Columbia Maryland FamilySearch Center



The Columbia Maryland Family History Center is convenient for people in Columbia, Ellicott City, and surrounding towns, but people from anywhere are invited to visit and use our facilities.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 4251 Columbia Rd Ellicott City MD 21042 United States
 * Located in the basement of the church building at 4100 St Johns Lane, Ellicott City, MD
 * Enter from the church's lower parking lot at 4251 Columbia Road, Ellicott City.


 * Languages: English, plus (at designated times) Spanish, Korean and Chinese

Phone:


 * 1-410-465-1642

E-mail: md_columbia@ldsmail.net

Open Hours:


 * Monday 9 am-2pm
 * Tuesday 9 am-2 pm and 7 pm-9 pm
 * Wednesday 9 am-2 pm and 7 pm-9 pm
 * Thursday 9 am-2 pm and 7 pm-9 pm (First Thursday only)
 * Saturday 9 am-12 noon

Holiday Closings for 2017:
 * May 29,       Memorial Day
 * July 4,          Independence Day
 * Sept. 4,        Labor Day
 * Nov. 22,evening Thanksgiving
 * Nov. 23,       Thanksgiving
 * Dec. 18-1 Jan, Christmas break

The center will be closed when Howard County schools are closed due to inclement weather or when school evening or Saturday activities are cancelled due to the weather. If Howard County schools open late because of the weather, the Center may also open late; call 410-465-1642 before coming to make sure that staff members are present and say that the Center is open.

Get Help at Our Center
Any time that the Center is open, one of the volunteer staff members should be able to help you with most family history situations.

We highly recommend that you bring a flashdrive and a notebook with you to the Center to be able to take home what you find and keep notes on what you accomplish and what you would like to do next.

Appointments can also be arranged and are especially useful if you would like help with a specialized topic. Request an appointment by sending an email to [mailto:MD_Columbia@ldsmail.net MD_Columbia@ldsmail.net]. Specify if you would like to come on a weekday, Tuesday or Wednesday night, or Saturday. Choose any family history topic, and at least one of our Center staff members may be able to help you. Some options are:


 * 1) Getting started with family history
 * 2) Online resources such as FamilySearch and Ancestry.com
 * 3) Creating a family tree at FamilySearch Family Tree
 * 4) Putting a photograph on FamilySearch Family Tree
 * 5) Copying slides onto a flash drive
 * 6) Genealogy software such as Ancestral Quest, Family Tree Maker, and Legacy
 * 7) Adoption research--finding information about birth relatives
 * 8) Information about DNA testing
 * 9) Records at the Library of Congress, Maryland Archives, and National Archives
 * 10) Countries such as Canada (including French Canadian, Ontario, and Saskatchewan), China (including Chinese character records for Japan), England, Germany (including old German script), Ireland, Italy, Korea, Poland, Romania, Russian language, Scotland, Swiss-Italian (Latin) Switzerland, Ukraine, etc.
 * 11) Most U.S. states, including specialties such as California Gold Rush, Mennonite, early New England, Pennsylvania Dutch (German Baptist Brethren), Quaker, etc.

Databases and Software
The center's Family History Center Portal page gives free access to premium family history websites which generally charge for subscriptions, including Ancestry.com, Find My Past, Newspaper Archive, Fold3, and ProQuest Obituary Listings.

Hardware and Equipment [[Image:Col Film.JPG|right|224x179px|Microfilm and Microfiche Machines in the Columbia Maryland Family History Center]]
The center has ten personal computers with high speed Internet access, four laser printers, five microfilm readers, two microfiche readers, and a photocopier/scanner for microfilm and microfiche. There are also two flatbed scanners, one of which can capture 16 35mm slides at a time and copy the images to a flash drive. There is also a multi-purpose copier/printer/scanner that can copy pictures and documents directly into the user's gallery in FamilySearch or to a flashdrive.

FamilySearch Catalog: Any microfilms and microfiche that you order online from the FamilySearch Catalog can be sent to the Columbia Maryland Family History Center for your viewing.

Reference Library:
The center has more than 1500 genealogy books, more than 1500 long-term microfilm, and more than 1800 microfiche. To search one of our center's collections, click on the link, then use "Edit Find Replace". Enter the search term, such as "Jefferson County", then search.

Books in the Columbia Maryland Family History Center

Books Here

Short term microfilm in the Columbia Maryland Family History Center

Short term microfilm here

Long term microfilm and microfiche in the Columbia Maryland Family History Center

Long term microfilm and microfiche

A more complete description of some of the microfilms and microfiche can be found by going to FamilySearch Catalog Search.

Staff Research Help
Several of our staff members teach college classes in family history research. Others have decades of experience with their own family history research and with helping others.

Resources in the Local Area
Howard County Genealogical Society Website Howard County Historical Society Website Howard County Library Website Genealogy Courses at Howard County Community College Continuing Education, Non-Credit Courses Website Maryland State Archives Website Maryland Historical Society Website Anne Arundel Genealogical Society Website Baltimore County Genealogical Society Website Daughters of the American Revolution Library Website Library of Congress Website National Archives and Records Administration Website

Links
Research in Maryland

Howard County, Maryland Genealogy

Volunteer at the Center
If you may be interested in becoming a volunteer at the Columbia Maryland Family History Center or if you have suggestions for our website, please send an email to md_columbia@ldsmail.net.