Hidden Resources on FamilySearch.org: Free Classes

Over the past 8-10 months, the LDS Church has made some grand changes to the classic FamilySeach site located at www.familysearch.org.  I want to share some of the hidden jewels on this site that can help you ‘hack’ into your family history in a new 3-Part Series.  If you just use the site for what is available on the home page, the basic search options, you will only scratch the surface of what is available.

Research Courses:  Free online research videos.  I love the Chinese Proverb; “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”  The same applies here and why I start with the Learn Resources.  When you navigate over to www.familysearch.org click on the LEARN tab at the top. You have 3 different areas of Learning that you can spend hours on; Research Wiki, Resource Courses and Get Started.

I want to start with the Resource Courses.  Once you click there you will be able to view over 140 online videos that have been divided by categories.  Whether you are a beginner in family history research or a long-time researcher, you will find valuable information.  Some of the classes include everything from Beginning Genealogy: 5 Minutes Genealogy, to Russian History, Geography, Records, and Resources and everything in between.  There are even several lessons in Spanish.  I would take the time to see what is available and to check back often as additional resources are being added all the time.  Keep an eye on the category list on the right side of the page so you can jump to a category for quick navigation.  This page will also tell you how long each video is so you can plan your time around your busy schedule.  The best part of the video series is that once you start viewing the video of the presenter, you will also view the slide show presentation which is similar to a PowerPoint Presentation to the right.  Such a huge amount of information and all of this is provided free of charge and not just LDS Church members, but for the community as well.

The next two articles in this series will cover the FamilySearch Wiki site, Family History Library Catalog & Historical Books and finally TechTips & FamilySearch Blog.

One last mention.  Did you know that FamilySearch is on Facebook and YouTube?  Both can be found at www.facebook.com/familysearch and www.youtube.com/familysearch Both sites will give you additional nuggets of information to keep your research techniques fresh and up to date.