The Virtual Help Desk from the BYU Family History Library

 

The Brigham Young University Family History Library (BYU FHL) has a virtual help desk. During the past year or so of the pandemic, the Family History Library had been expanding its online presence. The BYU Family History Library is part of the university's Harold B. Lee Library (HBL) on campus. The Family History Library is physically located in the main building of the library. 

If you don't already know, my wife and I have been serving as Church Service Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past seven, going on eight, years. We both provide one-on-one help to the patrons of the library, teach classes, record webinars and shorter videos, and teach the other missionaries. Because of our isolation during the pandemic, we have done all this primarily online. There are now about a hundred volunteers and missionaries who support the libraries programs.

The Virtual Help Desk is a rather recent addition. 

When you click on the link show above at the beginning of this post, you will see this link to the computer running an open Zoom program in the library during the hours shown right above, Monday- Thursday, 10 AM – 8 PM, Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM, Mountain Time. 

During the time the missionaries are in the library, one of the missionaries will be present to help you. There are other missionaries who are working from home and are also available to help during the time the library is open and here is an example of the current schedule for help in other languages. 

You can click on the image to see more detail. All times listed may change as the missionaries finish their missions or for other reasons. The library is on the university's academic schedule and so the library is closed for school breaks and holidays. You should check the schedule on the Family History Library's website to see if the library is open. 

Now how does this work? You open the BYU Family History Library website and click on the links. That is all there is to having personal, immediate help. We can help with technical questions and questions about other websites and Zoom. We have a lot of experienced people who are willing to help. 

One of the great advantages of this support effort is that Family History Centers from around the world can virtually expand their support base by over 100 missionaries. Some of these missionaries have extensive research experience in all parts of the world. It does help if you speak some English however. 

If you are a volunteer or patron of a Family History Center, you can click into the BYU Library have your questions answered. If you are sitting at home and are stuck signing into FamilySearch click on the link and get some help. Think about it. The library may not be online 24/7 but some of us are and you can make an appointment to talk to a specific missionary if you know who you want to talk to. That includes my wife Ann and me. There are, of course, some limitations. We cannot do your research for you, we can only help you find what you need. 

Now, we also have classes and webinars. The BYU Family History Library has a schedule of all these.  You might also want to explore the website for other resources. We also have Youtube Channel. See https://www.youtube.com/c/BYUFamilyHistoryLibrary

There are also a lot of additional resources in the library if you decide you want to make a physical visit.