Sandy Utah Granite FamilySearch Center

This article describes the services and resources available at a FamilySearch Center, a branch facility of the FamilySearch Library.

The Sandy Granite Family History Center came about in a rather unusual way. Starting in the fall of 2013, Brighton High School changed its enrollment to include 9th-grade students, and Albion Junior High (across the street from the Family History Center) changed to include grades 6-8. This left the former Albion LDS Seminary building without any 9th-grade students, so it was basically unused at that point.

With permission from Church Headquarters, the LDS Seminary building has now been converted into the Family History Center. Beginning Feb. 18, 2014, it is open to all patrons, regardless of faith or location, with the property owned and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Visit and contribute to our "Best Practices" blog at www.gfhc.blogspot.com

• Address: 2720 Newcastle Drive, Sandy UT  84093
• Parking: Only a few parking spots are available at the FHC (plus 1 handicap space), but patrons may park across the street at Albion Middle School or on Newcastle Drive. Please do not park in front of houses in the area.
  
• Entrance: For patron safety, please ring the doorbell at the east entrance, and a volunteer will escort you into the center. Once inside, please sign in at the main desk.
  
• Find it on Google Maps

• E-mail: sandygranitefhc@gmail.com
  
• Center Director: Annette Vandersteen
  
• Phone: 801-943-3005 - leave a message if no answer
  

• Open Hours: The Center is open to the public from Tues-Thurs, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The hours of 3-5 p.m. are designated for youth research and activities. For Saturday class times, see the Class Schedule below. Note: Tues. and Wed. evenings from 7-9 p.m. may be reserved for activities - check the Activities Schedule below for details or to make a reservation.
  

• Holiday Schedule: Closed on holidays

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Class Schedule - 2014

All classes will be taught on Saturdays. Most classes will be taught by Chris Cummings, who has worked for the LDS Genealogical Department for over 30 years. Other classes are taught by guest instructors from the Greater Salt Lake area.

Beginner Classes (10-11 a.m.)

• April 5 - Getting Started in Family Search - 101
  
• April 12 - Discovering, Sharing, and Preserving Family Stories ... and where to find them
  
• April 19 - NEW - Scanning, Attaching, and Uploading Photos - Using the scanner with FamilySearch
  

Advanced Classes (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)

• April 5 - Finding Temple Names ... and puzilla.org
  
• April 12 - To Merge or Not to Merge: That Is the Question ...family tree pruning and cleanup
  
• April 26 - Hints from Ancestry.com ... taught by Jessica Taylor, Associate Genealogist with ProGen, a division of Ancestry.com
  

Register

To register for a class, click here. The registration process uses SignupGenius.com, a free course registration site.

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Activities

The Indexing Olympics is underway, coordinated by Jossy Swain. Currently, volunteer indexers are competing for the highest number of names indexed. Names may be indexed at home or at the Center.

Winning for the month of March is Legacy Park, with 5,336 names indexed - congratulations!

April results, as of 4/8/14:

Legacy Park - 1,155

Willow Hills - 655

Quail Hollow - 30

Schedule

The following evening times have been reserved for activities at the Center, so workstations may be unavailable to the public during these times:

Tues. April 1, 7-9 p.m. - Willow Hills YM/YW
Wed. April 2, 7-9 p.m. - Newcastle YW
Tues. April 8, 7-9 p.m. - Meadowlark YW

Wed. April 9, 7-9 p.m. - Granite Ward YM/YW
Tues. April 22, 7-9 p.m. - Quail Hollow YM

Wed. April 23, 7-9 p.m. - Legacy Park Beehives
Tues. May 13, 7-9 p.m. - Newcastle RS

Wed. May 14, 7-9 p.m. - Newcastle Ward YW
Tues. June 10, 7-9 p.m. - Pinecrest Ward RS

Wed. June 11, 7-9 p.m. - Quail Hollow RS

Reservations

To reserve all or part of the Center for a group activity, contact Jossy Swain at at 801-694-7093 or josman55@yahoo.com.

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Center Resources

Collections

• Family History Library Catalog: This center has the ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the Family History Library Catalog.
  

Meeting Areas

The main area of the Family History Center is divided into a Research Room (north side) and a Gathering Room (south side). Wi-fi is available in the entire building, and dividers may be used to separate the rooms.

