Gainesville Florida FamilySearch Center

Gainesville Florida Family History Center

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address: 10600 SW 24th Ave Gainesville FL 32607-4618 Phone: 352-332-0012 E-mail: GainesvilleFamilyHistoryCenter@gmail.com
 * Entrance is at the East side of the building. Please ring the bell.


 * Language:English, Spanish on request (usually Monday)

Schedule

Gainesville Stake Family History Center is open for limited use by appointment only. Contact Skip Ingley at

gainesvillefamilyhistorycenter@gmail.com

Times will vary depending on support staff availability but generally Monday thru Friday from 10am to 2pm.

At your appointment time, ring the doorbell at the door on the east entrance to the building. Someone will meet you at the door and escort you into the library where you will be directed to a computer work station. The staff assisting you will be seated at a work station 6 ft away. There will only be one patron and two staff members in the library at any given time. The duration of the visit will be determined at the time the appointment is made.

Masks will be required at all times. All surfaces and computers will be cleaned prior to and after each visit.

Holiday Schedule for 2021:
Closed on

May 31 - Memorial Day

September 6 - Labor Day

October 11 - Columbus Day

November 11 - Veteran's Day

November 22-26 - Thanksgiving

December 20 - January2, 2020 - Christmas

Calendar and Events

Class Schedule:
The 2nd Thursday of each month 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Rhonda Harrell Instructor

This class is now being offered by remote access via Zoom.

For 2021, each month's focus will be an in-depth look at Census Records.

Staff Training Meetings
One on one until further notice.

Collections

 * We have a collection of films pertaining to the Southeast United States, British Isles, and others.
 * Our fiche collection is varied and is undergoing cataloging into a searchable database.
 * We have a very nice collection of books pertaining to the Southeast United States and a smattering of other States and other countries. We have many reference books.
 * We have a very nice collection of family histories that are bound books.

Databases and Software

 * 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. Currently the portal may be down for maintenance for a period of time. We will post here when the updated portal is available to the public.
 * FHL Favorites: The staff of the Salt Lake City Library have assembled a collection of websites that they send patrons to for research in different countries. Some of the sites do charge a fee. This is a good reference site. The Family History Library is scheduled to reopen 6 July 2021. Meanwhile, the staff and volunteers are participating in an online lookup service which can be accessed at this web site: FHL Lookup. From this site, you can find a form to submit, of the specific publication and page number you want looked up.

Hardware and Equipment

 * We have several Microfilm readers in a separate room.
 * Microfiche readers are available.
 * We have seven computers available.


 * We have scanners that will read your 35mm film/slides/110 film to an SD card. They will scan papers of varying sizes - front and back - to your thumb drive or laptop. *We have a FlipPal that will scan large pictures/maps/etc and stitch them together. Or if your pictures are glued in the album you can scan them without tearing them out - all to your SD card. (FlipPal).
 * The Lexmark will scan directly to your FamilyTree account.


 * We have a discovery corner where you can record audio and/or video for recording personal histories, enjoy interesting and exciting apps on the all-in-one computer, and other fun discoveries.

Center Services We now have a consultant that can assist those who speak Spanish. Please call and let us know, so that she can make arrangements to be here.

Resources in the Local Area
University of Florida Library West has a large collection of records for the Southeast and Florida. They are available for viewing in the library. Best time to go is when UF is on break!

Alachua County Downtown Library has a nice collection for the county and state.

Links
Online Genealogy Records by Location
 * Using the FamilySearch Research Wiki: A comprehensive video presentation explaining the Wiki, navigating it, and some especially useful pages. Case studies demonstrate using the Wiki for genealogical research. Editing and adding articles to the Wiki are covered.