Back in December I reviewed a new Genealogy at a Glance, by George G. Morgan, on Ancestry.com Research. Morgan now has a new guide, Genealogy at a Glance: FamilySearch.org Research. Like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org is an enormous database collection of genealogically pertinent family trees, stories, photos, vital records, and documents. Both site share a lot of information and collaborate in bringing many resources to their patrons. Both sites represent the two most used and visited sites by genealogists. Morgan’s guides are designed to help any researcher learn to get the most form each site. But what does FamilySearch really offer?
Here are some of FamilySearch’s impressive statistics:
| Launch date | 24 May 1999 |
| Number of names in searchable databases | Over 3.5 billion |
| Number of historic records published online each month | Over 35 million |
| Number of digital images published online each month from original source documents | Over 33 million |
| Number of searchable historic record collections online | 1,363 |
| Number of indexed names published per year | Over 200 million |
| Number of visits per day | Over 10 million |
| Number of visitors per day | Over 85,000 |
| Number of pages viewed per day | Over 5 million |
| Page views since launch | Over 16.6 billion |
| Visits since launch | 712 million |
| Visitors since launch | 308 million |
| Number of online indexing volunteers | Over 200,000 |
| Number of registered users | Over 1 million |
| Number of family history centers | 4,600 in 126 countries |
| Number of digital books | Over 60,000 |
FamilySearch has 6.875 billion historic records on microfilm that are being digitized and eventually indexed. These records contain an estimated 20.6 billion names.
This guide covers the organization of materials at FamilySearch.org, how to search the various records, how to read search results, and how to get more help if you need it. You cannot fit everything into four pages, but Morgan, like other Genealogy at a Glance authors, did his best to fill these four pages with as much as he could.
Contents
Quick Facts
Overview
Create a Login ID
Primary Organization of Site
- Family Tree
- Memoirs
- Search
Searching and Browsing Records
- Searching Historical Records
- Search Results
- Browsing Record Collections
- Browsing Un-Indexed Images
Get Help and Learn
FamilySearch Blog
Volunteering
Find the help you need, and carry it with you, with your own copy of Genealogy at a Glance: FamilySearch.org available at Family Roots Publishing; Price: $8.77.
Click here to see a full listing of laminated guides available from Family Roots Publishing.