26
June
2017
|
10:43 AM
America/Denver

FamilySearch Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm

FamilySearch, a world genealogy leader and nonprofit, announced today its plans to discontinue its 80-year-old microfilm distribution service. The transition is the result of significant progress made in FamilySearch’s microfilm digitization efforts and the obsolescence of microfilm technology. The last day for ordering microfilm will be August 31, 2017. Online access to digital images of the world's historic records allows FamilySearch to service more people around the globe, faster and more efficiently. See Finding Digital Images of Records on FamilySearch.org and Frequently Asked Questions

A global leader in historic records preservation and access, FamilySearch and its predecessors began using microfilm in 1938, amassing billions of the world’s genealogical records in its collections from over 200 countries. Why the shift from microfilm to digital? Diane Loosle, Director of the Patron Services Division said, "Preserving historical records is only one half of the equation. Making them easily accessible to family historians and researchers worldwide when they need them is the other crucial component."

Loosle noted that FamilySearch will continue to preserve the master copies of its original microfilms as added backup to the digital copies online.

As the Internet has become more accessible to people worldwide over the past two decades, FamilySearch made the decision to convert its preservation and access strategy to digital. No small task for an organization with 2.4 million rolls of microfilm in inventory and a distribution network of over 5,000 family history centers and affiliate libraries worldwide.

It began the transition to digital preservation years ago. It not only focused on converting its massive microfilm collection, but also in replacing its microfilm cameras in the field. All microfilm cameras have been replaced with over 300 specialized digital cameras that significantly decrease the time required to make historic records images accessible online.

FamilySearch has now digitally reproduced the bulk of its microfilm collection—over 1.5 billion images so far—including the most requested collections based on microfilm loan records worldwide. The remaining microfilms should be digitized by the end of 2020, and all new records from its ongoing global efforts are already using digital camera equipment.

Digital image collections can be accessed today in three places at FamilySearch.org. Using the Search feature, you can find them in Records (check out the Browse all published collections link), Books, and the Catalog. For additional help, see Finding Digital Images of Records on FamilySearch.org.

Transitioning from microfilm to digital creates a fun opportunity for FamilySearch's family history center network. Centers will focus on simplified, one-on-one experiences for patrons, and continue to provide access to relevant technology, popular premium subscription services, and limited access digital record collections not available to patrons from home.

Centers and affiliate libraries will coordinate with local leaders and administrators to manage their current microfilm collections on loan from FamilySearch, and determine when to return films that are already published online. For more information, see Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm.

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Comments 1 - 20 (129)
Thank you for your message.
Honest loan
19
May
2021
Questo per informare il pubblico in generale che attualmente stiamo concedendo prestiti a persone bisognose di aiuto finanziario a un tasso di interesse basso del 3%. Se sei interessato a richiedere un prestito contattaci per maggiori informazioni tramite:

E-mail: Honestloans@outlook.com
Michele Cassidy
29
April
2021
I am researching family Maresca in both towns of Vino Equense and Arola, Italy nearby Naples. Could you please point out where and which region online link that contains birth, marriage and death records for those hometown of Vino Equense and Arola? I couldn't find them. Are the digital records for this hometown available online yet? Thanks.
William Blakely
08
March
2021
I have a the digital microfilm CDs but am unable to open the ".@ex" files, I get a "Run Time Error 70 Permission denied". Is there a updated version of your software or is there a third party software that will run on Windows 7 that can open these data files?
Laurie Murphy
27
January
2021
Hello,

I am in the process of organizing a particular civic organization's records going back 96 years. These are in paper form. Does Family Search digitize records that are deemed valuable to genealogy research? As this is a non-profit organization, financial and human resources are limited.

I appreciate any information you can give me regarding resources on the area of digitizing and making searchable these records.

Thank you
Eliane DeBlauw
18
January
2021
I am researching family Nardini, my ancestry in Italy, Tuscany, province of Lucca, especially in small cities of Fiattoni, Gallicano, and Trepignana. The family Nardini is original from these areas. Successfully, the FamilySearch, has given me access to many records/ images from 1866 to nowadays. I would like to research before 1866, however, I have had trouble to access records from my computer. A screen informs me to access the 'Family History Center or Affiliate Libraries" to continue my research. How to do it? Do I have to research at the Library by my house in the USA, or by my Ancestry's house, in Italy? How can I move forward? In Pandemic, Covid19 time, many libraries are not opening to public, Can I have access from my Computer?. I appreciate your help to move forward and complete my genealogic tree. Thank you Eliane DeBlauw
Ricardo Bins Di Napoli
29
October
2020
Dear Sir.

