How to Browse Records on FamilySearch

How to Browse Record Collections that Include Images
Most record collections that include images also let you browse through the images page by page to find information on your ancestors. This can be helpful in the following situations:


 * The collection does not have an index.
 * The collection is only partially indexed and your ancestor doesn't appear in the residence.
 * The collection is indexed and you know your ancestor should appear in the collection but doesn't (this may happen due to recording, transcription, or indexing errors).

Step-by-Step Instructions:

 * 1) From the FamilySearch Home page: https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list
 * 2) Below each collection description is a hyperlink to the related collection images with the statement "browse through [] images." This number (usually tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions) represents the total number of images in the collection. Once you click the hyperlink, you will be able to narrow your search to smaller image sets based on location (county, town, parish), time period, or even volume of the original record set. For example, the collection description for "United Kingdom, World War I Service Records, 1914-1920" indicates you can browse through more than 43 million images. Once you click the link, you can narrow down to an image set based on surname.
 * 3) Once you are viewing an image set, the image number (located above the image) can be used to locate the box above the image indicating the current image number and the total number of images. Use this box to quickly jump to a later image in the image set.
 * 4) Use the image number to quickly navigate through individual record volumes within a browse only collection if the collection is alphabetical or you determine a page number based on an internal index. For example, in a volume organized alphabetically with 1,056 images, type in the number 600 to quickly jump to the surnames beginning with the letter M.

Using Internal Indexes:
Some collections include handwritten (or typed) indexes that were filmed with the original records. These indexes are usually included as separate volumes or can be found at either the beginning or end of each volume. Check both the first twenty images and the last twenty images of each volume to determine if an index exists.

If a single image set includes two volumes, navigate to the indexes and records for both volumes. Many handwritten indexes are listed semi-alphabetically, meaning that all of the surnames beginning with the same letter are grouped together but are not listed in alphabetical order. For example, if your ancestor's last name is Stevens, read through the entire section of the index listing S surnames.

Some indexes may use unfamiliar terms. Use a genealogical dictionary or on-line search to learn what the words mean within this context. (For example, in U.S. land records, indexes may be called grantor/direct indexes, which are organized by the seller of the land, or grantee/reverse/indirect indexes, which are organized by the buyer of the land.)

Some collections were already in alphabetical order when they were digitized by FamilySearch. These collections can easily be used without an index.

Other Suggestions and Tips:
Learn how and why the record collection was created. FamilySearch digitizes record sets in the order they were kept by the archive or repository that holds them, an order which was usually established as the original records were created. To efficiently use the records to find the people you are searching for, learn how and why the records were created.

Many of the collections that have an index are actually only partially indexed. If a search for your ancestor fails, use the browse feature to navigate to the records associated with the location and time period your ancestor should appear.