Family History Centers (FHCs) are units of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In 2009, there were over 4500 FHCs in 88 countries which are resources for research and study of genealogy and family history.
The smallest FHCs are target towards people living within the boundaries of individual local wards and branches. Stakes and districts may house a FHC for their constituant wards/branches, or may share a facility with multiple stakes/districts in their area. Regional FHCs are usually "Library Class" facilities designated as true branch libraries of the Salt Lake City Family History Library. FHCs with established hours of operation are open to members of the LDS Church and non-members alike.
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Family History Centers vary greatly in size, hours staffed, and resources available.[1] Because of changing demographics, many smaller FHCs are closing and resources being directed into "Library Class" facilities similar to the Riverton, Utah facility open in June 2010.[2]
Most smaller FHCs can not order microfilm and microfiche from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The centers that do not order films are usually located close to others that do. As of April 2010, the charge for ordering a film was $5.50 (local and state taxes additional) in the United States for the initial order and the same price for renewal. After the second renewal the microfilm is designated as a long term loan for the FHC. Most Family History Centers provide some type of access to a number of subscription databases. Mid range FHCs may have small book collections.
The "Ward FHC" is the smallest consisting of at least one computer, related family history programs, most likely internet access and has the most variable hours per week due to the volunteer staff. The Ward FHC may or may not have a dedicated room for their FHC since most ward buildings are designed for multiple use. They may or may not have microfilm or microfiche readers.
The "Stake FHC", representing about 4 to 6 ward or branches units, is the next in size consisting of two or more computers, related family history programs, internet access and usually has better hours per week than Ward FHCs. Stake FHCs may have a small collection of CDs, books and local historical material. The Stake FHC usually has a dedicated room staffed by volunteers. Most have microfilm or microfliche readers and the ability to order film/fliche from Salt Lake City FH library.
The "Multi-Stake FHCs" represents two or more Stakes units consisting of 8 or more wards and/or branches. These have larger dedicated areas of a Stake Center or a separate building for the use of the FHC. These larger FHCs have dedicated book, microfilm, and mircofliche areas. They have 6 or more computers with varied phone line, cable, or satellite internet access, family history software and often insitutional version of Ancestry.com, Footnote.com and maybe other paid access sites. All have microfilm or microfliche readers and the ability to order film/fliche from Salt Lake City FH library. Most have local area family history material, but are not "Library Class" facilities.
The "Regional Branch Libraries" of the Salt Lake City Family History Library are considered "library class" facilities. These were complete with dedicated internal server and a library catalogs or card catalogs for their collections. In 2010, the regional branch libraries were redesignated as "Large Multi-Stake FHCs" on the FamilySearch website. These branch libraries have dedicated book collections in the thousands, microfilm & microfliche in the tens of thousands, dozens of internet connected computers and microfilm & microfliche readers and some digital scanners. All have dedicated servers with DSL, cable or T-1 internet access. In addition all had at least one multi-use classroom, and several research areas.
These branch libraries have a dedicated non-paid full-time director (usually a husband/wife team) and dozens of volunteer staff. In many cases non-church member volunteers serve from the community. Local genealogy groups often support these library facilities seeing non-LDS patron use higher than local LDS usage.[1] While the LDS Church as renamed most of them, their websites reflect older names. The following is a list of Regional Family History Centers redesignated Large Multi-Stake Family History Centers:
The BYU Family History Library, is part of the Harold B. Lee Library, at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The BYU Family History Library was one of the original planned FHCs and is the largest Family History Center outside of Salt Lake City. It was formerly known as the Utah Valley Regional Family History Center. It is now semi-independent of the LDS FHC system.
The Salt Lake City Genealogical Library was founded in 1894 to gather genealogical records and assist members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with their family history and genealogical research. It is the largest library of its kind in the world. It is open to the general public at no charge. The Family History Library is visited by an estimated 1,900 or more individual patrons visit each day. By 1975 there were 17 "Branch Libraries" around the world.[1]
The library collection has 2.4 million rolls of Family History Library Microfilmed genealogical records and over 742,000 microfiche in the main system. In 2003, the collection increased monthly by an average of 4,100 rolls of film, 700 books, and 16 electronic resources. A majority of the records contain information about persons who lived before 1930. Approximately 200 cameras are currently microfilming records in over 45 countries. Records have been filmed in over 110 countries, territories, and possessions.[1]
The first Family History Center (FHC), then called a branch genealogical library, was organized in the Harold B. Lee Library on Brigham Young University Campus in May, 1964. Plans had been announced at October General Conference of 1963 to organize family history centers in Mesa, Arizona, Logan, Utah, Cardston, Alberta and Oakland, California, all adjacent to the temples in those cities.
The Family History Centers were put under the overall direction of Archibald F. Bennett. By December, 1964 there were 29 FHCs and by 1968, 75. In 1987, these institutions were renamed "family history centers."
In the late 1990s, a "pilot program" to update familysearch.org and digitize its entire collection was started using volunteers to input or "index" census and other data. This new genealogical index is considered an upgrade to "Record Search" It is a work in progress representing 426 regions around the world. Millions of new names have been inputted by volunteers. Volunteers to the project are now being actively solicited at FamilySearchIndexing.org. The searchable database containing the digital images and index will be available through the church's FamilySearch website.