An End of the Year Look at the Future of Family History Centers

During the past year, I have had the opportunity to visit several Family History Centers across the United States. As 2018 draws to a close, I have several observations. The most dramatic change, for me and many others, was the final shutdown of the Mesa FamilySearch Library in Mesa, Arizona. This event alone marks the end of an era in the development and use of Family History Centers around the world. 2018 also saw a shakeup in the staffing and organization of main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. I still have to take the time to visit the Family History Library and will reserve any comments until after I actually have time to do some research in the facility. In 2018, we saw the opening of another FamilySearch Center in Lehi, Utah and the announcement that another FamilySearch Center will be built in Mesa, Arizona to replace the now-defunct library. All of this seems to indicate a shift in the way Family History Centers are staffed, supported, and maintained.

Most of the Family History Centers I have visited from Canada to Florida and from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast, are consistently located in Stake or Ward Buildings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most have one or two large rooms with computers and printers and perhaps a scanner or some other equipment. Some few have additional storage and or classroom areas. The ubiquitous banks of microfilm readers as shown in the photo above are fast disappearing from all of the centers. In some cases, there are still one or two microfilm readers left. The definition of a Family History Center, as opposed to a room with computers, is that the Family History Centers have access to the online FamilySearch Portal that gives patrons free access to several major genealogy programs that are otherwise subscription based.

Local Family History Centers are established, staffed and governed by one or more local Stake units in conjunction with some equipment and technical support from FamilySearch. To a great extent, the viability and involvement of the local members in any Family History Center directly depends on the involvement and commitment of the local leaders. In some cases, the Family History Center is the center of family history activity for an entire community. Many of the centers are used by a broad spectrum of those both members of the Church and those who are not members and are crowded with visitors every time they are open. However, a significant number of Family History Centers have almost no activity and some are literally deserted.  These underused centers usually indicate a lack of involvement by local Church authorities but in some cases, such in parts of Utah, they are merely a reflection of the "competition" of too many Family History Centers in the same general location.

Isolated Family History Centers can also be virtually deserted if the local leaders fail to conduct an adequate outreach program to promote the use of the centers in the greater community. The fundamental issues facing Family History Centers reach far beyond the involvement of local leaders and the policies and practices of FamilySearch. It is important to note that FamilySearch Centers (Discovery Centers) are fundamentally different from Family History Centers in their purpose. Quoting from the FamilySearch.org Wiki:

FamilySearch Centers (FSC) are branches of FamilySearch and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States). FamilySearch Centers:

 They emphasize the following:

• Provide Discovery Experiences
• Provide digitizing equipment to digitize patrons' family history books, VHS tapes, slides, negatives, photos, audio cassettes
• Provide access to genealogical records using the Family History Center Portal
• Give personal one-on-one assistance to patrons
• Offer free how-to classes (varies by location)

The complete Family Discovery Center experience is available at the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many genealogists have questioned how the Family Discovery Centers support the main activities of family history, i.e. research into records to find families. I have been told by a very reliable source that statistics from FamilySearch do show an increase in family history activity following a visit to a Family Discovery Center. 

There are presently several major operating FamilySearch Centers and Family Discovery Centers located primarily in Utah. 

By the way, the Brigham Young University Family History Library is not a Family History Center. It is operated and staffed by the University. The missionary staff is composed of FamilySearch Church Service Missionaries and a few long-term volunteers. The University staff and FamilySearch do work closely together, but the BYU Family History Library is ultimately part of the University.

Worldwide, Family History Centers are more than merely locations for some family history activities. In some cases, they provide computer and internet access to people who would not otherwise have a connection. These additional functions are extremely valuable. 

But what about the future? As more and more documents are digitized and available online, there is a concomitant decrease in the need to travel to a Family History Center to do some types of research. The FamilySearch Portal, in itself, is not a sufficient draw to justify maintaining a local Family History Center. Unless the local leaders begin to use their facilities to increase the outreach and involve the patrons with classes, workshops, and other activities, the local centers will surely fail. Some of them are presently being maintained merely by inertia. The worldwide change in the meeting schedule will have a significant impact on many of the Family History Centers since their main activity was during the time allocated in the three-hour block to the Sunday School. Whether or not members of the Church will stay after the meetings or visit the Centers on other days remains to be seen. 

No matter how much digital genealogical information there is online, there will always be a need for classes and one-on-one instruction and help for those doing their own family history. However, the repository activity of Family History Centers such as the huge reference materials accumulated by the Mesa FamilySearch Library over the years will likely be lost, just as it has been in Mesa, Arizona. The model for the future seems to be to exclusively rely on online sources. 

I suggest that many of the Family History Centers in the areas where there is a high Church membership, such as Utah Valley, need to be closed and or consolidated with other centers. I think major Family Discovery Centers are a valuable model for this consolidation. 

The main challenge is implementing the existing programs outlined for local Ward and Stake Temple and Family History Consultants but that is the topic for another post.