Vancouver Washington FamilySearch Center

Welcome to the Vancouver, Washington Family History Center! We are located in East Vancouver and look forward to serving you in all of your family research endeavors!

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location on Map

Address:


 * 18300 NE 18th St Vancouver WA 98684 United States

(entrance to the Family History Center is on the north side of the church building. Enter through the main doors, and turn left to find the Family History Center entrance.)

Phone:


 * 1-360-944-5773

E-mail:


 * [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

Open Hours

 * Tuesday: 10:00am-2:00pm and 6:30pm-9:00pm
 * Wednesday: 10:00am-2:00pm and 6:30pm-9:00pm
 * Thursday: 10:00am-2:00pm
 * Saturday: 10:00am-2:00pm

Holiday Schedule
In 2017, we will be closed in observance of the following holidays:

4th of July (July 1 - July 4) Summer Vacation (July 24 - August 7)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            FHC Annual Picnic (August 12) Labor Day (September 1 - September 5) General Conference (September 30 - October 2) Thanksgiving (November 19 - November 27) Christmas/New Year's (December 19, 2017 - January 1, 2018)

Learning the Basics Can Be Fun!
This small class environment will allow participants to learn basic techniques of Family Search in order to better preserve their family history. The class will be hands-on, which allows for better learning. We will cover basic information related to Family Search which will allow users to get started researching their family tree. If you are a beginner, this class is for you.

Class limit: 9 participants

Thursday, May 4, 2017  6:30pm - 8:00pm

Seating is limited, only those registered will have a reserved seat. To Register:  Call 360-944-5773 during our open hours (see above) or email:  [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

Your Family Tree: How to View, Change, and Add Sources
Participants will learn how to use the various viewing features found in FamilySearch Family Tree. They will also learn how to change information in their Family Tree. If time permits, we will also discuss how to appropriately add sources to document your ancestor's life and history in Family Tree.

This class will be held:

Thursday, April 27, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Seating is limited, only those registered will have a reserved seat. To Register:  Call 360-944-5773 during our open hours (see above) or email:  [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

INFORMATION IS THERE JUST FOR THE TAKING: The Value of "HINTS"
You will learn several ways to find "hints" for your ancestors. You may see the various ways these "hints" bring you closer to understanding who your ancestors were, where they came from and possible surprises. Participants will learn how to attach these "hints" properly and how this verifies information on your site.

This class will be held twice:

Monday, May 15, 2017 10:30am - 12:00pm

Thursday, June 1, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00 pm

Seating is limited, only those registered will have a reserved seat. To Register:  Call 360-944-5773 during our open hours (see above) or email:  [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

SIMPLE TIPS FOR EASIER FAMILY HISTORY WORK
In this class Participants will learn how to find records, the importance of documenting your ancestors information, working with others on your line, merging duplicates and the value of Tree Seek.

This class will be held:

Thursday, May 25, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Seating is limited, only those registered will have a reserved seat. To Register:  Call 360-944-5773 during our open hours (see above) or email:  [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

UNTAPPED RESOURCES: Take advantage Of Sources On Family Search That In The Past May Have Been Hidden From You
This class will discuss 70% of documents on Family Search that you may have never known exist, where they are or how to find them.

This class will be held twice:

Monday, June 19, 2017 10:30am - 12:00pm

Thursday, September 7, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Seating is limited, only those registered will have a reserved seat. To Register:  Call 360-944-5773 during our open hours (see above) or email:  [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

HOW CAN I MAKE MY FAMILY SEARCH EFFORTS MORE EFFECTIVE?
This class will help you get organized, identify your family lines, form a strategy and teach how to use Family Search tools.

This class will be held:

Thursday, June 22, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Seating is limited, only those registered will have a reserved seat. To Register:  Call 360-944-5773 during our open hours (see above) or email:  [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]

MORE CLASSES WILL BE SCHEDULED STARTING IN SEPTEMBER - SEE YOU THEN

Staff Training Meetings
We hold Training Meetings for all Temple and Family History Consultants the 2nd Thursday of every month (6:30 - 8:00 pm) in the Family History Center. The exception is in July, August, and December.

In 2017, dates of staff meeting are as follows: January 12; February 16; March 9; April 13; May 11; June 8; July (no staff meeting); August 12 (Saturday - our annual picnic from 5:00 - 6:30 pm at Pioneer Park); September 14; October 12; November 9; and December (no staff meeting).

Collections

 * FamilySearch Catalog: This center has the ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * We have a large number of microfilm containing images of WA birth and death Certificates.

Databases and Software
FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions, including:

The 19th Century British Library Newspapers digital archive–Find.galegroup.com Access Newspaper Archives–Newspaperarchive.com Alexander Street Press, American Civil War–Alexanderstreet.com Ancestry.com–Ancestry.com ArkivDigital Online–Arkivdigital.net Find My Past–Findmypast.co.uk 1911 British Census (accessed through the Find My Past website) Fold3 (formerly Footnote.com)–Fold3.com Historic Map Works Library Edition–Proquest.historicmapworks.com/ Kinpoint Premium-Kinpoint.com Legacy Stories - Legacystories.org MyHeritage-Library Edition-MyHeritageLibraryEdition Paper Trail–Genealogytoday.com ProQuest Obituary Listings-Obituaries.proquest.com Puzilla-Puzzilla.org World Vital Records–Worldvitalrecords.com

See this link for more information on these collections.

Hardware and Equipment

 * 8 computer work stations (touch-screen) with printer access for patron use
 * Scanner for copying film or fiche images to flash drive or paper
 * Wi-fi access
 * 7 microfilm readers
 * 2 microfiche readers
 * 3 Lexmark printers
 * Photo/document scanner for use with Family Search
 * 1 HP color printer
 * 1 Flatbed scanner

Resources in the Local Area
Clark County Genealogical Society: http://www.ccgs-wa.org/

Fort Vancouver Regional Library Genealogy Resources: http://www.fvrl.org/resources/genealogy

Links
RootsTech 2017 Links: https://www.rootstech.org/rootstech-2017

RootsTech 2016 Video Archive: https://www.rootstech.org/videos

Volunteer at the Center
If you are interested in being a consultant in our center, please send us an email: [mailto:WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net WA_Vancouver@ldsmail.net]  Typically, consultants volunteer between 3 - 4 hours each week, assisting patrons with their family history research.