Getting the FHC computers to sync with major websites

How is worked at our local FHC

DearREADERS,
So how did it work, setting up the four computers at our local FHC to access the free databases previously mentioned in DearMYRTLE's FINALLY, new databases are accessible through FHCs ? First, Ol' Myrt and all the patrons of the Bellevue Washington FHC wish to express a great big THANKS to Renee Zamora for blogging about this first in her article titled HeritageQuest at FHCs .

NOTE: When sitting at each computer, Ol' Myrt verified that each already had LANDesk installed.

These are the steps that worked on 4 of our most modern computers.
1. Pointed Internet Explorer to http://www.fhc.familysearch.org/

2. Clicked on each item on the bulleted list:
· HeritageQuest Online
· World Vital Records
· FamilyLink
· Godfrey Memorial Library
· Kindred Connections
· Footnote.com

3. IF a link returned an “page not found” click the link to run the file found on the site labeled: FHCPortalCertInstall.exe and chose to RUN or OPEN when prompted. Also, this installation of the Portal Certificate only needed to be done one time on a computer because we noted that as one site became available, the others on the list were also available when we clicked a different name on the list.

4. Each website was tested to see if it was searchable, and if original scanned images would show up wherever possible.

5. A new “shortcut” was created on the computer desktop called “New DATABASES” and the hyperlink was to http://www.fhc.familysearch.org/, providing patrons easy access to the portal page.

And THAT is how our local Family History Center opened up free access via FamilySearch on our four best computers.

NOTE: Three older computers wouldn’t work with this new system of accessing affiliate database websites. Ol' Myrt was so happy to have four working computers, I just didn’t want to bother FamilySearch Tech Support with the problem. If your Family History Center has trouble getting the new access portal to work, there is a support email and phone number on the above referenced website.

NOTE: Family History Center patrons will not go to Footnote.com directly, but will use the FHC portal at http://www.fhc.familysearch.org/. This page can be viewed from a home computer, but clicking does not provide access to the websites mentioned. Access is only granted to FHC computers. This means that free research on these sites can only be done at your local Family History Center, one of 4,000+ worldwide network of branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
http://www.dearmyrtle.com/

(c) 2007 Pat Richley All Rights Reserved.

Powerful databases coming online

The Web is becoming a great place to view original documents that might prove ancestral relationships

DearREADERS,
There was much ado about Ancestry.com's decision to pull out of free access through local LDS Family History Centers equipped with high speed internet effective 1 April 2007. Until late last week, those of us with personal Ancestry.com accounts could not sign in to our accounts using computers at the Family History Library or Family History Centers. That access to subscribers has been "fixed" but free access to Ancestry.com’s Library edition through Family History Centers is a thing of the past.

In the mean time, the following report of additional databases to be made available comes from a Tim Steinberger by way of his posting to the FHCNET group as follows:

"The information came from FHCSupport through the center’s LDSMail accounts this afternoon about new databases to be available to Family History Centers soon. The information was sent to FHC Directors, and the procedures for accessing these databases will be sent to the Directors when they become available. The databases to become available are:
· World Vital Records (worldvitalrecords.com)
· Kindred Konnections (kindredkonnections.com)
· Godfrey Memorial Library (godfrey.org)
· Heritage Quest Online "

Tim Steinberger, Director
Brookings Oregon Family History Center
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FHCNET/message/15560

Ol' Myrt has had the privilege of speaking "off the record" with a few higher ups in the world of genealogy and there are additional wonderful announcements to come down the pike.

Before posting a blog, I routinely check my email. Good thing I did, because I noticed this important announcement just posted in a special edition of Nu? What's New? The E-zine of Jewish Genealogy. Editor Gary Mokotoff reports:

Access to Arolsen Records to Be Expedited
“Representatives of the 11 countries that comprise the committee that governs the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen, Germany, met Tuesday and decided to start distributing electronic copies of the ITS records, rather than wait for the remaining four countries—Luxembourg, Greece, Italy and France—to give their formal approval. It probably will not significantly expedite public access to the records, but it does show that the mood of the committee is not to allow formalities to inhibit public access; instead time is of the essence.

Meanwhile, the Holocaust survivor movement in the U.S. is chastising the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Movement for not making “immediate remote access” to the Arolsen records once they have them in hand. They are accusing Paul Shapiro, director of the museum's Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, of being the villain. Ironic since Shapiro was probably the person most instrumental in getting the Arolsen records released from the clutches of ITS.” Nu? What's New? Volume 8, Number109, May 15, 2007. Back issues available at: http://www.avotaynu.com/nu.htm

And some people think that ancestral research is pretty much a dead topic, huh? Exciting new developments are happening all the time.

Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 Pat Richley All Rights Reserved.