RootsTech 2019 is still 4 months away, but NOW is the time to begin planning for your visit to both the conference AND the Family History Library, which is one block to the north of the convention center, across from Temple Square.

I’d like to share some tips that should make your library research and conference experiences fun and productive. First, let’s talk about the Family History Library.

Pre-planning will allow you to make the most efficient use of your time. I always recommend having one’s ducks in a row long before walking through the library doors. How do I do it? Here is my 2018 updated list (first published in 2015) with my best practices.

1. Keep a running list of the items and call numbers you want to view in the library.

I began preparations for my next library visit as soon as I got home from my last trip to Salt Lake City. How? By starting a running list of everything I wanted to view on my next library visit. I keep a pad of paper on a shelf behind my desk. Every time I am in the midst of researching a family and come across an item – book, film or library-only computer access – I add it on the “to do” list.

2. Just before I leave, I review my list. Have any books or films been digitized since I entered the title on my “to dos”? If so, and I can view it at home, I cross it off the list. Be aware that digitized books are no longer on the library shelves!

Are any of my films in the Granite Vault? If so, I need to make sure to request them as soon as I first enter the library so there is time for delivery and viewing before I leave. Is any item on the only-in-the-library computer access arena? If so, I try complete these items early in my visit so they don’t get overlooked.

I can’t stress that enough – make a list of items to look up BEFORE you leave home. That list should include the film number or book number for each item. If it is something that has been digitized, unless it is hard to read or in a foreign language, don’t waste precious library time reading it in the library.

If you will be visiting the library for the first time in February, arrive with your list ready to go. It is fine if you start working down your list and get sidetracked because you have success and want to follow up new leads. However, if you are not successful in one search, you have the next item on your list with film/book numbers cited so you don’t have to take time to do that in the library.

3. If you have never been to the Family History Library before, check the FamilySearch website for library tips, floor plans, hours of operation, etc. so you are somewhat familiar with it. I also recommend letting the volunteers at the library reception desks, located on each floor, know that you are making your first visit so they can help you get started. It is very easy to be very, very overwhelmed by this library so taking time to get oriented is time well spent in the long run.

4. Being retired, my travel time is somewhat flexible. My travel funds are less so and I try to stretch my dollars. Obviously, reasonable airfare is the first thing I check. However, and I don’t think most people think of doing this, I am not adverse to hotel hopping. I actually do it on every visit. I am reasonably fit and figure I can easily walk a radius of about six blocks from the library. When I look for hotel rooms, I check prices day by day for the time period I plan to be in Salt Lake City. Rates vary considerably and I choose the hotel with the lowest rate per night. It isn’t a problem to get up early, check out and drop my luggage off at the next night’s hotel on my way to the library in the morning. NOTE: Rates for 2019 hotels continue to creep up from past years so be sure to find out if they have a conference rate available.

I also often time my visits for a Sunday evening arrival. That way, I am fresh on Monday morning and can build my library time stamina up with “only” an eight hour day the first day since the library closes at 5:00 on Mondays. It sets the tone for the rest of my week.

5. What to pack – When packing, I always include some granola bars, mozzarella sticks and licorice and bottled water to have something on hand in case of airport delays and need for a bite while in the library in between meals. There is a lunch room in the FHL, located on the first floor in the back. Vending machines have drinks and quick snacks.

Pack a layered wardrobe! Always wear comfortable layers of clothing and shoes as you may be walking many steps in the library as you research. Some floors in the library are warmer/cooler than others. The RootsTech convention center is huge and you will definitely be walking a lot in there. As in the FHL, some classrooms and sections of the convention center are warmer/cooler than others. Dress accordingly.

I also bring two pairs of tennis shoes, as they provide good traction with a rubber sole in case the sidewalks are wet or slippery. If one pair gets wet, I can wear the second while the first is drying out. SUGGESTION: Since the holiday season is approaching, I would recommend buying a pair of waterproof boots on sale if you live in a warm climate and don’t own any. I have been at RootsTech in past years where it has snowed and sidewalks were slippery.

