FamilySearch is an Important Online Resource for Hispanic Genealogy Research

What is FamilySearch?

Link for FamilySearch: www.familysearch.org 

It is a FREE genealogy online database that contains digitized records from all over the world. It is administered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but you do not have to be a member of the church to do research and open an account on the website. Membership in the database is open to everyone, and did I mention it is free?

How is it helpful for Hispanic Genealogy research?

FamilySearch contains digitized records from most of the Hispanic countries, and they are always adding more! For example, for Puerto Rico, you can use Ancestry, but church records for Puerto Rico do not upload into Ancestry; however, you will find them on FamilySearch. That is the case for many of the Spanish-speaking countries. Let me also put it this way no matter what other database I may be using for research, FamilySearch is the one I always have open.

Do ALL the Spanish speaking countries have digitized records on FamilySearch?

The amount of records available for each country can definitely vary dependent on whether FamilySearch has been able to obtain the authorization to help digitize or simply the records are just not available. It is always good to keep an eye out, because they update all the time. Another example, five years ago Colombia did not have many digitized collections on FamilySearch that has changed in the last year. Now you have over 31,466, 546 digitized church records available and there is more!

Where do I go in FamilySearch to see what is available for my country of origin?

Visit the FamilySearch Wiki Pages. Each country typically has a wiki page where you can refine your search down to the town level. For instance, on the Puerto Rico Wiki Page, you can narrow it down to the Bayamon, Puerto Rico wiki page to see resources specific to Bayamon. Additionally, there is the Card Catalog and the Images section. These Wiki pages provide information on what is available on FamilySearch and online in general. They also offer historical context and guidance on how to contact municipal offices and church dioceses.

Is it really Free?

Yes! You can research for free and even build a Genealogy Tree on FamilySearch. Please note that you can only build one tree and that the tree is public for others to see. It is advisable to not input information for living and if you post photos, always do it thinking, am I comfortable someone else having access to this photo? But you do not have to build a tree on FamilySearch you can use just for research if you choose to.

What are Family History Centers and Affiliate libraries?

Many collections can be accessed from home, but some are only viewable at a Family History Center or Affiliate Library. What does this entail? It means you'll need to visit one of these places and log in with your account on their network to see the collection images. Where are these locations? Centers or affiliate libraries are available worldwide, and you can use their map on FamilySearch to find the nearest one. Many public libraries are affiliate libraries of the Family History Library.