Our training "manual" for Family History both for members and non-members is Family Search. I am continually astounded by the wealth of information on this website. As I have been learning about the FS Wiki I am more impressed than ever with what it contains and the potential for it to actually help us teach others how to research and find what they are looking for. Instead of spending an hour looking for someone's genealogical information with us at the keyboard and them watching...perhaps we should take some time and orient them to FS so they can learn the process of helping themselves. This may be especially helpful since they can then go home and practice what we teach them on this comprehensive and free website. If we just sit down and start looking for the patron's genealogy, their own sense of accomplishment and progression is minimal. The satisfaction for them will increase as we teach them how to help themselves.
The
other thing doing it for them does is it creates a dependency for them
of having someone at their side the whole time they are seeking help.
For some people I think we only have one chance to get them interested
in what we can offer them. We want them to go home thinking their trip
in to the Family Search Library was of great benefit to them. In order
for us to do that we need knowledge and experience. Ironically, in
order for them to have their best experience they need the exact same
thing. Since every research experience is different we are really all
learning together. Our job is to open their eyes and minds to the
resources available.
That is
what FS Wiki and the Learn Tab and the Help Screens are all about. That
is also what this staff training program is about.
The
FS Wiki is like Wikipedia in some ways. The articles are contributed by
individuals and by Family Search developers and experts. All the
articles are editable and easily added to by other experts in a
particular field. This is wonderful for a discipline that is
ever-changing and moving forward. It is like an encyclopedia in a way,
but also much more.
The
Wiki contains articles about specific things like...How to Analyze Your
Research, as an example. Or defining the Genealogical Proof Standard,
which I have included below as another example.* The Wiki is also full
of research tips specific to a localities. Wiki is not a site for
searching an individual name, perse, however you may learn something
about your ancestor by searching a newspaper referenced in the Wiki from
the time and place they were living.
From
what I have learned so far I see it as a great way to teach patrons how
to research in a locality of interest to them. You can enter a state
and find counties with an abundance of information about an area
including film numbers that can be ordered from Salt Lake for various
resources. Of course this applies to other countries as well.
On
the few page I have perused this week I have found that one of the
nicest features is that the pages will also often include some very
general information for beginners right there and links that will help
them with getting started or how to write a personal for family history
or get it published. What that does is it gives them an option to move
around FS and learn more so that each page is not a dead end. Brilliant!
The
main thing we can do as volunteers in the Library is to familiarize
ourselves with it. The best way to do that is to spend quality time on
the FS website @familysearch.org. We need to explore the FS Wiki, watch
the videos, do the tutorials and then we can truly be helpful to our
patrons. And even better than that, they will have a sense of having
learned something that they can take with them when they leave that will
help them in the future. Once you know a little bit about it and then
begin exploring, each new encounter for your own work or that of another
person will strengthen your knowledge base. Just the little bit of
time I have spent on FS Wiki has been empowering. Put your hands on
it. You'll be amazed. And if you are a member of the church..pass the
information on to your ward family history consultants as well. As we
share what we learn with them they will encourage others to use the
family history centers...wouldn't that be great?
*Genealogical Proof Standard (From FS Wiki)
There are five elements to the Genealogical Proof Standard:
- A reasonably exhaustive search has been conducted.
- Each statement of fact has a complete and accurate source citation.
- The evidence is reliable, and has been skillfully correlated and interpreted.
- Any contradictory evidence has been resolved.
- The conclusion has been soundly reasoned.
More information about the Genealogical Proof Standard can be found on the website of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.
Links to training materials:
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