View source for Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog

=== What Is the FamilySearch Catalog?  ===
The '''[https://familysearch.org/catalog-search FamilySearch Catalog]&nbsp;'''(formerly '''''Family History Library Catalog''''') describes genealogical resources held by [http://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch.org], the&nbsp;[https://www.familysearch.org/family-history-library/welcome-to-the-family-history-library Family History Library], and selected [[Introduction to Family History Centers|FamilySearch Centers]]. <br><br> 

The Catalog is a guide to birth, marriage, and death records; census records; church registers; books; periodicals;  family histories and many other records that contain genealogical information. These records may be  searchable online, on microfiche or microfilm, in a book or in a computer file. 

Some entries in the FamilySearch Catalog include images of records. When an image is available in the catalog, a camera icon will appear to the right of the microfilm note associated with that image.

=== Where Is the Catalog Found?  ===

The [https://familysearch.org/catalog-search FamilySearch Catalog] is found at the [https://familysearch.org/ FamilySearch.org] under the '''Search''' tab. [[Image:Logo wcmasthead en.png|right|96px|Logo wcmasthead en.png]]Also, the FamilySearch Catalog has been made available via [[WorldCat Online Catalog|OCLC WorldCat]]<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/ Official website of OCLC WorldCat].</ref> since 2014. OCLC WorldCat is an online union catalog of over 2 billion titles at 72,000 libraries in 172 countries and territories. Although it is the world’s largest bibliographic database for materials held around the world, OCLC WorldCat does not list sources housed in repositories outside their consortium.

=== Which Catalog Search Should I Try?  ===

[[Image:{{FSCSeaBut}}]]The type of search you should do is determined by the kind of catalog entries or records you want to find. There are eight kinds of possible FamilySearch Catalog searches. In the catalog clicking on the name of the search will open or close that search. <br><br> 

The table below briefly describes each of the eight types of searches. For further details about each type of search, click on name of the search in the table. 

{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
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'''Do This Type of Search:''' 
</div> 
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'''To Find the Following Types of Catalog Entries:''' 

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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Places Search|Place Search]]''' 

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Look for a record by the name of a place (locality) where an ancestor lived. 

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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Surnames Search|Surnames Search]]''' 

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Find family histories (and more) by a particular family name. 

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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Titles Search|Titles Search]]''' 

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Find a record by its title. 

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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Authors Search|Author Search]]''' 

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To find the works of an author by his name (individual or corporate). 

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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Subjects Search|Subjects Search]]''' 

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To discover works based on the topics they cover. 

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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Keywords Search|Keywords Search]]''' 

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Get a record using any words or phrases in significant parts of its catalog entry.&nbsp; 

|-
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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Call Number Search|Call Number Search]]''' 

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See catalog entries by finding their book, compact disc, or pedigree call number. 

|-
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'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Film/Fiche Number Search|Film/Fiche Number Search]]''' 

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See catalog details by finding the Library's microfilm or microfiche number.&nbsp; 

|}

When you want to change to a new kind of search it helps to close the old search first. Close the old search by clicking the "X" in the upper right corner of the area around the search box. Then click on the new search type to open that kind of search. 

Another way to close an old search is to click on the name of that type of search, for example, ''Places''.

=== Combined Searches  ===
<div style="float: left; width: 100%">
[[Image:{{FSCComSea}}]]You can also combine two or more FamilySearch Catalog searches if a single search alone yields too many results to be practical. For example, you could combine a '''Surnames Search''' and a '''Keywords Search'''. First close all the other search types. Then click the ''Surnames'' and the ''Keywords'' searches. A search for "Smith" in the ''Surnames Search'' yields over 4,000 results. But combined with the ''Keywords Search'' for the phrase "Philadelphia cave" this combination returns only one result.<br><br> 

Combining ''Surnames'' and ''Keywords'' searches for a family name and a state where they lived is often a successful strategy. "Smith" in the ''Surnames'' field and combined with "Hawaii" in the ''Keywords'' field will yield a manageable 52 results. <br>

=== Availability of an Item  ===
'''Availability Status''' is determined for each individual copy or item.  The status can vary based on several factors.  The following are possible statuses that you may see and what they can mean: 

*'''Available:''' the item is available in the Library or Center in the Location and Collection/Shelf indicated for that copy record. <br>
*'''Missing:''' the item is currently missing from the shelf or location to which it is assigned. <br>
*'''Not Available:''' this status means the item is not available for use because it is in another location.  The item could be with a cataloger, in binding or repair, in the preparation process to soon be shelved, waiting to be digitized, in transit to or from the Library or Center. <br>
*'''Off-site Storage:''' the item is in the off-site storage location in Salt Lake City, UT, after it was digitized.  If the item is not available to view on the Digital Books site, you can request a digital copy to view at the Family History Library by going to the [[https://bit.ly/storagebooks|Storage Book Request Form]].<br>
*'''On Loan:''' the item is not available because it is currently being digitized or because a staff member has requested to have the book at their desk for a project or assignment. The book will be returned and made available as soon as possible. <br>

=== When It's Not in the Catalog  ===

'''Before concluding that something is not in the FamilySearch Catalog''', try the following strategies: 

*Search under another jurisdiction in a Places Search. For example, if there are no results for your topic on the county level, try searching again under the town, state, or national jurisdiction levels, or in neighboring counties and towns. If your ancestor lived in Cleveland, Ohio, you would make a place search for Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Ohio.<br> 
*Look again in Surnames Search for [[Guessing a Name Variation|variations of the family name]].<br> 
*Try a variety of searches. Use a Keywords Search, Subjects Search, Authors Search, or Titles Search. 
*Try again later. FamilySearch 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 [http://worldcat.org/ WorldCat] (world's largest network of online content and services), or the [http://www.dar.org/library/onlinlib.cfm 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://[http://www.obitlinkspage.com/hs/index.html www.obitlinkspage.com/hs/index.html]. 

<br> '''Search the Internet.''' Many records are being digitized and put on the Internet. In FamilySearch's '''[https://www.familysearch.org/hr/search Historical Records Collections]''' you will find billions of names across hundreds of [https://www.familysearch.org/family-history-library/welcome-to-the-family-history-library Family History Library] collections including birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military, Ancestral File, and the International Genealogical Index. Also, search engines like [http://www.google.com/ Google], or [http://www.yahoo.com/ Yahoo] can help locate many other historical sources available on the Internet.

=== Related Content  ===

*[[Abbreviations in the FamilySearch Catalog|Abbreviations in the FamilySearch Catalog]] 
*[[Deciphering FamilySearch Catalog Entries|Deciphering FamilySearch Catalog Entries]] 
*[[Locality Subject Subdivisions|FamilySearch Catalog Locality Subject Subdivisons]] 
*[[FamilySearch Catalog Places Search]]&nbsp;

=== References  ===

{{reflist}} 

{{FamilySearch Catalog}} 
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[[Category:FamilySearch_Catalog]] [[Category:FamilySearch_Research_Classes_Online]]