“Finding Your Place at the Library” is the National Library Week theme, which runs from April 19 to 25. It is a particularly apt theme at the Family History Library.
Despite national quarantines and the closure of facilities, the Family History Library staff continues to help people discover their heritage and connect with their past. Using the library’s online resources, you can continue to find your place at the library and find out more about your family—right from your living room! Here are five ways to get started.
1. Explore Online Discovery Experiences and In-Home Activities.
The Discovery Page presents half a dozen ways to explore your heritage:
- Pinpoint your ancestors’ homes on an interactive, global map, and explore the heritage of your homelands. Follow your family’s movement through the generations, and discover the locations of major world events.
- Learn what is special about your name and birth year.
- Using computer facial comparison technology, see which ancestor you most resemble.
- Save your family stories for posterity in your voice and words.
- Fit yourself into your family’s past by viewing your face in historical photos.
- Find ideas for family activities as you discover, gather, and connect with your family past, present, and future.
2. Stay Connected via Live Communities
Join the FamilySearch Live Community by participating in a Facebook or Instagram Live session hosted on our FamilySearch and Instagram channels. Each session focuses on different topics. Instagram Live takes place on Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. mountain time. Facebook Live streams on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. mountain time.
3. Watch a Free Webinar from Our Experts
The free Family History Library live webinars are taught by our experts. These informative classes help participants learn new family history skills. Check our schedules for upcoming classes, and participate live in our seminars, where you can ask questions and follow along with the class handouts provided on the site.
Missed the webinar you were looking for? Webinar classes are recorded for ready accessibility. Explore the listing of past research seminars and download the handouts. For other expert help and advice, check out the FamilySearch Help Center.
4. Join the FamilySearch Community
Need some research assistance on a specific question? Is reading a record entry a challenge? Looking for ideas of where to search next? Join a FamilySearch Community (see video) to mingle with like-minded people and share everyone’s expertise. Our professional genealogists are part of these groups to help answer questions.
Ask questions and get answers from our experts or the experiences of others, or reach out with your experience to help others. Watch our tutorial to learn how to navigate these websites easily to maximize value for you.
5. Search Records
Use our extensive record collection—the largest in the world—to dig deeper and do family history research. Many of the library records, including some books, are available online!
What better way to celebrate National Library Week from home than by using Family History Library resources?
Source: Family Search