• Research Area - There are 12 workstations in the Research Area for patrons to do family history research. (See Hardware and Equipment below for more details.) There is also an additional seat next to each workstation, available power and cable outlets, and an extra table row for wireless users. This area is also used for Saturday classes. A modern A/V system is installed in the Research Room for presentations.
  

• Gathering Room - The Gathering Room is an open space with a large sofa sectional, tables, and chairs, and plenty of open space. It’s designed for hosting youth, organizations, families, and anyone who wants to get together to discuss family history. This is an ideal area for working on group projects, such as photo albums, history projects, etc. There is a large whiteboard for activities. A modern A/V system is also installed for presentations. Groups wanting to reserve the gathering area should contact sandygranitefhc@gmail.com.
  

Databases and Software

• FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page, which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.
  
• Family history programs installed on each workstation: Family History Library Catalog, Family History Library Favorites, Map My Family Tree, Get My Ancestors, GenerationMaps, Genelines, Charting Companion, and Ancestral Quest Collaboration.
  
• Other software on each workstation: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome browsers; FamilySearch Indexing; IrFan View (graphics editing); and OpenOffice (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.).
  

Hardware and Equipment

• 12 All-in-one workstations running Windows 7 Pro and connected to a high-speed T1 data line. Each workstation has six available USB ports and an SD port, as well as connection to the Center's printer/scanner.
• Wireless access for laptops and mobile devices
  
• High-quality printer/scanner
  
• Audio/visual equipment including digital projectors and displays
  

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Center Services

Questions and Suggestions

Do you have questions about the Center, or would you like to make a suggestion for improvement? Please send an email to this address:

sandygranitefhc@gmail.com

Volunteers

The volunteers who assist at the Family History Center are not paid, and they are typically not professionals in genealogical research. They do have a desire to help and have been trained in the basic approaches needed to assist most family history researchers who visit the Family History Center. There are two volunteers on staff at all times during operating hours, with shifts rotating every two hours. Please note that during busy times personal attention time may be limited.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Q1: Who can use the Center?
  

A: The Center is open to everyone, whether or not they live in the immediate area, and it is free of charge.

• Q2: Can I bring food or drink to the Center?
  

A: Food and drink may not be consumed in the main rooms. There are no vending machines or food onsite. There are drinking fountains, and you may drink bottled water in the main rooms.

• Q3: What other guidelines should I be aware of?
  

A: Use quiet conversation so as not to disturb others who are working. If you need to use audio in the research room, use headphones. Do not remove any materials from the FHC without permission.

• Q4: How do I sign up for classes?

See the information on Class Schedules above. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Q5: Can I access the Premium Sites from the Wiki or from home?

No, the Premium sites are only available at the Center.

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Research

Whether you’re brand-new with family history or an expert researcher – or somewhere in-between – there is a wealth of resources available at the Family History Center for your family history research.

What If I’m New to Family History?

Remember, you’re not alone as a new researcher, and volunteers are ready and willing to answer your questions and get you started.
Here are several activities you can get started with:

• Sharing stories about your ancestors
• Sharing photos and digital albums
• Participating in an indexing project
• Doing research to find information about your ancestors
• Preparing names to be submitted to an LDS temple for ordinances

You can start making headway with these activities by visiting the online resources mentioned in the Family History Links section below.

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Family History Links

FamilySearch.org

Here are some recommended areas on the FamilySearch.org website if you’re new to family history research:

• https://familysearch.org/ask/gettingStarted
• https://familysearch.org/ask/productSupport
• https://familysearch.org/ask/researchAssistance
• https://familysearch.org/temple/all

And here’s where you can dive into your own research:

• https://familysearch.org/search
• https://familysearch.org/blog/en/easy-beginning-descendancy-research/

Other Links

• Library of Congress, Washington, DC, Local History and Genealogy Reading Room
  
• National Archives, Washington DC
  
• Church History Library, Salt Lake City
  
• Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City
  
• Utah State Historical Society, Salt Lake City
  
• BYU Family History Library, Provo
• Utah State Archives, Salt Lake City

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Volunteering at the Center

To volunteer at the Sandy Granite Family History Center, contact Jossy Swain at 801-694-7093 or josman55@yahoo.com. Each shift is two hours long.

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