London Ontario FamilySearch Centre

Welcome
OUR GOAL : The goal of the London Ontario FamilySearch Centre is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history. We provide personal one-on-one assistance to patrons, access to genealogical records through the Internet and with resources in the library.

OUR LOCATION : We are located at 1139 Riverside Drive, London, Ontario. See contact information for more details (See "Location on Map" link below).

OUR STAFF : The center is staffed by volunteer members of local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as non-Latter-day Saint genealogy enthusiasts from the community. More experienced volunteers may be able to assist you with specific research challenges. (See "Staff Research Specialties") below.

YOUR FIRST VISIT : To make your first visit most effective...


 * collect and organize the information you already have.
 * bring with you to you first visit as much information as you have about the ancestor you wish to research, including available birth, marriage and death information and we will help you move forward from there.
 * call the Centre before you plan to make your first visit especially if you have a specific question or geographical area of interest (519- 473-2421).The answering machine does not take messages so call during centre " open hours " below.

With this information we can tell you in advance if we have a volunteer who has is a specialist in your area of interest.

Centre Contacts and Hours
'''**NOTICE: WE ARE OPENING SLOWLY,  CURRENTLY OPEN WEDNESDAY 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, THURS. 10:00 AM to 1:00PM and THURS 7PM -9PM ONLY* * the 1st Saturday of every month 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Please check back regularly for updates.'''

Address : 1139 Riverside Drive in London, Ontario N6H 2T7 Canada If you go to the back of the building, west door, there is a buzzer to ring so that a staff member can let you in.

Centre Location on Map

Phone : (519) 473-2421

E-mail:    [mailto:ON_London@familyhistorymail.org ON_London@familyhistorymail.org]

Open Hours: Wed. 10 AM to 1 PM, Thurs. 10 AM to 1 PM and 7 PM to 9:00 PM, 1st Saturday of every Month 9 AM to 2 PM

Summer Schedule

 July :

Closed Canada Day Weekend

 August :

Closed for Civic Holiday Weekend

Open Wed and Thurs: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

 September :

Closed For Labour Day weekend

Regular Hours Resume

Wednesday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Thursday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm; and 7 pm - 9:00 pm

Holiday Schedule:

Closed the Saturday of Holiday Weekends such as Thanksgiving, Easter, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day and for two weeks during Christmas Holidays.

In the event of inclement weather, we may also be closed. For 2023, We are closed from Dec 21 to Jan 10th for Christmas.

During June, July and August, we are open fewer hours but our answering machine will give you current hours. (Please note that the machine does not take messages).

Announcements
 DISCONTINUANCE OF MICROFILM ORDERING 

FamilySearch has discontinued its 80-year-old microfilm distribution service. The transition is the result of significant progress made in FamilySearch’s microfilm digitization efforts and the obsolescence of microfilm technology.

 17 Family History Things You Can Do If You Only Have a Few Minutes 

Sometimes life gets in the way, and you can't find a decent stretch of time to sit at your computer or go to the library and do some genealogy. 5 or 15 minutes might not be enough to delve into the life and times of your most stubborn brick wall ancestor, but it is enough time to do one of these quick genealogy tasks:

• Check your tree and make sure you have a 1940 census entry for everyone alive at the time. For the missing ones, you can search the 1940 census for free. • Search the Social Security Death Index for US folks who died after 1962. • Run a Google Books search for an ancestor you don't have much on. • Open mystery genealogy files on your computer, see what they are, and rename them according to a system. Now you know what the file is without opening it. • File the loose genealogy files on your computer desktop, or the papers on your actual desktop. • Write two paragraphs about an ancestor's life. • Any relative you don't have burial information for, search for him or her on Find A Grave, BillionGraves and/or Interment.net. • Transcribe a record into your family tree software (or wherever you keep record transcriptions). • Add to Great-grandma's or another relative's life timeline, using your family tree software. • Read a few pages of a county or family history. • Check your favourite genealogy blogs for the latest news. • Call an older relative and make an appointment to visit and talk about family history. • Scan several photos. • Write a journal entry or blog post. • Share a genealogy find with your family on Facebook. • Think of all the crazy ways last names in your family could be spelled, and write them all down so you can try them when you search genealogy websites. • Tag photos in your photo-organizing software.

[[Image:Cumulus clouds in fair weather.jpeg]]    WEATHER ALERT AND EMERGENCY CLOSING
== The centre is OPEN according to the schedule above, If you are considering visiting the centre during inclement weather, please call us before you come. We don't want anyone taking unnecessary risks. ==

Centre Resources
Centre Resources :

As one of 4600 FamilySearch centres worldwide, The London Ontario FamilySearch Centre has...


 * the ability to view various microfilms and fiche in the Centre
 * free online search capabilities for names, indexes, and guides through Family Search/Family Tree online software
 * records and publications from many countries with an emphasis on Middlesex County and surrounding counties.
 * free access to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.
 * one-on-one help by consultant volunteers
 * complete set of Cemetery Records for Middlesex County, Elgin &amp; Huron Counties plus other cemetery records for various counties in Ontario

Databases and Software
This centre allows the general public access to the FamilySearch Center Portal page. There they will find premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. The special access that FamilySearch centers have been granted to these databases only works when the online services are accessed through a computer in a FamilySearch Center. Please note that entering the web sites of these providers through their regular, public URLs will not provide access to the full versions that have been authorized for FamilySearch center use. Below is a list of those databases on our computers:

19 Century British Library Newspapers Database

Access Newspaper Archive

Alexander Street Press - The American Civil War

Ancestry.com

ArkiveDigital Online

Findmypast

Fold3.com

Godfrey Memorial Library

Heritage Quest Online

LegacyStories

Paper Trail

MyHeritage

Hardware and Equipment
Brand new computers, microfilm readers, fiche reader, reader-printer, computer printer, photocopier. Due to the outdated technology of microfilm and microfiche, these resources will only be available for a short time before they are decommissioned.

Staff Research Specialties
England

Scotland

Ontario

If you have an interest in these areas and would like to visit, call ahead (519) 473-2421 to find out when these individuals will be in the centre. The answering machine does not take messages, you need to call when the centre is open.

Resources in the Local Area
The London Ontario FamilySearch Centre has (as well as what is noted above) an emphasis on Middlesex and surrounding counties with a comprehensive set of Cemetery Records for Middlesex County, Elgin, and Huron Counties plus other cemetery records for various counties in Ontario.

Links
Family Search Software FamilySearch


 * FamilySearch is a genealogy organization operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family history. FamilySearch gathers, preserves, and shares genealogical records worldwide. It offers free access to its resources and service online at FamilySearch.org, one of the most heavily used genealogy sites on the Internet.[2] In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than 4,500 FamilySearch centers in 70 countries, including the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Volunteer at the Centre
If you would like to volunteer at the London Ontario FamilySearch Centre please contact us during open hours mentioned above "Centre Hours and Closing Procedures" (519-473-2421). (Please note that our answering machine does not take messages.)