The four of the last five days I have spent doing research at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center and last night was the FamilySearch Blogger Dinner.
Congratulations go to Diane Loosle on being appointed Director of the Family History Library. She is going to be studying the “role of the Family History Library and 4,700 satellite branches worldwide called, Family History Centers, and how to make them discovery centers for people of all ages, not just a research facility.”
“In 2013-14, Diane says she has some very specific goals as the new director of the Family History Library:
1. Become more family and youth-oriented through providing interactive, discovery experiences.
2. Enhance the services of the Library through new collaborative research areas and better access to research staff.
3. Continue to bring the Library resources and staff knowledge to online patrons.
4. Engage more patrons from the geographic community surrounding the library.”
There are going to be youth and family oriented changes happening at the Family History Library. They are creating research collaboration spaces and staff is coming out from behind the desk and into these spaces. You will find computers, microfilm readers and staff in one space who are researching common interests.
There are 1.7 million names from historical records added to the website every day. The FamilySearch camera teams number 237 right now and their goal is to have 1000 in five years.
Family History Discovery Centers are going to be created in metropolitan areas in high tourist and high traffic neighbourhoods. They will be engaging for all age groups and knowledge bases. Three to five will be launched in the next twelve months.
Three Oral History Studios are being tested right now. You can bring a family member to the studio and interview them to capture their story. There is an HD video camera and you will be given a pre-programed flash drive to save the video. You are allotted an hour and fifteen minutes and the cost is $8 which is the cost of the flash drive. They need to pre-program the flash drive so you can’t bring your own.
FamilySearch Family Tree now has 950 million names, 41,686 are added every day and 27% are non LDS contributors. You will be able to upload documents by the end of the year.
Soon you will be able to scan your family photos at your local Family History Center. They will crop and upload your photos to your FamilySearch online account or you can bring them home and tag them.
Some of the FamilySearch third party apps are: FamilyMap, RootsMagic, Mobile Family Tree for iOS, Leaf, and Legacy mobile.
Rootstech are expecting 110,000 remote attendees in 2014. The BIG NEWS is that registration begins on Thursday 22 August 2013.
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