The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
Taking a Trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City
Hello Everyone ~
My husband is spending 2.5 weeks in the Salt Lake City area for business and has invited us to drive over (an 8 hour drive) for a weekend. As an anniversary gift, he is sending me over to the Family History Library for a whole day! I know this doesn't really cost anything, but he's finally starting to get the picture about what excites me! :) We have two young children, so it's an added bonus of some alone time!
Since I'm a recent addict to genealogy, I don't have years of research under my belt and this will be my first trip to the Library. Does anyone have any pointers on how to make the best of this trip? I know I should exhaust all my resources locally and online before visiting the library, but the opportunity has presented itself and I'm going to snatch it up! I only have about 2 weeks before this visit. I will be working to get all my records updated before I go (I'm still entering information found into my software program) so that I have all my information at my fingertips.
Are there things that I shouldn't waste my time on? I am a big fan of all the records online becuase it helps someone like me who can't make a lot of trips outside my home to support my hobby. So I'd rather save those types of things for when I'm home. Does anyone know if they have vital records such as birth records? I have an Ancestry.com world subscription, have been on the record search pilot site for Family Search, and have access to Newspaperarchive.com through my Ohio Genealogical Society membership. I'm hoping to find information at the library that would be difficult to find somewhere else and/or would save me money.
Should I focus on one ancestral line this trip or try to get info on several? I have one that I'm working on more than the others right now because I'm trying to find as much information on American soil before jumping overseas. This particular line seems to be going on forever, but I'm moving slowly through it. It is based in Ohio.
Sorry for my babbling... I'm feeling a little giddy and I have all these questions so that I don't waste any precious time there! I appreciate any advice anyone can give!
Monica
My husband is spending 2.5 weeks in the Salt Lake City area for business and has invited us to drive over (an 8 hour drive) for a weekend. As an anniversary gift, he is sending me over to the Family History Library for a whole day! I know this doesn't really cost anything, but he's finally starting to get the picture about what excites me! :) We have two young children, so it's an added bonus of some alone time!
Since I'm a recent addict to genealogy, I don't have years of research under my belt and this will be my first trip to the Library. Does anyone have any pointers on how to make the best of this trip? I know I should exhaust all my resources locally and online before visiting the library, but the opportunity has presented itself and I'm going to snatch it up! I only have about 2 weeks before this visit. I will be working to get all my records updated before I go (I'm still entering information found into my software program) so that I have all my information at my fingertips.
Are there things that I shouldn't waste my time on? I am a big fan of all the records online becuase it helps someone like me who can't make a lot of trips outside my home to support my hobby. So I'd rather save those types of things for when I'm home. Does anyone know if they have vital records such as birth records? I have an Ancestry.com world subscription, have been on the record search pilot site for Family Search, and have access to Newspaperarchive.com through my Ohio Genealogical Society membership. I'm hoping to find information at the library that would be difficult to find somewhere else and/or would save me money.
Should I focus on one ancestral line this trip or try to get info on several? I have one that I'm working on more than the others right now because I'm trying to find as much information on American soil before jumping overseas. This particular line seems to be going on forever, but I'm moving slowly through it. It is based in Ohio.
Sorry for my babbling... I'm feeling a little giddy and I have all these questions so that I don't waste any precious time there! I appreciate any advice anyone can give!
Monica
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by carol bartholomew on
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Hi,
Several years ago I purchased a program called gensmarts, it works with your genealogy program and gives you research tips to many libraries, including FHL with a printout. It sure helped me a lot as I only got a few hours at a time at thelibrary. It will give you recommendations based on your information in your family tree and gives you the title and call number. If you have the extra cash and can order on line I would get it.Go the store on ANcestry ;and it will link you to the site. I was able to find my g-g-grandfathers death record among other things. I know we all should be able to take the time to use the card catalogues, but sometimes there is so much information and so little time that we need all the help we can get.
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Permalink Reply by Lorraine Lee Callaway Wilson on
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Monica,
I am happy for you. there will be peole wainting to help you at every turn. Tell them up front your are fro out-of- town and how much time you have to spend there. You might consider looking a microflims that haven't been digitized because they are getting rather expensive to have them sent to you. Take your work from the area you want to search. If you go to familysearch.org there will be a place that tells you how to plan for a trip to the FHL. Ask questions from anyone with badge on and don't waste time with just looking around if you are on a tight schedule because a person could spend weeks just going from floor to floor. Get a map at the first desk you come to. Hope you find much information.
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