Several Significant Updates from FamilySearch

FamilySearch made a number of significant updates recently including a 1940 U.S. Census Indexing update. First from FamilySearch dated 22 May 2012 regarding the Census:

• More than 112,000 indexers have signed up to help index this census collection.
• After only 8 weeks, more than 40 percent of the project was fully indexed. 
• To date, 18 states have been completely indexed.  
• Another 4 states are more than 90 percent complete.
• Of the 18 states that have been fully indexed, 6 states have been posted as searchable indexes on FamilySearch.org.
• So far, after 8 weeks, more than 54 million records have been indexed. 

A new blog format for the Family History Consultant and Leader Newsletter and several new additions to the FamilySearch Family Tree program on track to replace New.FamilySearch.org. Here are the updates quoting from the Blog about changes to the Source Box:

• Folders. You can now use folders to organize the sources in your Source Box. Folders are listed alphabetically, with the number of sources in each folder shown in parentheses.
• All Sources folder. The default folder in the Source Box is the All Sources folder. The All Sources folder shows every source in your Source Box, even the ones that you moved into folders. In a few weeks, the Source Box will have a column that indicates which folder a source is in.
• Attached link. The Source Box now indicates which sources are attached to the ancestor that you are working on. If the source is attached to the ancestor, it has an icon that looks like two interlinked ovals.
• Attach. When your Source Box is open, you can attach any source in it to the ancestor that you have been working on. Simply click the title of the source that you want to attach. If the source has not been attached to the ancestor you are working on, you see an Attach link. Click it to attach it to that ancestor. We are interested in your feedback on attaching sources. Do you like this change? Opening the source before attaching it lets you see the citation and notes, which can help you decide whether to attach it.
• Remove. Many of you asked for a way to remove a source from your Source Box and leave it attached to the ancestors that you attached it to. Now you can. Click the title of any source, and you can remove it from your Source Box. Now you might ask, “If I remove a source, how do I put it back into my Source Box if I need it again?” We will soon introduce a new feature that lets you add any source, no matter who created it, to your Source Box. With this new feature, you can add a source you created back into your Source Box. You can also add anyone else’s sources to your Source Box.

Look for more updates in the near future.