The Family History Guide

Tuesday, April 17, 2018



The world is moving at such a fast pace that sometimes it feels hard to keep up, and the world of genealogy is no exception. It seems that just as you get FamilySearch figured out, a new feature is added or something has changed and keeping on top of these changes can be intimidating. Expanding your research to sites like Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast (available at FamilySearch Center) may seem like an even more daunting task. Thankfully we now have the Family History Guide (thefhguide.com) to help.

The FamilyHistoryGuide is a website focused on teaching you how to not only use FamilySearch but other genealogy sites. Its mission statement states that they want “to make everyone’s family history journey easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.” This guide is helpful for novices and experts alike.

The guide has goals for learning with flexible choices, step by step instructions, videos, and articles, quick links to record searches to the various sites, project tracker sheets, etc. It is self-paced individual learning program which allows you to start from any place, and on any level. Beginners have great options for starting at the beginning and learning from the ground up, whereas more experienced genealogists choose specific subjects that interest them. If you are not quite computer proficient or could use a little brush-up, The FamilyHistoryGuide also has lessons on using your computer.

The structure of The FamilyHistoryGuide is broken up into projects based on which website you are using. After going through each project, you should have a good understanding of how each website works and how to best take advantage of their unique features. The Guide also has lessons outlines for those teaching groups and families and is a great resource for Temple and Family History Consultants. Another great feature is the inclusion of a tracking system that helps track your progress and the progress of those taught, making FamilyHistoryGuide a great “teach yourself system.”

FamilySearch states that “The Family History Guide is a website that represents a best-in-class learning environment for family history. Its scope is broad but its focus in narrow enough to help you achieve your goals, step by step.” The Family History Guide is a FamilySearch third-party website found in FamilySearch’s App Gallery. For both beginners and more advanced users, it has features that can help hold your hand through the different environments and can make your genealogy research easier and help you keep on top of the ever-changing environment.

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