Skype Community Research Pages

FamilySearch has launched several new Skype  Research Communites which has a sister site on Facebook for most of the Skype  Research Communities. You may be asking what is Skype, or you may be wondering how would a Skype Community be able to help you with your research.  Skype is allows you to video call and/or SMS chat with anyone on Skype for free.  So how is this going to help you?  FamilySearch has developed several Skype Research Communities including:
Denmark
Sweden
Finland
England
Ireland
Mexico City, Mexico
The United States of America to include Illinois, Missouri, New York, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Hemet, California.
These groups are designed to encourage you to ask questions and help others.  I personally have been in conversation with someone from Germany who has been helping me with the Danish language and helping me understand how to utilize a Danish (language barrier for me) map website.  The person you are visiting with can share their screen with you so you can watch what they are doing and/or send you files.  If you don't have a video camera on your computer, that is ok.  Skype also allows for SMS chatting (instant messaging), which allows you to visit and help each other.  The communities are friendly and everyone is willing to answer questions.  Come and learn how to join the fun by clicking on Join a Skype Research Community

FamilySearch Courses

FamilySearch announced today that the number of genealogy courses that are available for learning is now over 140 courses. The courses include Beginning and Advance courses covering areas such as Australia, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, and the United States. There are lessons on Basic Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scandinavian, and Spanish Handwriting. Courses are also available for learning research tricks, how to use the Genealogy library, and Genealogy Boot-camp. I would urge you all to check out the classes that are available to help you with your research. If you don't find a class that is of interest to you this month, check back frequently as new classes are being added every month. To learn more click FamilySearch Research Courses

FamilySearch Record Search

If you haven't checked out the FamilySearch Record Search site, you are missing out. The FamilySearch Record Search site is currently in the pilot stage, but they welcome one and all to research the information that is currently available.

I have posted about FamilySearch Indexing and how many indexers are working feverishly on indexing the thousands of microfilm and fiche in the Salt Lake Family History Library. The result of the indexing can be viewed at FamilySearch Record Search. The 1870 United States Census has just begun to show up on the site and the 1900 United Census is almost completely up. Each of the indices that are located on the left side of the page have both the index and the images available to searching. The indices located on the right side of the web page have only the images and not the indexes categorized by specific locality and type of record.

Other records in various stages of completion that are available for searching include US and state census records, The Freedman Bank, Civil War Pension Records, Germany, Norway, and Mexico Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials and Cheshire England, Church of England Baptism, Marriage, and Burial records to name a few.

These records are available for searching for free. If you would like to browse or search these records, check out FamilySearch Record Search. Have fun!