, its computers, or the Internet. Costs for other services vary, but the following costs pertain to centers in the United States as of February 2007:


 * Microfilm ordering in the United States: $5.50 per film.
 * Book photocopies: Usually $0.05 per page
 * Microfilm/fiche copies: $0.25 per paper copy
 * Microfilm/fiche scan to your own disk or USB drive: free
 * Some FHCs have writable/rewritable CDs they can sell to patrons wishing to scan microform images to CD. Prices vary.

Your success in finding family records at a family history center will depend entirely upon how much information you bring with you. To increase your chance of success, interview family members and gather records at home before you visit the center.