FamilySearch Indexing
Encyclopedia
FamilySearch Indexing is a volunteer project established and run by FamilySearch
, a genealogy
organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The project aims to create searchable digital indexes for scanned images of historical documents. The documents are drawn primarily from a collection of 2.4 million rolls of microfilm containing photographic images of historical documents from 110 countries and principalities. The documents include census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, military and property records, and other vital records maintained by local, state, and national governments.
Volunteers install free software on their home computers, download images from the site, type the data they read from the image into the software, and submit their work back to the site. The data is eventually made publicly and freely available at Family History Centers or at the FamilySearch
website for use in genealogical research. FamilySearch anticipates that the number of names and associated genealogical data indexed is expected to accelerate as more people volunteer to index.
records from the United States of America, though census records from Mexico
and vital records from other locales have also been indexed. As of November 2009, records from 25 countries are being indexed. By the end of 2010, 548 million records had been indexed and added to the familysearch.org website.
In addition to the general indexing projects, the site also partners with other genealogical organizations to complete specialized indexing projects. Partners have included the Arkansas
Genealogical Society, the Black History Museum, the Indiana Genealogical Society, the Ohio Genealogical Society, and the Utah Genealogical Association.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a genealogy organization established and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch consists of a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family...
, a genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The project aims to create searchable digital indexes for scanned images of historical documents. The documents are drawn primarily from a collection of 2.4 million rolls of microfilm containing photographic images of historical documents from 110 countries and principalities. The documents include census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, military and property records, and other vital records maintained by local, state, and national governments.
Volunteers install free software on their home computers, download images from the site, type the data they read from the image into the software, and submit their work back to the site. The data is eventually made publicly and freely available at Family History Centers or at the FamilySearch
FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a genealogy organization established and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch consists of a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family...
website for use in genealogical research. FamilySearch anticipates that the number of names and associated genealogical data indexed is expected to accelerate as more people volunteer to index.
Types of records
Up to December, 2008, the FamilySearch Indexing Project has focused primarily on indexing state and federal censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
records from the United States of America, though census records from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and vital records from other locales have also been indexed. As of November 2009, records from 25 countries are being indexed. By the end of 2010, 548 million records had been indexed and added to the familysearch.org website.
In addition to the general indexing projects, the site also partners with other genealogical organizations to complete specialized indexing projects. Partners have included the Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Genealogical Society, the Black History Museum, the Indiana Genealogical Society, the Ohio Genealogical Society, and the Utah Genealogical Association.