FamilySearch.org Update: Looking at the Latest Changes

 

If you use the FamilySearch.org website frequently, you are probably aware that many parts of the website have been changing over the past year or so. On the other hand, if you only visit the website infrequently, you may be overwhelmed with the changes. However, in my opinion, the changes are mostly cosmetic and don't change the fundamental use of the website. 

The first major change is evident once you sign in. You get a personalized page with lots of suggested topics and such, including some recently added photos and documents. 

But now, there is a notice telling you that this is all about to change. This is a screen shot of my homepage preview. 

This whole page is customizable and so yours won't look like mine. 

One of the major facelifts is with the process of searching for records in the Historical Record Collections. Here is a screenshot of the new search page. 

You can click on the More Option button for additional fields. 

The number of clicks you need to start a search has increased. 

One new feature addresses the issue of restricted records. There is a new browser extension that gives access to Premium Content. This is only available and usable in a Family History Center and specifically with computers on the FamilySearch Portal. 

There is also a new selection in the menu bar at the top of each page called the "Get Involved" option. Here is a screenshot of the new Get Involved page with an arrow pointing to the Get Involved menu item. There is also a mobile app. The new page gives you a few options for being involved including the ongoing indexing project. 

The Books collection of over 500,000 digitized books has also been redone.

There are also a number of activities listed in the drop-down Activities item in the menu bar. 

People using the FamilySearch Family Tree can also view a new discovery page. 

The only real issue is that during the time I was writing this post, I kept getting error messages that told me to reload. 

This is probably enough new stuff on the website to keep you busy for a while.