A Virtual Tour of the Family History Library

The FGS 2015 conference is fewer than three months away and many attendees are already starting to dream about visiting the Family History Library while they are in Salt Lake City.

The Family History Library, which houses the world’s largest collection of family history materials, is within walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center and many conference hotels.  Some attendees will add a few days to their trip, either before or after the conference, while others may prefer to schedule some research time on conference days.

Library Hours

Normal hours for the library are:

• Monday: 8 AM to 5 PM
• Tuesday through Friday: 8 AM to 9 PM
• Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
• Sunday: Closed

The library will will be open 8 AM to 5 PM on Presidents Day (Monday, February 16) for those who are planning to research after the conference is over.

Library Layout

There are five floors: three aboveground levels and two basement levels.

Each floor has computers available for patron use, with access to the FamilySearch website, including the FHL Catalog, FamilySearch databases, and the major commercial databases. Restrooms are also available on each floor. Printers, copiers, and scanners can be found throughout the library.

The Main Floor, which is where you enter the library from the outside, has a reference desk where you can ask questions and buy a copy card (necessary if you want to make print copies from books or microfilm). There is a vending area, in case you want to grab a snack without leaving the library. There are also lockers, so that you can store your coat and other items that aren’t needed while researching.

There is also a new “Discovery Area” on the Main Floor. You can bring photos and documents from home and scan them using them using photo scanning equipment. Family Story booths in the Discovery Area allow you to make video and audio recordings and save them to a flash drive (2 GB flash drive recommended).

Repeat Library visitors will notice some changes to the B1, B2, and second floors. These floors have had reference desks in the past, but are being renovated to include new consultation areas. The B1 International floor, for example, now has separate consultation areas to assist patrons with European, Nordic, and Latin American research.

Finding Research Materials at the Library

Each floor is dedicated to a particular type of research material.

• Third Floor:  US Books and Maps
• Second Floor:  US and Canada Microfilms
• Main Floor:  Family History and Canada Books
• Basement 1: International
• Basement 2: British Isles

3rd Floor – US and Canada Books

The books in the Family History section on the Main floor are compiled genealogies, shelved in alphabetical order by surname. However, these books are being digitized and placed online at FamilySearch, so if you don’t find the book you are looking for, it may have been pulled off the shelf for digitization.

The other floors (as well as the Canada Books section on the Main floor) house locality books and/or microfilms. These include local history books, abstracts and transcripts, or images of original records for the locality.

2nd Floor – US and Canada Microfilm

Not all microfilm rolls are housed at the library. Be sure to review the FamilySearch Catalog ahead of time for any microfilm roll you may want to view.  Any items labelled “vault” must be ordered and can take up to three days to arrive, so it is better to pre-order those.

How to Get Help at the Library

Volunteers are available on each floor to answer questions. You can also sign up for a consultation with a research specialist.  A recent innovation allows you to continue researching while waiting for your consultation; you will receive a “restaurant-style” pager that will notify you when the research specialist is available to meet with you.

Close proximity to the Family History Library is only one of many reasons to attend the FGS 2015 conference. Have you registered yet? If not, check out the full program and register today.

FGS 2015 Early-Bird Discount Extended to Sep. 15th

The early-bird registration discount for the 2015 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference that was slated to expire tonight has been extended to midnight, Monday, September 15. That means you have three extra days to make that decision to gather with the nation's genealogists and family historians at the Salt Palace Convention Center (SPCC) in Salt Lake City, February 11–14, 2015.

This special early-bird discount will save you $20 off the early registration and $50 off the regular registration price! Need another reason? Take a look at the FGS program with three days filled with lectures designed to enhance your research skills. Additionally, Focus on Societies Day aims to give you new ideas and inspiration for helping your own society grow and prosper. Need yet another reason? The famed Family History Library is within walking distance of the SPCC and all four conference hotels.

Visit the FGS 2015 Conference website for details about sessions, speakers, luncheons, special events, and more. If you have questions about FGS 2015, ask them in the comments here or through any FGS social media channel.

Register by Monday to take advantage of this low price.

FGS 2015 Conference Program: Tracks for Researchers and Societies

The Federation of Genealogical Societies 2015 Conference program features a compelling group of tracks for both society leaders and individual researchers presented by many of the best genealogy speakers and educators. Over the next few months, we'll take a close-up look at each track, but today is about the big picture.

FGS 2015, scheduled for February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah, will have a mix of sessions focusing on methodology, records, technology, society issues, and topics specific to the general conference locale. Topics are designed for both the individual researcher and society leaders.

Focus on Societies Day, February 11, offers tracks designed to help society leaders better manage and grow genealogical societies of all sizes and levels.

Society Tracks:

• Benefits & Projects
• Communication for Today
• Genealogical Society Leaders and Visionaries
• Recruiting & Engaging
• Technology for the Future
• The 21st Century Genealogical Society for Today and Tomorrow

Sessions on Thursday, February 12, through Saturday, February 14, are designed for individual researchers of all experience levels from beginners to advanced. Genealogists often talk about brick walls, but learning sound methodology, where and how to find both the usual and unusual records, and information specific to the areas where your ancestors lived will help you tear down those walls.

Research Tracks:

• A Retro Look at Organization and Planning
• Answering Difficult Questions with Leading Questions
• Back to Basics
• Compiling Singular Records into Lively Stories
• Connecting to the Past with Military Commemorations
• DNA
• Ethnic Groups in the West
• Missionaries and Settlers
• Modern Access to Vintage Resources
• Origins
• Record Essentials
• Records and Methods for Your Consideration
• Standards and Practices
• Technology
• The Most Useful Records Hidden in Plain Sight
• Tried and True Methods
• Wagon Trains, Railroads, Migration, & Modern Transportation

The full program, including topics, descriptions, and speakers, is available on the FGS 2015 Conference website. We will spotlight each track over the next few months leading up to the conference in February. 

In the meantime, don't forget that Friday, September 12, 2014 is the last day to register for FGS 2015 for the lowest possible price.

Book Your 2015 FGS Alaskan Cruise Cabin Today

Book Your 2015 FGS Alaskan Cruise Cabin Today!

Book your cabin now for the upcoming FGS Alaskan Cruise scheduled to set sail August 28, 2015. Cabins in the FGS block are available now and must be booked via cruise travel agent Susan Smith of Cruises Inc. at: https://www.fgsconference.org/cruise/cruise-home/.

Cruise goers will enjoy 7 nights aboard Royal Caribbean’s luxurious Jewel of the Seas in the FGS’s maiden voyage of genealogy cruising. The Alaskan Cruise conference will feature over 20 sessions during sea days from an all-star cast of speakers - Elizabeth Shown Mills, David Rencher, Judy Russell, and D. Joshua Taylor. Activities include engaging social events, game nights, historic land excursions, and private dinner seating for fellowship with registered attendees. Twelve of the first 100 registrants will win individual consultations with the featured speakers. 

Cruise organizer and past FGS President Pat Oxley stated, “I hope everyone will come aboard with FGS on this new adventure where we combine the fun of cruising, the excitement of lectures by four top-notch speakers, and the splendor of Alaska, all packed into 7 days aboard a beautiful ship - it’s the perfect trifecta!”

The ports of call will include:

• Seattle, Washington
• Juneau, Alaska 
• Skagway, Alaska
• Victoria, British Columbia

Cruise goers will experience breathtaking views while cruising the Alaska Inside Passage and Tracy Arm Fjord. The FGS website https://www.fgsconference.org/cruise/cruise-home/ has full details about the ports of call, pricing, and how to place cruise reservations.