What It's Like to Research at the Family History Library

Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

Fun!
I'm on a flight enroute to Salt Lake City and am thinking about the first time I went to the Family History Library, not all that long ago. I was so happy I thought I'd pop. I felt like a five-year old on Christmas Eve. I was very excited about what I might find, but also a little nervous that it would be so overwhelming that it would take me days to get up to speed. Instead, I read up on it ahead of time and followed what so many sage authors told me to do. I'm not going to reinvent the wheel and go through everything you need to know, but I can point you to others who have already done so.

Prepare Ahead!

My fellow Genea-Blogger, Randy Seaver published a post, Preparing to Visit the Family History Library back in January of 2009 that was very helpful. And just as helpful are the comments left by his readers.

Kimberly Powell, About.com's genealogy guru, has a great introductory article, Research at the Family History Library, for new researchers.

EHow.com has an article, too including info on how to download the FHL's special bookmark collection onto your own computer which can be helpful before you go.

The old FamilySearch.org has a FAQ page which might answer some of your questions as well.

Take Advantage of the Tremendous Website

In order to use the library effectively, you should be familiar with the website at familysearch.org. It's layout is deceivingly simply. What first catches your eye is a search form. This is the home page, and where you do searches for information the FHL has uploaded to the website. You may have already used this, and will continue to use it while at the library as you update your information.

But let's look first to the bar at the top of that page.

While researching you will be concerned with the first two on the left. Click on FamilySearch to get back to the home page from wherever you are on the site.

If you click on Learn it will bring you to the FamilySearch Wiki. A wiki is like an encyclopedia, with the entries constantly being updated. This is where you go when you have a question and wish you had a live person to ask. It's the next best thing! For instance, I'll be doing some research in the Philippines, so I immediately went to the FamilySearch wiki page on the Philippines to find out what records have been created (and by whom), which ones have been filmed by the FHL, and which ones are available on familysearch.org. This is a tremendous asset to the researcher! So, of course I went to the wiki to learn tips and techniques for researching at the FHL.

Back at the home page you see this:

Look at the line with Historical Records, Family Trees and Library Catalog. Historial records are what have been uploaded and can be found on the FamilySearch website. Family Trees are submissions from all sorts of people and can be useful, but can have errors and should be verified. And finally, this is how you access the card catalog.

The Card Catalog is Your Best Friend

I'm going to assume you have done most of your preliminary research, though. Before you go you'll need to have your notes in order, with lists of things you intend to research. In order to do this, and to save precious research time, you should go into the Family History Library catalog. I don't want to give step-by-step instructions of anything here because the entire website is changing a lot these days, as they upload more and more information for lucky genies. But if you go to the wiki you'll find Introduction to the Family History Library Catalog which will help you get organized before you go. While you're doing your advance research, you'll be improving your skills and speed, and that will save you even more time at the library itself.

But what does it feel like to research at the Family History Library? 
Like the website, the library itself is deceptively simply in its layout. Upon entering you are greeted by friendly missionaries who are happy to direct you to the correct floor. Do not be concerned that the missionaries will try and convert you on the spot. On the whole I have found them to be extremely courteous and helpful in non-complex genealogical questions, and I think they understand that people are there to work. No one has ever discussed religion with me there. For more complicated questions you can ask someone at the central help desks.

Orientation
They do have an actual orientation, which can give you a better feel for the layout. Unlike most research facilities, there is no sign-in, no ID required, no research fee. It feels very open and free. So I usually wheel in my briefcase quite early (it opens at 8:00am) and find a good cubicle on the floor I want that day (3-US and Canada books, 2-US and Canada microfilm, 1-Family History books, B1-International and B2-British Isles). The only floor I don't use much is the first floor. My ideal cubicle is dark, has a fine microfilm reader, and enough room for my laptop and a notebook. I lock my computer to the furniture and off I go. You need to buy a copy card if you want to make photocopies, or even better, bring a flash drive and you can download your images directly to that!