I am looking for the families from Aloys (Aloysius) Binz (Zell, Mosel, Germany, born in 1821), that emigrate from Germany to Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His wife was Christina Binz (Brixius was her family's name, born in Kaimt-Cochem, Mosel, Germany, in 1817). Until now I couldn't find any registration of their emigration and when they arrived in Brazil. Is it possible to help me?

A second thing I could't find any register from Luiz Ilges (born in Wolf von Traben, Trarbach, Germany, in 1832 or 1833. He died in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil on the 12th May 1907).
Have you any register of emigration to Brazil? In Brazil he married Maria Albrecht and have had many children. They lived in Pinhal Grande, a district of the state of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

I will be very grateful, if any of you could help to find any registration of emigration from Germany or arrival in Brazil at the 19th century.]

Sincerely yours,

Ricardo Bins di Napoli
Paul Nauta
29
October
2020
Thank you for your inquiry. I've shared your request with our Support team. They will reach out to you by email. I would also suggest that you schedule a free 30 minute consultation with our Family History Library specialists to get the help you need. Here are some other sources to consider.

FamilySearch Communities (https://community.familysearch.org/s/?language=en_US

One-on-One Online Consultations (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Online_Consultations)

Learning Center (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Classes_in_the_Learning_Center)
Kathy White
27
September
2020
I am looking for Michael Sloan born about 1800 in Antrim Belfast Northern Ireland. Not sure what i can do next.
Paul Nauta
29
October
2020
Kathy, Please schedule a free, 30 minute consultation with our Family History Library specialists to get the help you need. Here are some other sources to consider.

FamilySearch Communities (https://community.familysearch.org/s/?language=en_US

One-on-One Online Consultations (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Online_Consultations)

Learning Center (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Classes_in_the_Learning_Center)
Robert Ybanez
23
September
2020
I have been having a lot of problems getting the following records, any suggestions:Mława
Płock Gubernia
(records in Fond 56 Warszawa Archive Mlawa Branch)
Located at 53°07’ 20°23’
Last Name. First Name. Year. Type. Atka. Microfilm
KALINSKI Szlama. 1883 M 23 ?
MARYMONT Chaja-Sura. 1883 M. 23 ?

Raciąż
Płock Gubernia
Located at 52°47’ 20°07’
CWIERCZYK Frymet 1827. M. 1 730163
KALINSKI Hersz 1827 M 1 730163
Paul Nauta
29
October
2020
Robert, You can schedule a free, 30 minute consultation with our Family History Library specialists to get the help you need. Here are some other sources to consider. See the link below. Let us know how it goes.

FamilySearch Communities (https://community.familysearch.org/s/?language=en_US

One-on-One Online Consultations (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Online_Consultations)

Learning Center (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Classes_in_the_Learning_Center)
Ewald Mueller
31
July
2020
Hi,

I need the microfiche copy or digital image for the entry below. It looks like the maiden name of Anna Maria could not be deciphered.

Can you help me?

Ewald Mueller

Hesse, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1661-1957 No Image
Text-only collection
Add or update information
Report a problem
Name: Anna Maria Schmidt
[Anna Maria Mu??]
Death Age: 75
Event Type: Beerdigung (Burial)
Birth Date: abt 1796
Death Date: 30 Aug 1871
Burial Date: 1 Sep 1871
Burial Place: Oppenrod, Hessen (Hesse), Deutschland (Germany)
Spouse: Johannes Schmidt
Author: Evangelische Kirche Oppenrod (Kr. Gießen)
City or District: Oppenrod
Parish as it Appears: Oppenrod
Page Number: 6;7
Yvonne Moollen
03
March
2020
I live in Durban South Africa. I have for the past four years, been trying to obtain copy of my mother's birth certificate. Your film 106610080 (Dept. Of Home Affairs - Durban Birth Register) says "unable to view at this time". ?????
Spencer Batiste
31
January
2020
I live in the UK and am seeking the full text of the birth record of my ancestor Golda Zysla Blantman who, according to JRI-Poland was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1847 and whose birth was registered in 1864 - microfilm number 689553. How can I get this please?
Paul Nauta
29
October
2020
Spencer, if you have not received a reply on your inquiry, Please schedule a free, 30 minute consultation with our Family History Library specialists to get the help you need. Here are some other sources to consider.

