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In her engaging and highly practical webinar, “FamilySearch Catalog: The Sears Christmas Catalog for Genealogists,” professional genealogist Lianne Kruger drew a fun and fitting comparison between the joy of flipping through childhood toy catalogs and the powerful discovery potential of the FamilySearch Catalog. Delivered during the 24-Hour Genealogy Marathon, this session demystified the newly updated catalog interface and provided attendees with expert tips for navigating its vast holdings. Kruger, who specializes in Canadian and homesteading records, turned a complex tool into an accessible, indispensable resource for genealogists of all skill levels.
Key Takeaways:- Search Smarter Using Multiple Methods: Kruger demonstrated how to search by place, surname, title, author, subject, call number, and keywords. Each approach reveals different results—even when using the same terms—making it crucial to try multiple paths to uncover hidden gems.
- Decode Access Icons and Restrictions: Viewers learned how to interpret key symbols—cameras (digital images), magnifying glasses (indexes), and camera icons with exclamation points (access restrictions). Logging into a free FamilySearch account often removes some restrictions, and Kruger showed how to find local FamilySearch Centers or affiliate libraries for broader access.
- Create Custom To-Do and Print Lists: The new catalog allows users to add items to a print list, which doubles as a research to-do list. This feature saves time and ensures nothing is forgotten—especially useful when planning research trips to Salt Lake City or affiliated facilities.
Don’t miss the syllabus included with this session—it’s packed with links, screenshots, and step-by-step guidance. Whether building a family tree from scratch or chasing down elusive ancestors, Kruger’s techniques will help you search confidently and efficiently.
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Comments (38)
Though I've been researching for years, I have been intimidated about FamilySearch. Searching from a person's profile can be very unproductive. This is a great overview on how to use FamilySearch properly and get results.
Best tip: Print list!
I've been hesitant to use the catalog as I didn't know exactly how it works. I've fumbled my way through it looking for things. This webinar made all of the interconnections easy to understand how to use the catalog.
Can't wait to put this information into practice. Excellent presentation.
So many wonderful ideas to access records and love the way to turn pages faster in long volumes. Thanks so much.
Very well done; lots of new features to access. THANK YOU!!!
She did a great job of showing us how to use the FamilySearch catalog-very detailed and helpful especially for beginners.
Practical and useful information. Well organized presentation. I rarely used the Family Search Catalog because I found it difficult to use. Thank you, Lianne, for making the catalog more user friendly for me!