FamilySearch Records Update: Steady Flow of Digital Images Reflects the Dawning of a New Digital Age

The following is from FamilySearch.

6 October 2010

Steady Flow of Digital Images Reflects the Dawning of a New Digital Age

20 million new “browsable” images from 8 countries published online

An increasing number of “image only” collections are being published on the FamilySearch.org website, signifying a new phase in the site’s digital pipeline. Rather than waiting until the index is complete for each collection, FamilySearch is releasing the digital images as soon as possible in a browsable format. This gives patrons quicker access to records, which they can search in a similar way they would with a microfilm reader 

This week FamilySearch published its first digital Chinese collection, along with additional digital image collections from Belgium, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Twenty million additional indexed records were also published for Civil War and Revolutionary War collections and the 1851 Census for England and Wales. Search these records now at http://Beta.FamilySearch.org.

See the chart below for the complete list of newly added or updated collections.

Project	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
Belgium, Civil Registration, 1795-1910—Part 1		4,306,478	New images*
Central America, Colonial Census Records—Guatemala, 1662-1900		31,443	New images
China, Feng Ping Shan Library—Chinese Genealogies, 1500-1900		77,527	New images published as “Chinese Genealogies”
Germany, Hessen-Nassau Civil Registers and Church Books, 1701-1875		233,196	New images
Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Census, 1890	57,723	96,982	New records and images
Mexico, Guerrero—Catholic Church Records, 1576-1969		1,248,009	Additional images added
Mexico, Hidalgo—Catholic Church Records, 1546-1963		151,539	Additional images added
Mexico, Mexico (Estado)—Catholic Church Records, 1567-1970		4,684,171	Additional images added
Mexico, Tlaxcala—Catholic Church Records, 1576-1989		980,189	Additional images added
Netherlands, Drenthe—Civil Registration, 1811-1942		177,438	Additional images added
Netherlands, Friesland—Civil Registration, 1811-1932, Part 2		938,253	Additional images added
Netherlands, Friesland—Civil Registration, 1811-1950, Part 1		610,369	Additional images added
Netherlands, Gelderland Province Civil Registration, 1811-1950		3,115	New images
Netherlands, Zeeland—Civil Registration, 1796-1922		317,736	Additional images added
Netherlands, Zuid-Holland—Civil Registration, 1811-1942		1,976,874	Additional images added
Philippines, Manila—Civil Registration, 1899-1994, Part 1		2,555,676	New images
Puerto Rico, Roman Catholic Church Records, 1645-1969		62,751	Additional images added
United Kingdom, 1851 Census—England and Wales	18,341,933		New indexed records
United States, South Carolina—Civil War Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865	1,192,363		New index pointing to Footnote.com's website
United States—Civil War Pension Index Cards	291,369		Additional records added
United States—Navy Widows' Certificates, 1861-1910	1,003,115		New index pointing to Footnote.com's website
United States—Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-1785	1,997,022		New index pointing to Footnote.com's websit

*To view the images in this collection, patrons must be logged in atbeta.familysearch.org. There is no access or subscription fee.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online atFamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.