Introduction to Family History Centers

Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of FamilySearch and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States), located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history by:


 * Giving personal one-on-one assistance to patrons
 * Providing access to genealogical records, and
 * Offering free how-to classes (varies by location)

As of April 2011, there were more than 4,600 FHCs in 105 countries. There is no cost to visit a Family History Center, and they are open to anyone with an interest in genealogical research. They are operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

Finding a Family History Center
Most Family History Centers are located in LDS Church meetinghouse facilities (chapels and Stake Centers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Everyone is welcome to visit the centers and use their resources. To find the center nearest you:


 * 1) Go to FamilySearch.org and click on [FamilySearch Centers]. If you’re in the United States, enter your city and state. If you live outside the United States, enter your City and Country. “Zoom out” on the results map to see results for a broader geography.
 * 2) Call FamilySearch support at 1-866-406-1830 (United States only).
 * 3) Many Family History Centers now have a page in FamilySearch Wiki. You might refer to their page to see in more detail on what materials and equipment they have. Go to Family History Centers to check on the Family History Center you want to visit. (Be aware that few at present are up to date, but these pages are being added to on a regular basis.)

Visiting a Family History Center
Family History Centers are locally operated and supervised. The facilities and resources of the centers differ by location, and range from small, “Computer-only” facilities that do not circulate film and are open only a few hours a week, to large centers open typical business hours with dozens of volunteers, computers, digital film readers, scanners, and printers to support the patrons’ use of extensive collections of books, periodicals, maps, microfilm and microfiche.

The centers are generally staffed by volunteer members of local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as non-LDS genealogy enthusiasts from the community. Staff members are not paid for their services. More experienced volunteers may be able to assist patrons with specific research challenges.

Because the center hours, resources, and expertise of volunteer staff will vary widely, patrons with specific research questions may wish to call before visiting a center to find out who might be able to assist them, and the best time to visit.

One-on-one assistance
Family History Center volunteers can show you how to use the center’s resources. To make your visit most effective, collect and organize the information you already have. Bring as much information as you have about the ancestor you wish to research, including available birth, marriage and death information. FHC staff can help you use that information to begin creating a Family Group Record.

Genealogical records
Family History Centers provide free access to many subscription genealogy websites, including:


 * 19th Century British Newspapers
 * Alexander Street Press (American Civil War Collections)
 * Ancestry.com (Family History Library edition)
 * FindMyPast
 * Footnote.com
 * Genline FamilyFinder (Swedish)
 * Godfrey Memorial Library
 * Heritage Quest
 * WorldVitalRecords.com

Family History Center staff can also help you search the Family History Library Catalog, or you can search it yourself before visiting the center. The Family History Library Catalog is a catalog of the holdings of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, the central library of FamilySearch which has been gathering genealogical records for over 115 years. Most of those records were recorded onto microfilm and microfiche. Copies of those 2.3 million rolls of microfilm and microfiche circulate to Family History Centers all over the world much like a public library’s inter-library loan system. The Family History Library's book and CD collections do not circulate.

If you know what films or fiche you would like to order, you may want to bring a printed copy of the film description from the Family History Library Catalog. In many parts of the world, you may be able to order the film on-line and have it sent to the Family History Center nearest to you.

Free classes
Some Family History Centers may offer classes and special seminars. Larger centers may have their own on-line catalog. Information about a Family History Center’s hours and collections may be available through their FamilySearch wiki page.

Ordering Microfilm
The Family History Library Catalog is available online, and can be searched by place name, family surname, resource title, author, subject, call number, film number or key word. Click the down arrow at the end of the Search field to select the category of information you wish to search. If you find a film you’d like to view, you can order that film using the on-line film ordering if it is available in your area, or by paper Microfilm Request form at your local Family History Center, if on-line ordering is not available in your area. Online microfilm ordering is currently available in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Idaho, Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, the UK, Utah South Area, and the Utah Salt Lake City Area.

There is a small fee charged for ordering films and fiche that helps defray the cost of copying and shipping. There is no charge to view films from a center’s “Resident Film Collection.” Some Centers offer access to printers and digital scanners at a per-page cost. Check with a FHC Staff member to ask that Center’s fee schedule.

Microfilms are typically available at the center for a set period of time which varies based on the center location and the way the film was ordered - generally 30 days for paper orders, or 60 days for online orders - and can be renewed if necessary. If you are not finished with a film when it is scheduled to be returned, you can ask to extend the film’s loan period. Films can become “permanent loan” status films and be made available at that center indefinitely. All microfiche ordered are automatically on "permanent loan." For more specific information about film ordering, ask a staff member at your local Family History Center for their film loan timeframe and extension process.

All microfilm and microfiche must be viewed at the Family History Center where they were ordered. They cannot be transferred to another Family History Center facility, or be removed from the center to view at another location.