FamilySearch and Genealogical Society of Utah

FamilySearch is dedicated to promoting the preservation of genealogical information throughout the world. FamilySearch has its roots in the Genealogical Society of Utah. The society, established in 1894, is an incorporated, nonprofit educational institution entirely funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

With headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, FamilySearch ’s activities span the globe. It has over 700 highly skilled and dedicated individuals with expertise in history, area studies, archival and library science, micrographics, digital imaging, and many languages.

In cooperation with record-keeping institutions, the Genealogical Society of Utah began microfilming records in 1938; its digital imaging projects began in 1998. The Society has microfilmed important family history sources in over 100 countries worldwide. At any given time, there are over 200 microfilming projects in over 40 countries. FamilySearch creates over 40 million digital images and 20 thousand rolls of microfilm each year.

Awards

The Genealogical Society of Utah and its sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have received numerous awards for their work in supporting and developing preservation technologies.

In 2000, the British Library Association awarded its Besterman/McColvin Medal for an outstanding work of reference in the electronic category to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for "The British 1881 Census Index on CD/ROM."

Affiliations

The Genealogical Society of Utah is a member of the International Council on Archives (ICA), and representatives have served on many of the ICA’s committees. The Society is an active participant in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) and many national and regional organizations associated with the programs of the Society. The Genealogical Society of Utah has membership in ISO (International Standards Organization), ANSI (American National Standards Institute), and other international standards organizations and has been instrumental in setting the quality standards for microform and other preservation technologies.

FamilySearch / GSU, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah  84150  USA
Telephone: 1.801.538.2978  Fax: 1.801.240.1448
© 2008 by FamilySearch / Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.