What are the benefits for a FamilySearch Affiliate Library?
Here in our town we have two FamilySearch libraries. We also have a room in our local public library that is an affiliate library. What are the benefits if any of this affiliate library. I know they used to be able to order films but, as you know that is not more. Does an affiliate library have access to any pay sites? Are there any other benefits for it?
Thank you for your help.
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@Bevis Pruett Two years ago the president of our local genealogical society and I scheduled an appointment with the director of our library system (4 counties, 7 branches), and presented the concept of becoming a Family Search Affiliate Library to them. The director and two of his senior staff that were at that meeting on a Friday morning, were immediately pleased with what they heard and on the following Monday, just 72 hours later, he emailed me a copy of his signed contract that he'd just sent off to FamilySearch.
Since that time he has reassigned some staff members to get a core of people who are also experienced genealogical researchers themselves, and put them in key positions around the main library as well as one of the most heavily-trafficked branches. The main library has a very large "genealogy room" that could actually be its own department. He has also set a goal of having genealogy/family history classes taught in all seven of their branches covering four large counties in the area (it had already been done in either three or four of the seven before their system also closed).
Because they are a public library, they already have some access to resources that we would consider the "premium resources" (i.e. free access to certain paid sites granted to them by the respective companies) such as Ancestry.com's library edition, and others.
What they gained with Family Search Affiliate Library status is additional access to the resources that the Church has been prevented from making available to the general public - the restricted images. I'm told that Affiliate Libraries have access to around 90% of the restricted records that can also be seen mainly in Family History Centers.
In our case, outside of the COVID shutdowns, our FHC has limited hours compared to the 7-day/week extended hours in the public library system. Therefore, the public gets even more access to records that they cannot see at home.
What we've also found is a wonderful synergy between our FHC staff and the Library staff. I've gotten calls (welcomed and invited) at home by their staff with questions about certain things pertaining to FamilySearch and the restricted records, and we've had them present at past Family History Discovery Days, while they've reciprocated by inviting us to present at special events and classes at the Library, as well as to create a couple of videos for them to have available in their growing inventory of family history video topics.
So while it might not seem like they get very much (no access to the Premuim websites available through the FHC Portal in a FHC), the promotion of FamilySearch to the public within the Library by their staff, and roughly 90% access to the restricted records previously only available in a FHC, has increased the interest by the general public in family history research significantly. And we also saw an increase in non-Latter-day Saint visitors in the FHC before the COVID shutdown.
It has been a complete win-win-win situation for the Library, the FHC, and the general public in terms of access and availability of coaching at eight facilities now, instead of just one (the FHC). Success breeds interest and excitement, and them more success (hopefully a continuing upward spiral over the long term). I'm a very firm believer in it, based in experience.
-- Chris
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The public library has longer hours. Very beneficial!
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