IGGP Online Consultations

Online Consultations
The Family History Library, in partnership with the 2021 International German Genealogy Conference is pleased to offer free online consultations to conference attendees for the week of July 19-23. You can begin booking consultations on July 1.

Consultations will be held in English or German. Online consultations are made possible through the assistance of FamilySearch, the Family History Library Staff, and many volunteers. You may be assigned to meet with a research specialist from the Family History Library, or a volunteer research specialist from one of our worldwide Family History Centers. These free, virtual consultations are designed to provide you with research guidance, methodology, and next steps for your German genealogy. Our research specialists offer helpful suggestions and assistance with your research goals, to empower you as you discover and connect with your family. For help with translations, try the Germany Genealogy Research Group on the FamilySearch Community. The Community is free, and a great place to get research and translation help from the broader genealogical Community.

Keep in mind that these consultations are a service provided by the Family History Library, year-round, free of charge. To sign up for an appointment after the conference, or to get research help in other areas of the world see Virtual Genealogy Consultations.

Important Information
Please take note of the following details before booking your appointment:


 * These are free, 20-minute virtual consultations held via Zoom. Upon completion of the booking process, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the Zoom meeting at the date and time you specified in the booking form.
 * Please provide as much information as possible on the booking form. This will help the research specialist be better prepared to provide you with the best suggestions possible.
 * Consultations are designed to provide research guidance, methodology, and next steps rather than perform research or record-lookups.
 * Due to contractual obligations, research specialists may not be able to offer access in consultations to historical records that are restricted to Family History Centers and Affiliate Libraries, despite the temporary closure of these facilities. We apologize for the inconvenience.
 * While the Family History Library is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the staff are working remotely and may not have access to the physical resources located in the Library for your consultation.
 * Appointments may be canceled at any time in the event of unexpected conflicts or sickness. In the event of a cancellation, you will be contacted via email with an option to reschedule.
 * We reserve the right to refuse service at any time.

To Book Your Online Consultation
Consultations for the week of July 19-23 will be available to book beginning July 1.


 * 1) Click on the blue Book an Online Consultation button below.
 * 2) Select your desired area of research from the list on the bookings page.
 * 3) Select your genealogy consultation type.
 * 4) Select a day and time for your meeting. Be sure to double check that the time zone is correct.
 * 5) Fill in the requested information. Keep in mind, the more details you provide, the better your research specialist will be able to serve you.

While on the booking site, if you need to go back to a previous page, do not use the back arrow in your browser; instead click on Change Selection located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Upon booking:
You will receive a confirmation email upon booking. In some cases, it may take up to several minutes for you to receive your email. If you do not receive an email, try checking your spam or promotions folder. Please read the email carefully and take note of the following information:


 * The confirmation email contains important details about your genealogy consultation, a calendar invite, and a link to your Zoom meeting.
 * You will also receive reminder email(s) prior to your meeting. Reminder emails also contain the link to your Zoom meeting.

At the time of your appointment:

 * 1) Open your confirmation or reminder email.
 * 2) Scroll down to the Booking Details section.
 * 3) Under the Virtual Meeting Location heading, click on the Zoom hyperlink.
 * 4) A new tab will open in your browser. If you have the Zoom desktop application installed, you will be prompted to open the meeting in the application.
 * 5) If asked for a passcode, return to your confirmation or remainder email and copy and paste the passcode. The passcode is found directly below the Zoom link.
 * 6) If you join before the host does, please wait patiently for the host to admit you to the meeting.
 * 7) Once you have been admitted, select your video and audio settings. You do not need to enable video, but be sure to unmute yourself.Virtual Meeting Information.jpg
 * 8) The specialist may place relevant links or information in the chat. Click here to learn about using the chat feature on Zoom.
 * 9) The specialist may ask you to share your screen with them. Click here to learn about sharing your screen on Zoom.

If you are new to Zoom, you may wish to explore the Zoom Help Center or Zoom Frequently Asked Questions to prepare for your genealogy consultation. Try scheduling a practice Zoom call with a friend or family member. If you encounter any difficulties joining your genealogy consultation on Zoom, try checking out Zoom Troubleshooting.

Additional Research and Translation Help
For additional assistance with research or document translation help, check out the FamilySearch Community, which consists of people who wish to collaborate and help one another find answers. The Community allows you to ask research questions, upload documents, get help with translations, participate in discussions, discover new resources, or learn about upcoming webinars and events. Many users receive responses to their questions within three days. You may also want to check out FamilySearch Genealogy Research Groups to find a Community or alternate Facebook group relevant to your ancestor's locality.