Playlists on YouTube for the BYU Family History Library

With the present count of over 330 videos and many more to come, the Brigham Young University (BYU) YouTube Channel is now presenting playlists organized by topic.

I have been writing recently about the genealogical resources on Facebook.com, but I also need to emphasize the wealth of resources available on YouTube.com. Here is a short list of some Frequently Asked Questions about the BYU YouTube Channel and their answers.

Question: Why does the BYU Family History Library have a YouTube Channel?

The staff and the missionary-volunteers at the Brigham Young University are a diverse cross-section of genealogical interests and talents. Some of the missionary-volunteers are experts in certain aspects of genealogical research and many of them are capable teachers and have years of experience in helping patrons and others with their genealogical research. The BYU Family History Library also has an ongoing program of continuing education for all of the volunteer-missionaries and for patrons that come to the library. By extending their expertise online with classes and presentations, they can reach a much larger audience outside of those who can or might come to the Library in Provo, Utah.

YouTube.com is a Google website. There are over 1.3 billion videos on the YouTube.com website and over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube.com every minute. Almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube.com every day. The BYU Family History Library recognizes that YouTube is a major communication source for information on almost every topic. By utilizing this amazing information outlet, the Library is increasing its outreach worldwide.

Question: How does the BYU Family History Library YouTube Channel operate?

The individual volunteer-missionaries at the BYU Family History Library are regularly provided with a series of classes for continuing education. These shorter videos cover a variety of topics pertinent to increasing genealogical skills. Some time ago, it was decided to share these videos online on a BYU Family History Library YouTube Channel. In addition, some longer, one-hour classes presentations were added over time. As the Channel gained some viewers, it was further decided to add a pre-announced series of online, live webinars to the mix. The schedule for these webinars is on the BYU Family History Library website. The presenters are volunteers from around the local genealogical community.

 Question: Can viewers request a specific topic?

Yes, viewers can request a specific topic. Information concerning the library's email address is located on the Classes and Webinars page of the website.

Question: Why should I subscribe to the channel?

Subscribing to a particular YouTube channel enables the viewer to receive notifications of any new videos added to the channel. On the other hand, subscribing to the channel also assists the channel in gaining traction on YouTube. With the millions of videos being regularly added, focused channels such as the BYU Family History Library can be lost in the mass of videos being added. Subscriptions help the channel to gain visibility.