What is FamilySearch?
FamilySearch is a database that is administered by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It contains one of the biggest digitized collection of Genealogical records. Yes, it does have many collections for many of the Hispanic countries. When we refer to Hispanic countries we mean countries that were once colonies of Spain.
Is FamilySearch Free?
Yes it is Free to open an account and to research through their records.
Do All Hispanic countries have records on FamilySearch?
The amount of records for each country does vary a lot. Colombia and Cuba are two of the countries that it is pretty limited, but I know that recently there was an upload of documents for Colombia. It is important to research the areas you want to go into by utilizing the FamilySearch Wiki Pages and the FamilySearch Card Catalog to see what is available. For example for Puerto Rico, there are towns that church records were destroyed or have not been digitized but then there are areas such as Bayamon, Trujillo Bajo, Caguas, etc...that you can obtain records going back to the 1700s. Bottom line the collections for Hispanic countries just keeps growing and it is extensive the amount that is available. For many of our countries you will find yourself researching most of your time in FamilySearch.
So if I create an account are all records available for me to see from home?
No, while you will be able to view many from home, there are some collections that can only be viewed through a FamilySearch affiliate library or Family History Centers. Affiliate libraries are usually local public libraries and if not you can try to find your closest Family History Center. Find the closes affiliate library or center here: https://locations.familysearch.org/en/search
How easy is it to research the collections?
Some records can be as easy as putting in the name of your ancestor and the place, but that is not always the case. Often you will be required to play around with the search engine to see if you can pull in records, like inputting variations of spellings for an ancestor's name. But there are also many collections that are not searchable in other words that you will need to go directly into the collection and look through the images. Even when a collection is searchable I have found it necessary to go through the images anyway. Definitely this part requires a lot of patience, but Genealogy research is a marathon not a sprint.
For information on my research services you can book time with me for a free 30 minute consultation. Or if you are someone that is doing their own research, you are also welcome to join my private Facebook group Descubre Tu Genealogy. This is a safe space for you to get support for your research and you can also join me on live Q & As!