FHL Desktop – a Goldmine

This article is one in a series of session reports from the recent BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy. I tweeted the session live, but I hate to send you to Twitter to read them because they appear there in reverse chronological order. I’ve straightened them out for you here. Additions are shown in italics.

Wednesday, 29 July 2009 (Screen shots as of 9 August 2009. Click screen shot to see larger image.)

Last session of the day. Gary Pack, "Family History Library Deskop: A Gold Mine of Data." (3:02 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat ) Changes come often and always. 20-30 changes a week. (3:03 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat ) Now have 450+ machines running the library patron desktop.

@rjseaver, didn't you write about this topic after your FHL visit? (3:04 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Subscription websites change constantly. We pay so you won't have to. Ancestry.com, Accessible Archives, Footnote.com,  Genline.com (Swedish), HeritageQuest, ... Explore. (3:06 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Databases at the FHL: 3,700 databases available. FHLC gives CD number. Previously checked out at window. Now go thru patron desktop, although the list is now so long, it is best to use the FHLC catalog. FHLC has direct links in red. For example: Hudgins Cemetery: Livingston County, Missouri (3:12 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Links to New Tools from FamilySearch: online websites.

Links to online periodicals. Most of this stuff is only available at the library. (3:13 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Manage your records: Links to PAF, GEDCOM, other tools. Check out GenSmarts on your GEDCOM. Irfan View. WinZip. Affiliates (new). (3:15 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Online Resources: research help, FHL Favorites, with download instructions, ...

Submit Your Records: TempleReady is going away soon (3:18 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat ) [You can see from the screen shot to the right that just since the BYU conference, TempleReady has been removed from the FHL Patron Desktop! New FamilySearch really is happening on the Wasatch Front!]

Especially for youth: Links for youth and kids, to various Internet resources. (3:22 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat ) Q. If these are publicly available, why not make this page available over the family history center portal? A. No resources to do so. "The FHL is the step-child of the FH department and FHCs are the step-child of the FHL." Ouch. (3:23 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat ) FHC directors could contact him for the list of links

[The ones I could identify for use outside the library are: * Your Place in History http://www.kakophone.com/kakorama/EN/index.php (youth 12-up) http://dmarie.com/timecap/ http://www.ask.com/?o=12572&l=dir http://www.wikipedia.org/ http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/timeline/ * Your Genealogy PAF – local installation http://www.familysearch.org/ http://www.last-names.net/ (kids 3-11) http://www.surnamedb.com/ (youth 12-up) http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp * Fun and Games Jigsaw Puzzle Lite - local installation Coloring Pages from Kodak Easy Share - Local installation. Use Cartoon effect (kids) http://www.puzzle-maker.com/CW/ Seven Day Calendar Grid http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/kids/kids.html http://www.apcss.org/graphics/educate/match_the_country_and_their_flag.htm (youth) http://www.mysterycasefiles.com/games.html (youth) * Kids Online Games http://www.americangirl.com/fun.html http://linkasaurus.com/ http://www.nickjr.com/ http://www.hbofamily.com/ http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/ http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/genres/15/hidden-object.html http://coloringbookfun.com/ http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/ http://www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/ http://pbskids.org/ http://atv.disney.go.com/playhouse/index.html http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm * Youth Online Games http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/kings_queens/index.shtml http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi http://www.maps.com/FunFacts.aspx?nav=FF http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/our_america/index_flash.htm http://americanhistory.si.edu/kids/springer/ http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/resources/whoami/whoami.html http://www.dupinternational.org/jubilee/quiz.htm Sudoku - local installation * Making Memories http://www.smilebox.com/ - local installation (kids) Create a photo printable e-card – No longer available (kids) Create Free E-Cards to email – No longer available (youth) Create/Publish a Photo Book (kids) Create/Publish a Photo Book – No longer available. See here instead. (youth) FHL memo with family history requirements from Faith in God for Girls (kids) Faith in God for Boys – alternative to FHL memo (kids) Cub Scouts Family History Requirements - alternative to FHL memo (kids) Young Women Personal Progress – alternative to FHL memo (youth) Duty to God (Deacon) – alternative to FHL memo (youth) Duty to God (Teacher) – alternative to FHL memo (youth) Duty to God (Priest)  – alternative to FHL memo (youth) Boy Scouts Genealogy Merit Badge – alternative to FHL memo (youth) * Make a Family Tree Poster http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/tiggermovie/familytree.html (Kids) Education World Family Tree: Three Generations (Kids) Education World Family Tree: Four Generations (Kids) Misbach: Four Generations (Youth) About Genealogy: Five Generations Tree PAF – local installation (Youth) Check out digital collage ideas and create your own on with Picasa – local installation (Youth) * Write/Find Personal and Family Histories Online Journals (Youth) Family Interviews – alternative (youth) Writing my Life Story Create a Family Website (Kids) Create a Family Website (Youth) Publish Your Family Histories (Kids) Publish Your Own Story (Youth) See also, “Family History Activities for Youth” in the FamilySearch Wiki.]

Learn links: extremely basic, flash drives, online learning aids. (3:24 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Review: Subscription sites always changing. FindMyPast for English. We pay a lot for it. 1911 hot. Databases add to it every week. (3:27 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Review the Trial Websites page each time you come to the library. It has subscription websites on loan to the FHL for evaluation and changes very frequently. Most of Patron Desktop available on wireless for laptop users. (3:32 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Remember: The world wide web is ALWAYS in beta! (3:35 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Taking Q & A. (3:36 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Q. Can’t you make a list of new stuff available? A. We are developing a page, What's New At the Library, that could be made available through FHC Portal. (3:38 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Q. Can’t you make more of these links available outside the FHL? A. Ultimately would like everything at the library available anywhere in the world. (3:38 PM Jul 29th from TweetChat )

Q. FHL Favorites? A. The FHL favorites is now available through http://bit.ly/fxzNv  (3:42 PM Jul 29th from web )

Remember that tweets are limited to 140 characters. Less the #byugen hashtag, each tweet could not exceed 132 characters. Hence, tweets often use abbreviations, bad grammar, and lack proper punctuation.