Valencia California Family History Center

Interested in your genealogy? Are you seeking information about your roots? Want to know who you came from? Have you wondered who your great-great-great grandfather was? You can start or continue your family search without charge at the Valencia Family History Center. Established in 1978, it is open to the public 45 hours each week. The all-volunteer staff of research experts assist interested patrons, who have made more than 2,200 visits to the Center each year. In addition to providing personal assistance, the center’s equipment include computers with free access to premium websites, microfilm and microfiche readers with access to more than 2 million rolls of microfilm, printers, scanners, and a book library. For 24-hour recorded information or to speak with someone at the Center, call 661-259-1347.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 24443 W. McBean Pkwy Valencia California 91355 United States


 * Language:English

Phone:


 * 1-661-259-1347

E-Mail:


 * ValenciaFHC@outlook.com or CA_Valencia@ldsmail.net

Open Hours:


 * Mon: 9:00am-5:00pm
 * Tue: 9:00am-5:00pm; 6:00pm-9:00pm
 * Wed: 9:00am-5:00pm; 6:00pm-9:00pm
 * Thu: 9:00am-5:00pm; 6:00pm-9:00pm
 * Sat:  9:00am-1:00pm

2017 Holiday Schedule- Closed:

Feb 20 Presidents Day Apr 1 General Conference May 29 Memorial Day Jul 4 Independence Day Sep 4 Labor Day Sep 30 General Conference Nov 23 Thanksgiving Day Closed from 6-9pm on Nov 22nd Dec 25-30 Christmas Week

Santa Clarita Valley Family History Fair
Great Annual Event

Saturday, TBA 2018 - 8:30am to 4:00pm

Family History Center Class Schedule for 2017
'''Seminars are free and open to the general public. All dates shown are on Thursday - Instruction from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To be added to our email list and be notified of upcoming seminars and events, click here '''

July 6, 2017
Seminar: "Start Building Your Family Tree on FamilySearch"

Description: In this class, you will learn how to get started finding YOUR ancestors in the world's Family Tree on FamilySearch. It has been said that this is the best way to discover, preserve and share your family history. You will learn how to use your family tree to search the billions of records on FamilySearch.org and make new discoveries about your ancestors. If you have a laptop, you might want to bring it. Also, make sure you know your FamilySearch username and password.

(Presenters: Tom and Linda Tippets. Class level: Beginner)

July 20, 2017
Seminar: "How to Preserve Your Family Heirlooms"

Description: Members of the Conservation Team from the Church History Library and Church History Museum will briefly discuss general principles of preservation for your family heirlooms. This should take about 15 minutes and will include information about textiles, books, paper, photographs, jewelry, wood objects, digital and audiovisual items. The digital/audiovisual discussion will only include physical storage/preservation of those items, not the transferring and updating of the technology. The panel will then be opened up for questions from the group, so they can ask for specific information about objects that are in their care. Handouts with general principles and resources will also be provided to help them known where to find information about preserving their family heirlooms. (Presenter: Anna Graff & Jennifer Hadley. Class level: All)

August 3, 2017
Seminar: "Family History is Anything but Boring...fun ideas to bring family history to all ages using apps"

Description: Are you intrigued by social media & looking for new ways it can be used for something constructive? Are you interested in getting your young people & little ones excited about and involved in family history? We are, too! And we want to share some great ideas with you that will give family history the power and attraction of social media and our favorite handheld devices. (Presenters: Rhonna Farrer & Crystal Farish. Class level: all)

August 17, 2017
Seminar: "Cross the Atlantic with Religious Records"

Description: Religious records are a vital category in genealogy, and can lead to many exciting discoveries. The collections available on Findmypast span the British Isles and provide a unique look at early American settlement. By exploring these materials, you are accessing vital records, religious history, migration patterns, opportunities for in-depth research and much more. From the largest municipal congregations to the smallest village parish, attendees will benefit from the various denominations discussed and learn to apply these records to their personal family history. (Presenter: Jen Baldwin.- Class level: All)

September 7, 2017
Seminar: "DNA: The Glue that Holds Families Together

Description: "My mom was adopted from an unwed mother’s home in Seattle, Washington. Come learn how we were able to use a combination of genetic and genealogical tools to connect with our biological family, and how it has affected our lives. Leave with concrete ideas on how to apply these same methods to your own personal genetic genealogy endeavors, weather you are looking for your father, or your 3X Great Grandfather.  Probably one of the best DNA classes will attend!

