Santa Barbara California FamilySearch Center

This article describes the services and resources available at a FamilySearch Center, a branch facility of the FamilySearch Library.

This Center is a partner with the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City.

COVID-19 UPDATE
WE ARE OPEN and ready to help you with your family history needs and research questions. Please be advised that wearing a mask or face shield at this time is not required but if you feel more comfortable, you are welcome to wear protection as you visit the center. We ask visitors to use the provided hand sanitizer prior to using the computers If you have any questions, just give us a call - we are happy to help. Hope to see you soon!

Before You Come
If you have a FamilySearch account, don't forget to bring your Username and Password for logging into your account. If it has been awhile since you logged into FamilySearch, we also encourage you to bring your cell phone, if you have one, and your email account Username and Password as well. This will allow you to retrieve a code from FamilySearch just in case you have trouble with your sign-in process. If you don't have a FamilySearch account, we can help you set up a FREE account - just be prepared to access either your cell phone or email (via your cell phone) as listed above.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 2107 Santa Barbara Ave Santa Barbara CA 93105 United States
 * Please park on Santa Barbara St. and enter at the FamilySearch Center door towards the rear of the building.
 * Press the doorbell on intercom to gain entrance.
 * Languages: English & Spanish

Phone:


 * 1-805-682-2092

E-mail:


 * CA_SantaBarbara@familyhistorymail.org

Open Hours:


 * Wednesdays 10am to 4pm and 1st Saturday of the month 1pm to 4pm.

For information please contact FamilySearch Center Consultant Larry Basham 805-680-9572

Holiday Schedule:


 * Closed holidays, Thanksgiving week and Christmas week thru New Years
 * Closed the 1st Saturday in April & October

FSC Class Schedule
Live classes on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 10am to 11am (Call for current class titles. Larry Basham 805-967-8995)

Microfilm & Microfiche are no longer available
All films have been digitized and most are available to see at the FamilySearch Center. All of our films and viewers have been returned to the Salt Lake City FamilySearch Library.

Collections

 * FamilySearch Databases & Premium websites (see below)
 * FamilySearch Center Portal This center has access to the FamilySearch Center Portal which gives free access to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions, these include: 19th Century British Library Newspapers, Alexander Street, American Ancestors, Ancestry (Institution Edition), ArkivDigital, FamNet, FindMyPast, Fold3, Geneanet, Irish Ancestors, MyHeritage (Library Edition), NewspaperArchive, Paper Trail and Puzzilla.

Hardware and Equipment

 * This Center has 16 computers with access to FamilySearch and a variety of premium websites.
 * Lexmark Copier/Printer/Scanner (no charge for copies)
 * Wireless access to the Portal Premium websites now available in the Center on personal laptops and tablets
 * All services are free of charge

Staff Help

 * Our FamilySearch Center is staffed by local volunteers who can help get you started with family history research. They can guide you in using FSC resources and equipment. If you're planning a visit to our center to begin your genealogy, write down what you know about the family you wish to research: Names, birth/death dates, and Birth/Death City and State. This will help our volunteers guide you where to look.


 * Memory sticks/jump drives can be used to download information from the computers.
 * Patrons may bring their own laptops for note-taking or entering information into personal genealogical programs.

Resources in the Local Area
The Santa Barbara Genealogical Society's Sahyun Library is open to the public and is located at 316 Castillo Street on the ocean side of Highway 101. Take the Bath Street exit going North, or the Castillo Street exit going South on 101. The Library contains over 20,000 volumes, 600 CD-ROMS, and a large collection of newsletters and journals from many genealogical societies all over the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain and other countries.

Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10 am to 4pm, Third Saturdays 1 to 4pm, Most Sundays 1 to 4 pm.

Links
Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society

Ventura Genealogical Society

San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society

Volunteer at the Center
Community volunteers are welcome. Contact Larry Basham at ca_santabarbara@familyhistorymail.org