Family History Centers are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Founded in 1894, the Family History Library at present contains over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records. You can read more about the Family History Library’s beginning’s here.
There are over 1,800 Family History Centers in the United States alone and over 3,400 centers worldwide. These Family History Centers attempt to bring a vast majority of content from the Family History Library to you by providing a lending service for microfilm and microfiche from the Family History Library collection.
Family History Centers are volunteer staffed, so you know those who man the centers are there because they love Family History and they want to help you understand the resources the Family History Center has to offer. Note that staff will not do research for you but they will help you best utilize the resources offered, towards you doing your own family research. Some centers even hold classes for the public on various genealogical topics.
Most Family History Centers are located in meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and everyone is welcome to use them, always free of charge.
Many Family History Centers have published resources (books, histories, etc.) which of course vary from center to center. But all Family History Centers offer the following:
* The Family History Library Catalog on Microfiche
* Computers equipped with Personal Ancestral File.
* Computers equipped with Temple Ready (for Mormons.)
* Some microfilm and microfiche collections from the Family History Library. Those microfilms and microfiche that your library does not have on hand can be requested for loan to your local Family History Center for a small fee. Wait time is usually 2 to 3 weeks and the microfilm or microfiche you have ordered will be kept at your Family History Center for up to 1 month after it arrives, allowing you to come in and view it several times at your leisure.
Hours and days of operation vary from center to center, but you can easily find information about your nearest Family History Center here.
In addition some Family History Center’s offer internet access and/or subscriptions to various genealogical databases online such as Ancestry.com.
Don’t hesitate to call your local Family History Center to find out what resources they offer. Upon visiting you’ll find a wealth of information awaits you.