(Presenter: Diahan Southard.- Class level: All)

September 21, 2017
Seminar: "Using All the Resources to Find Your Ancestors, FamilySearch & Partners"

Description: "Find more family names gets easier and faster when you pair FamilySearch and partner sites together. Learn how to take advantage of partner apps and Ancestry, FindMyPast, MyHeritage, American Ancestors

(Presenters: Stephen Shumway, Linda Gulbrandsen, Brian Braithwaite.- Class level: LDS & All)

October 5, 2017
Seminar: "Start Building Your Family Tree on FamilySearch"

Description: In this class, you will learn how to get started finding YOUR ancestors in the world's Family Tree on FamilySearch. It has been said that this is the best way to discover, preserve and share your family history. You will learn how to use your family tree to search the billions of records on FamilySearch.org and make new discoveries about your ancestors. If you have a laptop, you might want to bring it. Also, make sure you know your FamilySearch username and password.

(Presenters: Tom and Linda Tippets. Class level: Beginner)

October 19, 2017
Seminar: "Journaling Principles that Work"

Description:This class will cover effective principles for starting, maintaining and preserving your journaling efforts. Discover how to find deep and meaningful motivation and explore the pros, cons and risk factors associated with a wide variety of journaling mediums. Whether you’ve been journaling for years, or are just getting started, this class will provide valuable information and shouldn’t be missed.

(Presenter: Steve Reed.- Class level: All)

=== November 2, 2017 === Seminar: "Start Building Your Family Tree on FamilySearch"

Description: In this class, you will learn how to get started finding YOUR ancestors in the world's Family Tree on FamilySearch. It has been said that this is the best way to discover, preserve and share your family history. You will learn how to use your family tree to search the billions of records on FamilySearch.org and make new discoveries about your ancestors. If you have a laptop, you might want to bring it. Also, make sure you know your FamilySearch username and password.

(Presenters: Tom and Linda Tippets - Class level: Beginner)

=== November 16, 2017 === Seminar: "Jewish Genealogy: Where to Look and What's Available"

Description: This class gives a comprehensive overview of genealogy resources available for Jewish genealogy. The presentation will include online sources and documents not yet online for both the United States and Europe; she will also cover some basic knowledge critical to researching one's Jewish roots.

(Presenter: Lara Diamond - Class level: All)

Free commercial websites at the Valencia California Family History Center
FHC Portal: This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions as follows:

The 19th Century British Library Newspapers digital archive
This fully searchable database of the British Library's newspaper holdings provides a complete run of 48 national and regional Victorian British newspapers for the 19th century from 1800 to 1900. These support the study of colonial history, genealogical research, politics, urban studies, and media courses.

Alexander Street Press, American Civil War

 * Research Data: Contains indexed, searchable information on over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, together with 15,000 photographs.


 * Letters and Diaries: Contains approximately 100,000 indexed pages of diaries, letters, and memoirs, including 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts, such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland planter William Claytor


 * Images, Photographs, Posters, and Ephemera: Provides a vivid history of the American Civil War with over 1,400 images.


 * Social and Cultural History: Personal accounts of well-known historical figures.


 * Women and Social Movements in the United States: Organized around the history of women in social movements in the United States between 1600 and 2000 A.D.