FamilySearch Communities (https://community.familysearch.org/s/?language=en_US

One-on-One Online Consultations (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Online_Consultations)

Learning Center (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Classes_in_the_Learning_Center)
isabel ynigo
08
January
2020
i would like to see the films that have information about Cuba i can't find anything fron there.pls help
Eva Padron
17
December
2019
What do we do when some of the digitized microfilms are super blurry? Is there anyway we can get clearer copies?
Ana Soria
12
November
2019
Mi abuelo materno, Signorello Armenio nacio en Italia, Sicilia, Assoro y se caso con Concetta Randazzo del mimo distrito. Mi deseo es saber: su dia de nacimiento, el dia de su boda y los dos hijos que nacieron tambien la fecha del acontecimiento, solo se que se vinieron a Argentina entre 1920 y 1923. Gracias por la ayuda que puedan brindarme. Ana
Marco
17
November
2019
Hay muchos microfilms sobre las ciudades italianas, de Assoro tambien
Puedes ir a un Centro de historia familiar cerca de ti en Argentina para verlos directamente al ordenador.
https://www.familysearch.org/locations/
alex castillo
10
November
2019
I need from el Salvador microfilms 1800 to 1900
alex castillo
10
November
2019
el Salvador 1800
Sabrina Tundidor
06
November
2019
Hello!
Can I have access to the list of the microfilms that weren't digitized?
The Family Search catalog shows so little about Argentina and I want to believe that we have more about Buenos Aires Province.
If they have the microfilms I can go to salt Lake and see them. Thank you!!
Jason
15
October
2019
To Everyone Commenting

Members of LDS Family Search do not read your comments and dont reply back with Answers

In regards to access to all the new Digitized records (from the old microfilmed ones) IF YOU ARE NOT a Member of the Mormon church they will Now Restrict your access to Viewing the Actual Image
I dont understand why they did this, but my cousin who is a LDS member can view everything, BUT NOT US
Only if you go (supposedly) to a FHC family History Center which is a Pain in the A$$ can you use their computer.
So Basically, unless you are Mormon they wont give you access on your Home Computer without being a registered member of the LDS Church
Unbelievable
William
07
December
2019
Jason the reason they did this was many. Let me explain first, there is only one company that still does microfilm. That being said Microfilm is very hard and expensive to keep. second, all-digital microfilm is slowly but surely being digitalized. 1000 films a day to be in fact. Third, in the indexing program currently by January 2020 87.5% will be digitized. With the remaining 12.5% completed the following year. Indexing and reviewing are advancing 24/7 thanks to web indexing and members as well as non-members of the LDS church working together. There are still an estimated 1.5 billion names left in the remaining rolls of microfilm. the 1st billion took 7 years the next billion took 5 years the remaining will take some years too. Once everything is done the films will be for safekeeping in the vault. As well as new info as the church keeps interviewing people and more records all over the world from many different religions come too. It is just a matter of time please be patient Its in God's time. Thank you for understanding.
Meghan
30
January
2020
I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I have to go to a family history center to view certain films from Italy. I heard that the restrictions had to do with the original countries who created the records, not the religious affiliation of the person trying to access them.
mbrown
25
July
2019
There are many films that now have no access due to this change. You can't order films, but they can't be viewed anywhere except the FHL in Salt Lake City. This change was not a step forward at all, but a huge leap backwards.
Terry Gesinski
19
August
2019
I agree 100%, my research has come to a halt
Elizabeth Virginia Bernardes Fonseca Fernandes
18
May
2019
Hi. I am having difficulty with repeating a search in particular Brazil and Baptism 1910. Having previously successfully found a record complete with Brazil, Catholic Church Records I now can't no longer find. Can you advise me what to do to repeat a full search please.
Regards Elizabeth Virginia
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