Researchers at the Family History Library's microfilm readers

You are allowed to walk up and fetch your own microfilm or books, as many as you want (within reason, I'm sure) and again, no check-out, no watchful eye. It's very relaxing, and nice to feel you're trusted. There's always a quiet hum of pages turning, microfilm machines being cranked, people helping others, missionaries chatting with each other or helping, and photocopy machines running. OK, maybe not so quiet, but it all fades into white noise once you wind that microfilm up.

Cabinets full of microfilm documents from all over the world

The Thrill
The vast quantity of information contained under that one roof never ceases to amaze me. I frequently think to myself, "Well, I got more Massachusetts research done in Salt Lake City today than I could have in Massachusetts in three days." Why? Because there is no driving time. No waiting while clerks retrieve registers, or order volumes from an off-site location. It makes me feel so efficient! And then, not only can I research in Massachusetts and New England records, but I can go across the world. It's truly amazing. When doing Irish research, the mantra is always, "Do the bulk of your research here in the US, then cross the ocean." When you're in SLC you can do both! You feel like a world traveler. It's a great feeling!

Clients, Salt Lake City and the Ecstasy of Being

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. This is because I've been overwhelmed with client work! I'm appalled at myself, but am redeemed by the subtitled theme of my blog – "juggling genealogy and life." I have not perfected this juggling (and am doubtful I ever will), hence the hiatus.

The genealogy "half" of my life can be subdivided into genealogy for profit; genealogy marketing; genealogy volunteering; genealogy self-education; genealogy research pro bono for friends, potential clients and good will; and genealogy research for my own family. Yet, even the genealogy bits are difficult to juggle, and for the past month, I've been focused almost entirely on genealogy for profit, aka, client work.

Towards the end of 2009 I worked on a very large client report –– the study of a Massachusetts master mariner. This was a second phase of research and I'm partial to this client, so I laid it on thick, devoted a lot of extra time to the project and created a lovely biography. As time went by, I became ever more frustrated because I had accumulated so much information in the early research hours that writing the report took much more time than I had allotted. Though the client was happy with the end result, I vowed never, ever, ever, ever to get caught writing after the research. It takes discipline to stop researching and start writing before the allotted hours are all used up. I believe this is a vestige of my early amateur years, when I could research at will, postponing the writing until I had more information. The biggest change I made as I transformed into a professional was to be ultra efficient with my time, which no longer belongs to me but to the client.

For the first time, in 2009, I started to accumulate a lengthy queue of clients willing to wait until I was free. So, when I finally sent the big master mariner report off on 18 December I felt a huge relief. When I resurfaced after Christmas I immediately set out to prepare for my upcoming trip to Salt Lake City.

I first visited the FHL last year in January and it became immediately apparent that I can operate in high efficiency mode there. It is well worth the expense of travel, room and board to spend a week researching there. So much at my fingertips, no travel between courthouses, vital records offices, libraries or other repositories!  It is exhilarating to have so much at your fingertips, every day. The billable hours just piled up and research proceeded at a pace previously unbeknownst to me so I decided then that it would become an annual expedition.

So after the holidays I created research plans for each client in my queue, sent out contracts, then revised my templates. I hit the ground running in SLC and even though I vowed I'd write as I researched, I couldn't and still can't quite get it through my skull that I should sit down and craft a detailed report with proper citations etc. when I'm in a places as fruitful as the FHL. Sooooooooo, I've been writing ever since I got back! And that's why I haven't posted in a month. But don't worry. This time I stopped before my hours were consumed. The lesson has finally sunk in for good, I think.

I spent years and years learning all I could about genealogy via any means I could acquire. I took the NGS Basic Course in American Genealogy, attended NIGR, IGHR, subscribed to countless journals, bought many, many books, subscribed to mailing lists, joined societies, and attended lectures and conferences. Then I spent two years pursuing certification and when I resurfaced a year ago, certified and raring to go, I was finally ready to conquer the world in the form of taking clients full time. I am there, I have arrived, and it's a load of fun. SLC 2011, here I come!