Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:28, 10 March 2008

What Is the Family History Library Catalog?[edit | edit source]

The Family History Library Catalog describes the records available at the Family History Library. It is a guide to family histories; birth, marriage, and death records; census records; church registers; and many other records that may contain genealogical information. These records may be in a book, on microfiche or microfilm, or in a computer file. Most microfilm and microfiche records can be sent to your nearest family history center.

The catalog is available at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp

Before you use the Family History Library Catalog, choose a person you want to find more information about, and decide what you want to learn about him or her. For example, you may want to find your great-grandmother's death date and place. To do this, you need to decide what types of records are likely to contain that information.

What Catalog Search Should I Do?[edit | edit source]

The type of search you should do is determined by the kind of catalog entries you want to find. Click on the name of each search to learn more.

Use the following table to determine what type of search to do:

Do This Type of Search:	To Find the Following Types of Catalog Entries:
Place Search	Catalog entries about a place or that contain records from a place.
Surname Search	Catalog entries about a family name.
Keyword Search	Catalog entries that contain certain words.
Title Search	Catalog entries that have certain words in their titles.
Film/Fiche Search	Catalog entries that have a certain microfilm or microfiche number.
Author Search	Catalog entries by or about the same author.
Subject Search	Catalog entries about a certain subject.
Call Number Search	Catalog entries that have a certain call number.

What If I Do Not Find the Catalog Entries I Want?[edit | edit source]

You may not find the catalog entries you want for various reasons. Before concluding that the catalog does not have any entries you want, try the following strategies:

Be sure your search terms are correct.
Broaden your search term(s).
Use a Keyword Search, an Author Search, or another type of search.

