The FamilySearch.org Catalog and the Microfilm Issue

Summary of this post:

On June 26, 2017, FamilySearch announced the next phase of its digital fulfillment strategy which included discontinuing its microfilm rental service (See Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm) for digital access. It said that over half of its vast 2.4 million rolls of microfilm were now digitally available for free online. The question is, where? The answer is first in the FamilySearch Catalog, and then in the Historic Collections. FamilySearch is digitizing 1,500 microfilms per day and another 150,000 images from digital cameras in the field. Those images are being published right into the Catalog.

Watch this quick video "Where are the digital records on FamilySearch.org?" to find how to locate and use this rich resource.

Where are the Digitized Records on FamilySearch.org

The FamilySearch.org Catalog is more than a reference tool, it is actually the primary window into the vast, ongoing FamilySearch digitization project to digitize the 2.4 million rolls of microfilm in the fabled Granite Vault. The short video that the Brigham Young University Family History Library uploaded describes where the links to all these records are located.

I frequently mention the value of the FamilySearch Catalog in classes and other presentations and I am frequently surprised at the lack of awareness of the value of the Catalog even among experienced genealogical researchers. I have done two additional videos about catalogs.

Catalogs: The Key to Using FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com - James Tanner I

Catalog Searches by James Tanner

It looks like it is time to write about catalogs more than I have in the past.