In addition to helping search for genealogical records, the free Mormon site FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org) has many other resources.

One of these is the online Learning Center, which has hundreds of online genealogy courses. Unfortunately, finding the Learning Center is not intuitive. To find it from the main page, at the top right, click on the link to “Get Help.” Under “Help and Learn,” click on “Learning Center Video Courses.”

A faster way is to simply bookmark the page (https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html). There, you’ll see a list of courses in English, alphabetized by country, as well as some courses in other languages.

Once you select a language, you can filter the results by country, your skill level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), and subject (birth, marriage, death, court, military, etc.).

You can select a format like “Interactive Slides,” “Video and Slides,” or “Video Only.” A reasonably fast browser is helpful, as many videos are an hour or so long.

The search options you’ll see will depend on your experience level. If you click “Beginner,” you’ll see the largest list. When you select a topic, one or more online lessons will be listed.

For example, if you select “United States” and “Census,” you’ll be able to choose from a variety of lessons, including “How to Find Your Ancestor’s 1940 Street Address” or “Beginning Census Search and Record Keeping” as well as many, many more.

The number and quality of these lessons are so great that I can’t do them justice here. I’ll give one example of an Italian-oriented lesson, but remember that similar lessons are available on a number of subjects and for many different countries.

“Basic Italian Research” is a one-hour lesson presented in English. Among other topics, it explains the Napoleonic system of civil-record keeping that was used throughout Europe from the early 1800s. The lesson promises that after taking it, you’ll be able to describe how history affected record keeping, list major record types and what can be found in each, and use websites and other resources to get started.

The video includes images of actual records in the Italian language with important words and phrases highlighted, translated, and explained. This is a great lesson for beginners, and much of the information is pertinent, regardless of your ancestral nation.

In all, the Mormon site is a free, voluminous source not only of records, but also of ways to learn to use them. Visit FamilySearch and “surf around.” You’ll be amazed at the number and kinds of information and advice available there, and if you are serious about finding and interpreting documents revealing the lives of your ancestors, FamilySearch is a website with which you should definitely become familiar.

Hand in hand with the Mormon website, you should locate a nearby Mormon FamilySearch Center (FSC), also called a Family History Center (FHC). An FSC’s volunteers, and usually its other patrons, will help you with records on hand at the center, as well as how to use the center’s computers to access FamilySearch and other informative sites.

To find a center near you, go to http://bit.ly/LocateFSCs. You’ll see a map of the world with blue flags. Zoom in to the region you want and click on the flags to see the address, hours of operation, and telephone number for the FSC that you choose. Some areas have more than one. If so, call or visit them all, and pick the one you like best.

Angelo F. Coniglio's 50Plus Author's Page