2025 Family Search Centers closed in 2 states
I moved from one state to another in late 2024. The FSC where I lived in Arizona had been closed for years and now in Iowa there are none open where I live now. Are they ever going to reopen??? If not, could they make the records available online from home??
Answers
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What specific records do you need to access? Have you checked to see if they are available at an affiliate library in your area?
Affiliate libraries (AL) are usually part of the local public library system, with much longer hours and larger facilities.
My local FSC is only open one hour per week, so I understand when it's difficult to access what you need. I manage to get much of what I need from the local AL.0 -
This blog article may help give you some resources:
FamilySearch Center Resources Now Accessible at All Church Meetinghouses3 -
If you no longer have a FamilySearch library near you, you can now have access using your own laptop. You can download an app on Chrome that gives you almost all access to everything a FamilySearch library has. The best thing to do if you need assistance is to contact the local FamilySearch consultant; which you can find by going to Find a FamilySearch consultant, and they can assist you in what is needed to get on the site.
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I'm trying to find out if they are closed everywhere. I understand that church members are allowed in but I am referring to the general public. Every time I ask this question, people just tell me to go look up stuff but don't actually answer if their local ones are open. Then the question is marked as answered and is closed. This doesn't get me anywhere.
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My local one is open. I go at least once a month. It's only 2 hours per week, but it is open. And, if you use your own laptop, you can connect to the portal from anywhere in the building. That means any time the doors are open, you can sit in the vestibule and access the restricted records.
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Search for your location here: https://locations.familysearch.org/en/search
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@Amy Archibald My understanding from the above thread is that I can access restricted resources via a Chrome extension from the local LDS church building which is an easy walk from my house. However the link you provided only lists the nearest FSC which, though v welcoming, is a train ride away.
Also the link provided by @sc woz implies it's possible to do the install yourself (given the Windows skills). So can I just walk to the local church building, when open, and get started without bothering anyone?
Please can we have a clear statement of the position for both LDS and non LDS people? This thread has confused me tbh (it is the first I have heard of this possibility, which is very welcome indeed).
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@MandyShaw1 Installation of the portal needed to access the restricted records is extremely easy. I have it installed on my laptop on both Firefox and Chrome browsers. Instructions
I consider myself a competent Windows user, but not a supergeek.
I'm not LDS, as you know.
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The locator I posted the link to is for FamilySearch Centers.
At any LDS Church building, you can use the extension on a laptop and use the FamilySearch portal - and it is simple to add the extension to your browser and use when on the internet at the Church building.
Here is the locator for Church buildings: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/welcome/find-a-church?lang=eng1 -
Thanks Amy, that's brilliant.
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The places listed near me say closed. They are not close by. Therefore I can't just waltz in and use my laptop. Again, that was not my inquiry.
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You asked "I'm trying to find out if they are closed everywhere." No, as explained, they are not closed everywhere. All closed during COVID, of course, and some have not reopened.
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And the notion of taking my laptop is therefore irrelevant. The one closest to me says temporarily closed with no other info and they don't seem set to reopen.
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This has been a great thread from my perspective, honestly, because I previously had no idea that I could use my laptop to access FSC-available resources at any LDS church, not just at FSCs. (Though I haven't tried yet, will do so after Easter & report back on any problems I encounter.) @CopperhairEmeraldeyes do you have no nearby LDS church either?
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Even if the Center is reported as closed, if the building is still in use as an LDS facility, you can access the restricted records by installing the portal on your own computer.
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