Note: The Family History Library does not have all records. The Library is constantly acquiring new materials. If you cannot find the items you need, check the catalog at a later date to see if the library has acquired those items.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== What Is the FamilySearch Catalog?  ==
+== What Is the Family History Library Catalog? ==
-The '''[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] '''(formerly '''''Family History Library Catalog''''') describes genealogical resources held by [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch], the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/ FamilySearch Library], and selected [https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/ FamilySearch Centers]. <br><br>
-The Catalog is a guide to birth, marriage, and death records; census records; church registers; books; periodicals;  family histories and many other records that contain genealogical information. These records may be  searchable online, on microfiche or microfilm, in a book or in a computer file.
+The Family History Library Catalog describes the records available at the Family History Library. It is a guide to family histories; birth, marriage, and death records; census records; church registers; and many other records that may contain genealogical information. These records may be in a book, on microfiche or microfilm, or in a computer file. Most microfilm and microfiche records can be sent to your nearest family history center.
-Some entries in the FamilySearch Catalog include images of records. When an image is available in the catalog, a camera icon will appear to the right of the microfilm note associated with that image.
+The catalog is available at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp<br>
-== Where Is the Catalog Found?  ==
+Before you use the Family History Library Catalog, choose a person you want to find more information about, and decide what you want to learn about him or her. For example, you may want to find your great-grandmother's death date and place. To do this, you need to decide what types of records are likely to contain that information.
-The [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] is found at the [https://familysearch.org/ FamilySearch.org] under the '''Search''' tab. [[Image:Logo wcmasthead en.png|right|96px|Logo wcmasthead en.png|alt=WorldCat Logo]]Also, the FamilySearch Catalog has been made available via [[WorldCat Online Catalog|OCLC WorldCat]]<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/ Official website of OCLC WorldCat].</ref> since 2014. OCLC WorldCat is an online union catalog of over 2 billion titles at 72,000 libraries in 172 countries and territories. Although it is the world’s largest bibliographic database for materials held around the world, OCLC WorldCat does not list sources housed in repositories outside their consortium.
+== What Catalog Search Should I Do? ==
-== Which Catalog Search Should I Try?  ==
+The type of search you should do is determined by the kind of catalog entries you want to find. Click on the name of each search to learn more.<br>
-[[Image:{{FSCSeaBut}}]]The type of search you should do is determined by the kind of catalog entries or records you want to find. There are eight kinds of possible FamilySearch Catalog searches. In the catalog clicking on the name of the search will open or close that search. <br><br>
+Use the following table to determine what type of search to do:
-The table below briefly describes each of the eight types of searches. For further details about each type of search, click on name of the search in the table.
+{|
-{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
 |-
 | <div align="left">
 '''Do This Type of Search:'''
 </div>
 |
 '''To Find the Following Types of Catalog Entries:'''
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Places Search|Place Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Place Search|Place Search]]'''
 |
-Look for a record by the name of a place (locality) where an ancestor lived.
+Catalog entries about a place or that contain records from a place.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Surnames Search|Surnames Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Surname Search|Surname Search]]'''
 |
-Find family histories (and more) by a particular family name.
+Catalog entries about a family name.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Titles Search|Titles Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Keyword Search|Keyword Search]]'''
 |
-Find a record by its title.
+Catalog entries that contain certain words.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Authors Search|Author Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Title Search|Title Search]]'''
 |
-To find the works of an author by his name (individual or corporate).
+Catalog entries that have certain words in their titles.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Subjects Search|Subjects Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Film or Fiche Search|Film/Fiche Search]]'''
 |
-To discover works based on the topics they cover.
+Catalog entries that have a certain microfilm or microfiche number.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Keywords Search|Keywords Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Author Search|Author Search]]'''
 |
-Get a record using any words or phrases in significant parts of its catalog entry.
+Catalog entries by or about the same author.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Call Number Search|Call Number Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Subject Search|Subject Search]]'''
 |
-See catalog entries by finding their book, compact disc, or pedigree call number.
+Catalog entries about a certain subject.
 |-
 |
-'''[[FamilySearch Catalog Film/Fiche Number Search|Film/Fiche Number Search]]'''
+'''[[Family History Library Catalog Call Number Search|Call Number Search]]'''
 |
-See catalog details by finding the Library's microfilm or microfiche number.
+Catalog entries that have a certain call number.
 |}
-When you want to change to a new kind of search it helps to close the old search first. Close the old search by clicking the "X" in the upper right corner of the area around the search box. Then click on the new search type to open that kind of search.
+== What If I Do Not Find the Catalog Entries I Want? ==
-Another way to close an old search is to click on the name of that type of search, for example, ''Places''.
-== Combined Searches  ==
-<div style="float: left; width: 100%">
-[[Image:{{FSCComSea}}]]You can also combine two or more FamilySearch Catalog searches if a single search alone yields too many results to be practical. For example, you could combine a '''Surnames Search''' and a '''Keywords Search'''. First close all the other search types. Then click the ''Surnames'' and the ''Keywords'' searches. A search for "Smith" in the ''Surnames Search'' yields over 4,000 results. But combined with the ''Keywords Search'' for the phrase "Philadelphia cave" this combination returns only one result.<br><br>
-Combining ''Surnames'' and ''Keywords'' searches for a family name and a state where they lived is often a successful strategy. "Smith" in the ''Surnames'' field and combined with "Hawaii" in the ''Keywords'' field will yield a manageable 52 results. <br>
-== Availability of an Item  ==
-'''Availability Status''' is determined for each individual copy or item.  The status can vary based on several factors.  The following are possible statuses that you may see and what they can mean:
-*'''Available:''' the item is available in the Library or Center in the Location and Collection/Shelf indicated for that copy record. <br>
-*'''Missing:''' the item is currently missing from the shelf or location to which it is assigned. <br>
-*'''Not Available:''' this status means the item is not available for use because it is in another location.  The item could be with a cataloger, in binding or repair, in the preparation process to soon be shelved, waiting to be digitized, in transit to or from the Library or Center. <br>
-*'''Off-site Storage:''' the item is digitized and in storage outside of the library. For guests wishing to view items listed under this status, visit the Guest Services window on the main floor of the Library to receive temporary digital access on-demand or search for an online copy at the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/books Library "Books" page].<br>
-*'''On Loan:''' the item is not available because it is currently being digitized or because a staff member has requested to have the book at their desk for a project or assignment. The book will be returned and made available as soon as possible. <br>
-== When It's Not in the Catalog  ==
-'''Before concluding that something is not in the FamilySearch Catalog''', try the following strategies:
-*Search under another jurisdiction in a Places Search. For example, if there are no results for your topic on the county level, try searching again under the town, state, or national jurisdiction levels, or in neighboring counties and towns. If your ancestor lived in Cleveland, Ohio, you would make a place search for Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Ohio.<br>
-*Look again in Surnames Search for [[Guessing a Name Variation|variations of the family name]].<br>
-*Try a variety of searches. Use a Keywords Search, Subjects Search, Authors Search, or Titles Search.
-*Try again later. FamilySearch is constantly acquiring new materials.
-'''Try other repositories.''' Many other libraries and archives have information about ancestors. Try their online catalogs to see if they have what you need. For example, try catalogs like the [http://worldcat.org/ WorldCat] (world's largest network of online content and services), or the [http://www.dar.org/library/onlinlib.cfm Daughters of the American Revolution Online Library Catalog]. <br>
-<br>
-'''Search the Internet.''' Many records are being digitized and put on the Internet. In FamilySearch's '''[https://www.familysearch.org/search/ Historical Records Collections]''' you will find billions of names across hundreds of [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/ FamilySearch Library] collections including birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military, Ancestral File, and the International Genealogical Index. Also, search engines like [http://www.google.com/ Google], or [http://www.yahoo.com/ Yahoo] can help locate many other historical sources available on the Internet.
-== Related Content  ==
-*[[Abbreviations in the FamilySearch Catalog|Abbreviations in the FamilySearch Catalog]]
-*[[Deciphering FamilySearch Catalog Entries|Deciphering FamilySearch Catalog Entries]]
-*[[Locality Subject Subdivisions|FamilySearch Catalog Locality Subject Subdivisons]]
-*[[FamilySearch Catalog Places Search]]
-== References  ==
+You may not find the catalog entries you want for various reasons. Before concluding that the catalog does not have any entries you want, try the following strategies:
-{{reflist}}
+* Be sure your search terms are correct.
+* Broaden your search term(s).
+* Use a Keyword Search, an Author Search, or another type of search.
-{{FamilySearch Catalog}}
+'''Note:''' The Family History Library does not have all records. The Library is constantly acquiring new materials. If you cannot find the items you need, check the catalog at a later date to see if the library has acquired those items. <!--{12051874858711} -->
-{{-}} </div>
+<!--{12051874858712} -->
-[[Category:FamilySearch_Catalog]] [[Category:FamilySearch_Research_Classes_Online]]
+[[Category:Family_History_Library_Catalog]] [[Category:Online_library_catalogs]]