An aisle of microfilm at the Family History Library
I leave for Salt Lake City on Tuesday morning to attend RootsTech. It just hit me that I have about three hours on Tuesday afternoon before I have to be at the social event for speakers when I could visit the Family History Library. Unfortunately, it’s been such a hectic month between travel and organizing work that I haven’t been focusing on my genealogy research as much as I’d like.
The Family History Library can be so overwhelming and I know that the key to success for me will be to know what I’m looking for so I can make the most of my brief time there. I took a look at my Library Lookups notebook in my genealogy stack in Evernote and was pleased to see some physical books as well as microfilms listed there that I am able to see only when I’m at the library in Salt Lake City. (That notebook also contains notes for items at can see locally at the an FHL-affiliated library.)
So plan is to be arrive in Salt Lake, check into my hotel (if I can), eat lunch, drink plenty of water and hit the library with a whole lot of focus. I had great visits there in 2017 and 2018 and I hope to repeat my success.
As I asked in 2017, if any of you have any advice on strategies or things to bring along to the library to make it easier (I’ll have my phone and my laptop), I’m all ears!
That’s just what I did the day I arrived for Roots Tech too! I was a newbie and was quickly overwhelmed, but I will be prepared in advance next time. Have a great Roots Tech!
Thanks, Jeri!
Make a card with your family names on it, in large print. I have a family tree tote bag, one year I had it on the table while I went off for a book. When I returned there was a note “I think we might be cousins, I’m at such & such microfilm reader” I met a cousin & we shared lots of family history & continued to correspond for several years. We both made progress on that family.
What an amazing idea, Gene! Thank you for sharing. I’m going to try it!
Focus on the books.
There are FHL-affiliated libraries in the St. Louis area.
Oh yes, I’m aware. I go the St. Louis County headquarters at least a few times a year to access documents online that I can’t get at home. In my library lookups notebook I have some physical books that I’ll be looking at in the Family History Library. Thanks for commenting with that heads up, though!