Neil Hibbert and Professor George Ryskamp, History
The Family History Library is the world’s largest repository for genealogical records. All year, visitors come from all over the world to access the microfilm the library possesses. I houses over 2 million rolls. For patrons researching in the U.S., England, and most European countries, there is help in many ways.
When I made my first trip to the world renowned Family History Library to find records on families from Portugal, there was little to help me. There was a handwriting guide. When I went to use the binder of Portuguese research helps, I found that it consisted of little more than a poor map and two worn-out pages of general information. I found them, stuck behind a large section of helps on research in France.
In May and June of 2001, I went with a group of students to Portugal, Spain, and Italy to research in their local and national archives. For several weeks, I was alone in Portugal researching in the National Archives. Several Portuguese people are anxiously searching out their ancestors. They know about the Family History Library. Many of them know also that the Family History Library staff has microfilmed dozens of records from all over their country.
I decided to make a research binder for the Family History Library describing how to find records for Portuguese families. First I organized all the photocopies, pamphlets, and print-outs I collected from Portugal. Three of these were manuals already describing in Portuguese how to find Portuguese family information. I outlined the key points in each. From these and other sources I began to compile a variety of topics that could be included.
While I was working at home on the project, I pulled out my binder for research in Great Britain. At the very beginning of it, I used the Research Outline for Great Britain published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as my table of contents. This binder was so organized, I wondered how I could use the same format for my Portuguese research binder for the Family History Library. I got an idea.
The next day, I contacted the Family History department of the said church and asked whether such a guide existed or was in process for Portugal. First I spoke to Mike Hall, in charge of church acquisitions, who referred me to Nadine Timothy, responsible for church family history publications. Mrs. Timothy never returned my calls. Finally, Kay Merkely reached me by email. She informed me that Mrs. Timothy has been ill for several weeks now. Kay informed me that their Swedish research expert was currently in charge of producing a research guide for Portugal, even though he knew almost nothing about Portugal, the people, language, or records. I told her about my project and offered to volunteer to help the church produce a research guide for Portugal. She said yes right away and sent me a copy of the newer versions of research guides the church is publishing.
When a research guide is published by the said church, it is accessible on-line to people all over the world. They regularly update them to make them easier to use and understand. If I could help them create this research guide for Portugal, I would be helping people all over the world who use the church’s internet resources for research. It would be better than a paper-holepunched dusty binder stuck on a shelf, it would be accessible everywhere.
With the guides I already possess, I will be volunteering several hours a week to help the church publish four different guides for finding records of ancestors in Portugal. This is better than I had planned at the beginning. The church and I have already begun correspondence. We plan to have it finished before the end of this year.