Las Vegas Nevada FamilySearch Center/Training

Computer Skills and Help

 * Computer Skills
 * Learning Mouse Skills
 * Learn Typing Skills
 * Computer Basics

1. Sign up for FamilySearch Family Tree FREE:

 * Go to FamilySearch.org and create an account.
 * THEN to https://familysearch.org/myfamily
 * Click on Family Tree to start you family tree or see what others have.
 * See the training (menu) #6 for Family Tree Training

2. Write down what you know.

 * Family Tree Chart
 * Start with yourself. Use the Family Tree Chart above to enter information about you, your parents, grandparents, etc. If you do not know exact dates and places, estimate them. Fill out by memory first, the from records you have at home and contact family members to help fill in the missing information. NOTE: always use a pencil so corrections are easy to make.


 * For each couple in the Family Tree Chart, fill out a Family Group Chartthat will show each of the children in that family.
 * Circle any missing or incomplete information, and decide what/whom you want to find first.

3. Contact your immediate family first:

 * In the step above, note the information that is missing and decide on the family member that might have that information.
 * Record any useful information and stories they provide.
 * Ask about copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates as well as journals, letters, photos, and other records that might be available.
 * Find out if they know other people you should contact.
 * Use this new gathered information to fill in the missing information on your Family Tree Chart and Family Group Charts. This will give you a guide as to where to go next.
 * In Return-offer to share with what you find and put together.

4. Search other sources.

 * A guide of places to find family history information can be found Here
 * Gather your records starting with the records you already have, and organize them in one place.
 * Explore online sources starting with FamilySearch.org/search for free access to family history records such as census, birth, death, marriage, military records, etc.
 * See the Tips for Using FamilySearch.org/search below to best learn how to use FamilySearch.org Search.
 * Get personal help by visiting our local FamilySearch family history center for free personal help and many other valuable services.
 * Center staff may also direct you to online resources as well as other local community resources.

5. Visit the FamilySearch Library to:

 * Access Premium Websites to search for records
 * Free access to Ancestry.com, Fold3.com, Find My Past, and more.
 * Personal help to direct you in your research process.
 * Free, hands on, training classes

6. Take the newly found information:

 * Add to your pedigree on Family Tree - To ADD and individual review the article Adding Family Members to Family Tree
 * NOTE-Family Tree is very unique with only one person per deceased ancestor in the tree. Unlike all other database trees where everyone has their own tree with thousands of the same John Michael Smith born in 1815 are scattered throughout those tree, Family Tree only has ONE.  WHY is this important?  Collaboration for the best sources and information and whatever stories, pictures or memories one person adds, all who are connected to John Michael Smith get to enjoy those memories and don't have to search into hundreds of individual tree to find.  SAVES hours of duplicating work when we all collaborate.

7. Pick another ancestor/needed info
Repeat the steps 2 through 6.

Research, Handouts and Forms

 * Including pedigree charts, family group records, British, Canada and US Census forms, research log and LOTS more. Click HERE
 * LVFSL Handouts Click HERE
 * US CENSUS Headings 1790-1860 Click HERE
 * US CENSUS Headings 1870-1930 Click HERE
 * US CENSUS Headings 1940 Click HERE
 * Vital Record Dates for the US
 * War Service Reference Guide
 * Census Forms and More from Ancestry
 * Research Forms from the Wiki
 * [[Media:Conducting Internet Searches for Family History.pdf|Conducting Internet Searches for Family History]]
 * Birth Years of Veterans-US
 * Pedigree Chart LDS
 * Family Group Record LDS
 * Research Log
 * ABCs of Nicknames

Online Film Ordering

 * User Guide
 * Instructions
 * If you know the film number you want to order click HERE
 * If not: to search the FamilySearch Catalog click HERE

Tips for Using FamilySearch.org/search
This is a collection of HISTORICAL Records that spans billions of names across hundreds of collections—including birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military, IGI extracted, and more. This online database stores all the historical documents and is available for searching. You can instantly search through hundreds of millions of records for information about your ancestors at FamilySearch.org/search ■FamilySearch.org/search protects privacy. No information about living people is publicly available. ■For women, use maiden names to find birth and marriage records, but married names for census and death information. ■Add five years to life spans ■Try different spellings of a name (Miller, Milr). ■Try different forms of a name (Elizabeth, Liz, Liza). ■Immigrants often changed their names. ■If you can’t find information about a person, look for information about family members.

