Learn to Use the New FamilySearch Catalog

5 Great Benefits of the New FamilySearch Catalog

September 18, 2014 by Jeff Hawkins of FAmilySearch

As of September 2, 2014, all web traffic to the old Family History Library Catalog was automatically redirected to the new FamilySearch Catalog.  If you follow a bookmark or web link to the old catalog site, you will see only the new catalog page. Any links or bookmarks you’ve created to any specific resource titles in the old catalog will redirect you to the same title in the new catalog.

The old catalog has served well for many years, but it is built on old software and. . .

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hardware technology that can no longer be supported or enhanced. The old catalog has serious technical flaws that could no longer be corrected. The new catalog has many enhancements that allow you to be much more efficient in your research. Some of the most prominent enhancements include:The new catalog has just three page levels. In the old catalog, you had to click through six or seven levels of pages to get to the data.

1. The new catalog allows you to search using multiple search parameters (for example, you can search for both a place and a title). You could search for only one in the old catalog.
2. The new catalog allows you to search the contents of a specific family history center if the resources for that center has been cataloged.
3. The new catalog has a print list that allows you to gather a list of titles relevant to your research and print the list.
4. The new catalog can be maintained, enhanced, and improved. This maintenance was not possible to do with the old catalog.

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