FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries

https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/familysearch-affiliate-libraries/

Apparently, FamilySearch is out looking for additional FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries. Here is a short quote from the blog post entitled, "FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries."

Hundreds of FamilySearch affiliate libraries are helping extend FamilySearch’s services to millions of patrons worldwide. Although FamilySearch manages the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and over 5,000 family history centers throughout the world, it recognizes the invaluable need for library affiliates to help more patrons make personal family history connections. 

Affiliate libraries (whether public, special, or university) have access to FamilySearch’s digital genealogical collections that are otherwise accessible only through a FamilySearch family history center. FamilySearch also provides its affiliates with the latest tools and tips for genealogy reference librarians. 

There are actually four posts. The other three are linked in the one cited above.

I currently volunteer as a Church Service Missionary in the Brigham Young University Family History Library, which is an affiliate library of sorts. Interestingly, the Provo City Library, here where I live and where BYU is located, is apparently not a FamilySearch Affiliate Library although the Orem Public Library is an affiliate right next to Provo. It looks like there are only five affiliate libraries in Utah out of well over a hundred public libraries in Utah. It looks like FamilySearch could start with Utah and expand quite a bit.

There is a list of Affiliate Libraries on the FamilySearch.org Research Wiki, FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries, and it looks like it has been recently updated.

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Affiliate_Libraries

It is also interesting that Arizona only shows two affiliate libraries. Considering that FamilySearch shut down the main family history library in the state in Mesa, perhaps they need to expand the number in Arizona. By the way, Maricopa County, where Mesa and Phoenix are located has a greater population than the State of Utah. Mesa, with a population of over 496,000 people now has only three small, local, family history centers and no affiliate libraries. In all fairness, they are adding a Family History Discovery Center to the Mesa Temple Visitors Center that is currently being built, but right now and for at least another year, there are only the three Family History Centers.

The are hundreds of affiliate libraries around the world, it might also be helpful if FamilySearch mentioned once and while that in addition to Family History Centers, there are Affiliate Libraries. They are listed on the FamilySearch.org Help Center link to a map of all the Family History Centers, but maybe it would help those who are not familiar with Family History Centers to know that they can access the FamilySearch resources in a Library.