Getting Started training videos are found at FamilySearch Videos Watch the Getting Started 1, then find 2, 3, 4 listed at right.

FamilyTree

 * We have hands on training classes at the center. Check the Classes and Handouts page at: Training Schedule
 * Family Tree Training

Login into the site to access the training videos and PDFs.

Temple and Family History Consultant Training
Downloads for Consultant Training. Many of the PDFs include active links taking you to the website when viewing on the computer:


 * New Consultant Training-Classroom
 * Forms and Support Documents
 * FamilySearch Blog-Archives for Consultants

Find-A-Grave

 * Basic over view8Min 55Sec
 * Findagrave 101 24Mins 58Sec
 * Linking Families Together17Mins 34Sec

Ancestry.com

 * Basics of starting a search How to Search for Historical Records on Ancestry.com
 * New Facts Page Quick Guide
 * Compare Old Ancestry Page and New Ancestry Page YouTube video
 * Learning Center Home
 * First Steps
 * Next Steps
 * FREE Research Guides These Research guides are best to save as PDF so the links within the document can be clicked to go to the linked website
 * FREE State Research Guides
 * Ancestry.com YouTube Channel
 * 5-Minute Finds Series
 * Ancestry Desktop Education Series
 * Best ways to search Ancestry
 * Tips to Finding Uindexed Probate Records in Ancestry

findmypast

 * Quick Tips to Get Started
 * findmypast YouTube Channel

MyHeritage.com

 * Help
 * Video Training

AmericanAncestors.org

 * BYU Introduction
 * Using AmericanAncestors.org
 * Video Training
 * Database list

Geneanet

 * Video Training
 * Export GEDCOM
 * Help

Fold3

 * Tour using Fold3 with 4 videos and written instructions


 * Fold3 Youtube Channel

WorldVitalRecords.com
Under the advanced search: World Vital Records you can search by birth/marriage/death,census voter lists, court/probate records, Collection Title, Recently added collections, by place and more. Read the Advanced Search Help and scroll down page to browse by state, country and collections. The right side bar has Browse by Popular Collections.

Finding Women in Researching

 * Three Ways to Unravel the Mystery of Women in Your Research
 * Best Records for Finding Female Ancestors

Newspaper Research-FREE

 * Lessons How To Use Newspapers also includes links by states
 * Youtube Video on using Free Sites See the Suggested sites below from the video
 * http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
 * http://guides.library.upenn.edu/content.php?pid=413152
 * Newspaper Links
 * Marion Robbins Online Historical Newspapers Website
 * Wikipedia-List of Online Newspaper Archives
 * US Newspaper Directory 1690-Present

Arkiv Digital for Swedish Research

 * Use The Full Scope from FamilySearch Learning including Video and PDF
 * Wiki Using Arkiv Dital for Swedish Genealogical Research
 * Birth and Christening Records for Swedish Genealogy PDF

Parish Locator ParLoc3-

 * Freeware found at parloc.co.uk/home.html

Hungarian Village Finder, Atlas & Gazetteer

 * Hungarianvillagefinder.com Use for free at our Library OR order CD from this page
 * Index
 * Getting Started, Examples
 * 4 Steps
 * On the Wiki

African American Research

 * AfriGeneas
 * Cyndi's List-African American
 * Resources for African American Genealogy Research
 * African American Genealogy Tips

Native American Research

 * American Indian Online Genealogy Records
 * Indians of North America
 * Indian Tribes of the US
 * Enrollment Cards of the Five Civilized Tribes 1898-1914
 * Campbell's Abstract of Creek Indian Census Cards

Old Handwriting

 * Script Tutorialfrom BYU
 * German Handwriting

Indexing Help Resources

 * Basic Indexing Guidelines and Resources:
 * Quick start Video: Click Here
 * How to Download and Install Program
 * FAQs
 * List of current Indexing projects:

RootsMagic

 * Training videos found at: Roots Magic
 * Mini Videos on Youtube: RootsMagicTV.com