Learning on ‘Familysearch’
By Angelo Coniglio
In addition to providing the capability to search for genealogical records, the free Mormon site familysearch (https://familysearch.org/) has many other resources. One of these is the on-line ‘Learning Center’ which has hundreds of on-line genealogy courses. Unfortunately, finding the Learning Center is not intuitive. To find it, at the top right of the main page, click on the link to ‘Get Help’; then, under ‘Self Help’, click on ‘Learning Center’.
A faster way is to simply bookmark the page https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html. On the left of resulting page you’ll see an alphabetized list of Place, Skill Level, Subject, Format, and Subject Language. You can filter the results by place; your skill level (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced); and subject (birth, marriage, death; court, military, etc.). You can select a format like ‘Interactive Slides’; ‘Video and Slides’; or ‘Video Only’. It’s good to have a reasonably fast browser, as many videos run about an hour.
The search options you’ll see will depend on your experience level. If you click ‘Beginner’, you’ll see the largest list. When you select a topic, one or more on-line lessons will be listed. For example, if you select ‘United States’ and ‘Census’ you’ll be able to choose from a variety of lessons, including ‘How to Find Your Ancestor’s 1940 Street Address’; or ‘Beginning Census Search and Record Keeping’ as well as many, many more. The number and quality of these lessons are so great that I can’t do them justice here. Under ‘Place’, select Italy. There are six videos on Italian genealogy: ‘Basic Italian Research’; and ‘Italian Script (handwriting) Tutorial’; as well as ‘Reading Italian Handwritten Records, Lessons 1, 2 and 3, on the Italian Alphabet, Words and Phrases, and Italian Records. There is also a lesson presented in the Italian language: ‘Storia di Famiglia’ (Family History). I’ll give one example of an Italian-oriented lesson. Other lessons are available for Italian research and for many other nationalities, on a number of subjects.
‘Basic Italian Research’ is a one-hour lesson, presented in English. Among other topics, it explains the Napoleonic system of civil record-keeping that was used throughout Europe from the early 1800’s, including the duchies and city-states of the northern Apennine peninsula as well as the regions and provinces of The Kingdom of Sicily (later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies). The lesson promises that after taking it, you’ll be able to describe how history affected record keeping; list major record types and what can be found in each; and use websites and other resources to get started. The video includes images of actual birth, marriage and death records, in the Italian language with important words and phrases highlighted. The records are then translated, and explained. Several different formats are covered. This is a great lesson for beginners.
In all, the Mormon site is a free, voluminous source not only of records, but of ways to learn how to use them. Visit familysearch and “surf around”. You’ll be amazed at the number and kinds of information and advice available there, and if you’re serious about finding and interpreting documents revealing the lives of your ancestors, familysearch is a web site with which you should definitely become familiar.
Hand in hand with the Mormon website, you should locate a nearby Mormon FamilySearch Center (FSC), also called Family History Centers (FHC). An FSC’s volunteers, and usually its other patrons, will help you with records on hand at the center, as well as to use the center’s computers to access familysearch.org and other informative sites. To find a center near you, go to http://bit.ly/LocateFSCs. You’ll see a map dotted with blue flags. Zoom in to the region you want and click on the flags to see the address, hours of operation, and telephone number for the FSC that you choose. Some areas have more than one Center. The resources and staff for these Centers vary with the region they are in, and due to staffing or other constraints not all of them can provide the same service. Call or visit them, ask about coverage of your specific interests, and pick one that you feel can best support those interests.
Coniglio is the author of the book The Lady of the Wheel, inspired by his Sicilian research. Order the paperback or the Kindle version at http://bit.ly/SicilianStory. Coniglio’s web page at http://bit.ly/AFCGen has helpul hints on genealogic research. If you have genealogy questions, or would like him to lecture to your club or group, e-mail him at genealogytips@aol.com
