Anyone can use the extensive online resources of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) without leaving home. Simply point your web browser to http://www.familysearch.org. However, anyone who visits any of the more than 4,500 Family History Centers around the world can also access additional online databases at no charge, databases that normally are either not available to private individuals or else available only for a fee. Thousands of people access these databases by using computers at nearby Family History Centers or at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
The Church offered access to Ancestry.com from each of its Family History Centers and from the Family History Library until recently. That agreement was terminated a few weeks ago, as described in an earlier article in this newsletter at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/03/ancestrycom_ter.htm. However, the Church now is moving rapidly to offer new online content. The rumor mill says that several new online services will soon be made available through the Family History Centers as well as to anyone who visits the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Indeed, one information provider has already made an announcement of a new partnership. See the article on "Godfrey Memorial Library and FamilySearch Centers Announce Partnership" at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/05/godfrey_memoria.html.
More announcements are expected in the next few days at the annual National Genealogical Society Conference in the States and Family History Fair. I expect to write about each announcement as the information is released.
This should be a very interesting week for anyone who uses online genealogy resources!
Minor point: FHCs still offer access to Ancestry.com. While the number of databases they can access on Ancestry.com have been curtailed, it hasn't been eliminated completely.
Posted by: Russell | May 13, 2007 at 08:37 PM
Just to save everyone the lookup, the things that are still available from Ancestry.com at a FHC are: "the 1880, 1900 and 1920 U.S. censuses, full name indices for the British 1841-1891 censuses (England and Wales), World War I draft cards, and a few additional smaller databases."
I too look forward to see what this week brings as I've heard a rumor of another provider coming on-board.
Posted by: Russell | May 13, 2007 at 08:41 PM
I hear World Vital Records is scheduled to make an announcement on Wed at 11 a.m. I will watch your newsletter to see what the announcement is - though I have my suspicions.
Posted by: Renee Zamora | May 14, 2007 at 01:52 AM
And as of last week, whatever technical problems there were with allowing FHL patrons to log-in to their own personal Ancestry.com accounts were resolved - at least at the Main Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
I.e. if you have your own account, there is now a link on the FHL in SLC computers for you to log-in to it. If you don't, you can still log-in to the limited Family History Library Edition of Ancestry.com.
I don't know about the FHCs besides the main FHL.
Posted by: Upton Sinclair Lewis | May 14, 2007 at 07:33 AM
I overcame not being able to access my personal Ancestry.com account at the local Family History Center by going to Google and entering Ancestry.com. in the search box. When Ancestry.com quickly came up, I was able to log-in there and had no problems. Make it a favorite so it is quicker to log-in the next session. Remember, however, to sign out after each session or your account will be open to all who follow you.
Posted by: Marlene Coleman | May 14, 2007 at 09:47 AM
We had several patrons at the FHC who had their own accounts with Ancestry.com and were unable to log in at the FHC. I designated one computer for patron log-in by deleting the cookies and thereby forcing the computer to forget the FHC log-in information.
The rest of the computers still have FHC login...
Posted by: Kathy Nevin | May 14, 2007 at 06:29 PM
The FHC Director at Yakima, Washington was told by SLC that he was not to allow patrons or staff members to log on to their personal accounts for Ancestry.com at the FHC. Has that changed?
Posted by: Elizabeth Watkins | May 15, 2007 at 11:47 AM