Records, Records, Records

Whenever I have visited the Family History Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC), I have felt like it is genealogy-heaven!  Rows and rows of books, microfilm and microfilm readers.  What is microfilm you ask?  It is a film-roll containing microphotographs of documents  One roll of film may contain more than 2,000 images.  These included family histories and vital records.

The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints actively visited court houses and scanned their public records to microfilm. As items were submitted they were often microfilmed to save space. There were about 100,000 films available back in my early research days.  I can tell that from my pre-teen handwriting where I transcribed what Family History Library number was on the box. 

Fast forward to year 2000 when there were about 4,000,000 films and many more microfiche which is an even more condensed storage method.  These were available in SLC and you could request them on loan at local Family History Libraries, paying short term fee.

After 83 years, FamilySearch announced the completion of a massive project to digitize its collection of millions of rolls of microfilm. 

You can see the press release here:

FamilySearch Completes Digitization of Microfilm Collection

The September 21, 2021 press release Announces completion of its 2.4 million rolls of microfilm.  The images contain over 11.5 billion names from 200+ countries.

Amazing to think that back in 1938 when the Genealogical Society of Utah began utilizing microfilm to preserve images it was state-of-the-art technology.  One can only imagine what the future of genealogy technology will look like!

In 2017 FamilySearch ended its microfilm loan distribution to family history centers.  In 2019 the Covid Pandemic intensified the need for research to be completed outside the library which closed its doors for a time.

Now, instead of having to make the trip to SLC to view the film – you can now log into FamilySearch and find the film roll.

Not all records are indexed (that is in progress) but the Images feature enable users to peruse digitized images from the microfilm collection.

You do need to register with FamilySearch, but the site is free.  My grandma, who took me to SLC library when I was a teenager, would be shocked to learn that I view these documents from my recliner.  Things like Irish church birth records from the 1700’s, census records, national and international sources.

Family history and random genealogically-related subject and location titles can be searched.  These records include death records, marriages, census, land, military service, immigration, and other types of documents.

To gain access to microfilmed holdings visit http://www.familysearch.org/films .

Some documents may be restricted (i.e. most states limit access to birth records for 75 years). FamilySearch website has excellent tutorial guides and videos!

So check it out and let me know what you find!

PS/ I knew, even as a kid, genealogy would become a “thing” some day!

Here is an example of what the screens look like:

Film # 1,783,645 Cincinnati Medical Records –

This record does have an index.  Scroll page by page like you would on a microfilm reader.

Then find the name or page.  Lucas, Albert C. This one was tricky because the numbers do not seem to match – but I could go by date and narrow it down.
This is a Tuberculosis Hospital Report.