Major Updates!

Four Major Updates to Family Search Beta

The following announcement  was written by FamilySearch:

At the end of last week we released another substantial update to the FamilySearch Beta website. In addition to the four major updates outlined below, we’ve made a large number of improvements under the hood that aren’t really visible to users of the site but make a big difference in the overall performance and function of the site. Here’s the quick list of updates.

• Redesigned Home Page
• Brand New – Getting Started Section
• Redesigned Learning Resources including online Research Courses
• Just Released - FamilySearch Center Section

Redesigned Home Page. We redesigned the home page to highlight more of the site features like the Getting Started Section, Learning Resources and FamilySearch Centers. We also added a basic browse by location feature under the search form. We plan to make the browse by location tool much more interactive over time and would love to get your suggestions of how to improve it. Click the Feedback link on the site to leave us a suggestion. 

Brand New – Getting Started Section. We have big plans for the Getting Started section of the site. What we released last week is just the beginning. Right now you can look at profiles of some famous ancestors that have been researched by our experts in the Family History Library. You can also choose from a number of designer pedigree charts and fill out your own family tree. Another valuable addition to the Getting Started section isn’t quite ready yet, but you can still see a placeholder for it on the page. A new four-part video series in the Getting Started section will teach people how to begin researching their family history.

Redesigned Learning Resources Section. The learning resources section has been redesigned to try and make it easier to access the tremendous content created by FamilySearch and a community of volunteers. You can quickly search over 40,000 articles containing a wealth of knowledge about how to do research or where to find records all around the world. You can also add your own knowledge by updating an article or creating a new article. We’ve also added over 100 online courses dealing with a range of topics from Beginning English Research to Reading Russian Records. Watch these courses online to learn to research or improve your genealogy skills.

Just Released – FamilySearch Center Section. The newly released FamilySearch Centers section replaces and expands upon the former Family History Library section of the site. You can learn about services available for free in over 4,000 FamilySearch Centers around the world. Looking for the closest FamilySearch Center? Just put your postal code into the FamilySearch Center and we’ll mark it on a map for you. 

We hope you enjoy these new features and continue to provide us with your feedback on what we can do to make the FamilySearch Beta a more valuable tool. Remember, just click the Feedback link on the site to tell us what’s on your mind.