28 January 2013

Free Records!

On 25 January 2013 FamilySearch.org announced on their Photoduplication Services Wiki page that they had moved inexorably into the twenty-first century: records could now be ordered via email and would be filled by providing images via email. In addition, since mailing costs would be zero, fees per record or per page would now be zero. 
The part that excites me the most is the email ordering (the previous fees were nominal, anyway). Corresponding via email promises to shave, I would think, about a week from the process.
Back in October 2012 I wrote a blog post outlining procedures for finding and ordering documents from the Family History Library and a second one about finding records already digitized on FamilySearch. I have just updated the first post with this new ordering information. Check it out. FamilySearch continues to provide some awesome services.

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for your article. FamilySearch asked me last year to relocate from California to Salt Lake in order to help get this program up and running. Today, we are filling several hundred requests each week, both from people who call into FS requesting records as well as by those who follow the instructions on the FS wiki: https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Services

    Facebook users can also request this service by going to my research firm’s FB page: http://www.facebook.com/RootsonomyGenealogy and clicking the button “Request Research or a Lookup”.

    All others can submit requests at: http://goo.gl/MlzYC. Records will be digitally downloaded and sent via email within a few days. FS officially states that it may take up to 1 week, but usually it’s within a day (depending on snow levels).

    Note: Rootsonomy uses professional researchers to locate the records. So if you are not sure about the record, we recommend submitting the request to them.

    Jim Heddell

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  2. Thank for helping keep FamilySearch.org at the top of their game!

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  3. wow! I did not know about this - thanks!

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  4. You're welcome, Wendy! And thank you for commenting. I know that the Photoduplication Dept at the FHL has saved me many dollars over the years.

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Comments on posts are always welcome but will be approved before posting. I actually prefer to just let people comment without going through this rigmarole, but I've recently had to delete some posts that I had not vetted before publication. So, please don't be offended. I love to hear from you!