Issue 21.11
FamilySearch announced that many popular desktop genealogy products in addition to PAF (Personal Ancestral File 5.2) can now be used for free in its family history centers in North America. Patrons who already own or use any of the products to manage their personal family histories at home will be able to conveniently update personal files through flash drives while working at the research centers.
FamilySearch’s family history centers are frequented by millions of genealogy enthusiasts. Patrons use the centers’ computers, Internet, and microfilm readers to do genealogy research. “Once you start moving beyond your parents and grandparents in your personal research, I cannot imagine keeping track of your family tree and research efforts completely by hand or in paper files anymore,” said Paul Nauta, manager of Public Affairs for FamilySearch. “Great software programs are available that make it easy to build, organize, manage, share, and view your family history,” Nauta added.
The challenge is deciding which software programs might be best for the user’s needs. Personal Ancestral File 5.2 (PAF), FamilySearch’s own genealogy management software, is still available for free at FamilySearch.org. Patrons who would like a program with additional features, such as the ability to exchange data with new.FamilySearch, may wish to purchase a commercial program for home use. The ability to sample software applications in centers can help patons decide which application best fits their needs and preferences. Many family history centers also offer classes on some of the commercial programs.
FamilySearch is working with software developers to make relevant desktop applications available for free for use in family history centers. Some of the products are genealogy management software, while others provide advanced tools for editing and searching personal or online databases, or expanded options for printing or viewing family tree data.
Family History Center patrons that use any of the featured products at home will now have the convenience of using the same product in their local family history center. Here are some links:
Ancestral Quest www.ancquest.com; Roots Magic www.rootsmagic.com; Legacy Family Tree www.legacyfamilytree.com; and to continue working with Personal Ancestral File: PAF Insight www.ohanasoftware.com.
For additional information, Shanna Jones can be reached at (435)628-4900 or shannasjones@msn.com.