Columbus Georgia FamilySearch Center

In the Columbus, Georgia, Family History Center (FHC)'', we focus our efforts on the marvelous work of coming to truly know our family history and those who were part of it - including their stories. Our facility and consultants are available to help provide you with the tools to expand your family tree, and more importantly, come to really know who those people were - not just their names, dates, and locations. Additionally, a central purpose of this work for Latter-day Saints is that of providing the same sacred ordinances for our deceased ancestors as those in which we have been privileged to participate for ourselves. We stand ready to assist anyone in fulfilling those purposes.''

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

The entrance is located through a separate outside door halfway back on the south side of the building at:

4400 Reese Road

Columbus GA 31907

United States

1-706-563-7216

GA_Columbus@ldsmail.net

Calendar and Events
Tuesday: 10:00am-5:00pm

Thursday: 10:00am-5:00pm

We may be available for special events, meetings, or other times. Please contact the family history center to schedule these with a Temple and Family History Consultant.

Class Schedule
There are currently no classes scheduled. However, planning has begun for a fall Family History Discovery Day - a full day of activities designed to teach, inspire, and assist as you discover more and more about your family. Stay tuned for more information as plans become more concrete.

Staff Training Meetings
Stay tuned! Training is in the planning stages for all consultants. When it is done, it will be done thoroughly and correctly.

Collections
There are many books and other resources available. However, they are NOT available for lending purposes. Sadly some important resources have disappeared from the FHC. Please NEVER remove any books, periodicals, films, etc., from the FHC.

Many people over the years have ordered a large number of microfilms on an indefinite loan basis from the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Beginning in September 2017, no further microfilms can be ordered due to the fact that a very large percentage of them have now been digitized and are now available on line. This allows for home use and printing, rather than merely (and only) viewing them with the rather old microfilm readers currently available in the FHC. There is no current plan for removing microfilms already available in our FHC, and adequate notice would be provided if that policy changes.

Databases and Software
The main Church database is FamilySearch/Family Tree. While this is available for free to anyone, anywhere, there is a distinct advantage for using FamilySearch in the FHC on one of our computers. Some collections are restricted by their copyright holders, for example, and the Church is therefore restricted in how it can provide those collections for use. Therefore, even for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some collections cannot be viewed at home, but can be viewed on the FHC computers.

Additionally, there is a special FHC Portal. This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access to premium family history software and websites that are only available outside the FHC for a fee (for example, Ancestry.com, and others). While Ancestry.com is also available for free within Georgia public and University-system libraries, the FHC also has other web sites available without charge when using the FHC computers.

Center Services
In our center we have the following resources to help you reach your goals in genealogy: Film Readers Microfiche Reader Computers Films & Microfiche (note: Microfiche collections are being deleted from all FHC inventories, and some microfilm holdings may be eliminated in the future, though there are no immediate plans for doing so.) Films & Microfiche Rental (DISCONTINUED effective 8 September 2017) Temple and Family History Consultants

Links

 * FamilySearch Research Wiki: What It Can Do For You!: A comprehensive video presentation explaining the Wiki, navigating it, and some especially useful pages. Case studies demonstrate using the Wiki for genealogical research. Editing and adding articles to the Wiki are covered.

Volunteer at the Center
If you would like to volunteer at the Family History Center, please contact one of the staff who will help you begin the approval process. The FHC welcomes both LDS and non-LDS volunteers. We only ask that you keep the schedule you agree to keep, or arrange for a substitute whenever situations arise that require you to miss your agreed-upon schedule.