American Ancestors
Advance your family history research today with AmericanAncestors.org! Created by the expert staff at New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), America's founding genealogical organization, AmericanAncestors.org is the portal to the nation's leading resource for the highest-quality comprehensive family history services. Consult with our expert staff, some of the most respected genealogists in the profession. Read the most significant original scholarship and important publications in genealogy. Access millions of exclusive and sought-after records online. Learn with in-depth online courses and webinars from expert staff. Explore the largest collection of original family history research materials in America.

Ancestry.com
Ancestry gives you access to thousands of collections of records from around the world, including immigration, census, voter, vital, and military records; newspapers and periodicals; family trees; photos and images; directories, maps, court, land, wills and financial records, stories, memories, and histories; and detailed records about births, marriages, deaths, land ownership, and much more. It is the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world.

ArkivDigital Online
ArkivDigital is the largest private provider of Swedish Church Records and other historical records online! All images are newly photographed color images of the original documents. Click the link from the Premium Family History Websites page to install the current client version of ArkivDigital Online.

findmypast
findmypast makes it easy to research your UK ancestry and create your family tree. Search census records and trace births, marriages, and deaths to bring your family history to life. Please note that not all of the content from findmypast is available in family history centers. 1911 British Census (accessed through the findmypast website)—The 1911 UK Census is a record of everyone who lived in England and Wales in 1911. It provides a unique snapshot of the lives of those who lived at that time.

Fold3
(formerly Footnote.com)  Search or browse millions of historical documents and photos. Fold3 has refocused their efforts on gathering the best online collection of military records and stories. The Fold3 name reflects military history and honor, since traditionally, the third fold in a flag-folding ceremony honors and remembers veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world.

Geneanet
With 3 billion referenced individuals and 600,000 trees online, Geneanet is the first site dedicated to genealogy in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany. The Geneanet community has two million members who exchange genealogical information.

Kinpoint Premium
Kinpoint is designed to make it easier for you to do your family history by letting you see what to work on at a glance; quickly find missing information in your family tree; and discover insights into the lives of your ancestors.

MyHeritage—Library Edition
Used by millions of people worldwide to help research family history, build a family tree, and add photos, historical records, and more. MyHeritage is an online genealogy platform with web, mobile, and software products and services that was first developed and popularized by the Israeli company MyHeritage in 2003. Users of the platform can browse through photos, and search billions of global historical records, among other features. As of 2015, the service supports 42 languages and has around 80 million users worldwide. In January 2017 it was reported that MyHeritage has 35 million family trees on its website. The company is headquartered in Or Yehuda, Israel with additional offices in Tel Aviv, Lehi, Utah, and Burbank, California.

Newspaper Archive
"NewspaperArchive.com is the world's largest online newspaper archive. Featuring billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, NewspaperARCHIVE makes exploring history and genealogy easy and fun. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old—including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more—to fill in the life stories you are interested in. And share those stories with others through our community at Our NewspaperARCHIVE. All of our historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable. Try exploring above, and discover your history today!"

Paper Trail
Provides access to 19th-century westward American migration documents.

ProQuest Obituary Listings
The ProQuest obituaries collection is a premier resource for genealogical and historical research. You can use the collection to search obituaries and death notices from prominent newspapers, such as the New York Times (dating back to 1851). The collection includes both famous and lesser-known individuals and can be searched by name or by keywords appearing in the body of the article.

Puzzilla (Premium Version)
Find new research opportunities on descendant lines in Family Tree.

Hardware and Equipment

 * Our Family History Center is equipped with:
 * Nine (9) large screen personal computers for your family history use. Four (4) laptop personal computer
 * One (1) copier, printer (laser) and scanner that can scan to your FamilySearch account or personal flash drive.
 * Two (2) laser printers (10 cents per page)
 * Three (2) Microfilm viewers (35 and 16 mm)
 * One (1) Microfiche viewer
 * One (1) camera to take pictures of microfilm images you find
 * Ability to convert your audio cassettes to digital MP3 or m4a for uploading to your FamilySearch
 * Collection of family history books and publication

Staff Research Specialties
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Resources in the Local Area
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Links
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Volunteer at the Center
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