6. Bring a couple of flash drives with a lot of memory (at least 16GB) with you. Information found on the computer can either be directly saved or screen clipped and saved. Many images can also be emailed directly home, but I prefer to have mine with me. Or, better yet, email them home AND save to your flash drive so you have a back up.  Also, BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME, create a file folder on each flash drive titled “If Found, Return to Owner” and put a document in there with your contact information in case you lose/leave your flash drive behind in the library. Flash drives are OFTEN left behind by library patrons. Staff loves finding one with an owner folder in it. It is also a good idea to attach the flash drives to a lanyard so you are less likely to walk off and leave it in the computer.

My 1 November 2018 post will have six more tips + a bonus tip for having a great experience in Salt Lake City.

Yesterday, I shared six of my best tips to prepare for a trip to the Family History Library and RootsTech 2018. Here are six more tips today, plus a bonus tip!

7. Even if you use Evernote or some other tech note taking system, pack a pad of paper. I also bring a paper version of my “to do” list and my ancient, typewritten pedigree charts,  as I have been in the library when the computers are off line or the server is down. It is absolutely horrid being in that library with no access to one’s notes!

I travel just with an iPad, no lap top in the library although I keep one in my hotel room, and have never had difficulty getting on a computer in the library when I needed to. My iPad also has 4G, so when the internet was spotty in the library, I still had access. I NEVER enter new information into my genealogy software when I am on the road. I much prefer reviewing all my notes when I am home. Besides, who wants to waste research time entering computer data when you’re in the Family History Library???

8. When in Salt Lake, be sure to eat a substantial healthy breakfast before going in the library or to RootsTech sessions and be sure to take time to eat a good lunch, too. My two favorite lunch spots are the Nauvoo Cafe in the Joseph Smith Building and the cafeteria downstairs in the LDS Church’s headquarters building on the other side of Temple Square. Just pick up an entry card to go there at the reception desk right inside the Family History Library. Both are very reasonable in cost. There is also a food court in the City Creek Center Mall, the Blue Lemon with great sandwiches and soup, the Lion House Pantry in Brigham Young’s home next to the Joseph Smith building, the Olive Garden near the Hilton Hotel and JB’s, next to the Plaza Hotel, along with several other local restaurant options. There are also food vendors inside the convention center during RootsTech. If you head to lunch before 11:30, you will beat the business crowd in the restaurants. The lines can be very long!

9. What do I work on first when I get to the library? I always begin with items for which I know I will need help. I’ve been doing a lot of Danish and Swedish research and, while I can make out basic words, I often need help reading the old German script or navigating obscure military records. I head directly for the Scandinavian section and settle in.

Also, by beginning with difficult items, when I am feeling tired and need a change of focus, I have easy items to renew my energy.

That leads me to the next topic – help available in the library. There are library workers – both paid staff and volunteers – who can help with generalized searches, but there are also many specialists available to help with family research located any where in the world.

I have never needed help while researching U.S. and Canadian records, although many library workers have asked if I needed assistance. Working through my Danish and Swedish lines, though, would have been impossible for me to do on my own. I don’t speak any Scandinavian languages and reading the old Gothic writing is not my strong point either. I also would not have found my Slovak family records without help.

The library specialists are absolutely fabulous! Not only can they translate, they are excellent at reading the old (sometimes very faint) records and can give suggestions for further research.

A year or two ago, the library instituted a new method for requesting help from the specialists. Until then, there were reference desk areas on each floor. If one had a question, he/she went to the desk to seek advice or get help reading a microfilm.

The reference desks are all gone. They have been replaced with a small reception desk and lounge seating.

If you need help, go to the reception desk, give your name and state the type of help you need. (For example, my name is Linda and I need a Swedish record translated.) The receptionist (for lack of a better description) enters your name into a computer list and assigns a specialist to help you. Much like waiting to be seated in a busy restaurant, you will be given a pager. You can either sit in the lounge seating and wait or return to your table or computer and continue to work on something else until the specialist is available. When the pager vibrates, you return to the reception desk and the specialist will be there.

The library was not busy when I was there last week so I never had to wait for more than a minute or two. I asked several receptionists how they liked the new system; each said it took some getting used to, but it seemed to work fairly well. The downside is that, like at a crowded restaurant, if the library is busy, the wait can be long. However, it would have been long standing in line at the reference desk, too, and you wouldn’t be free to work at your seat because you’d lose your place in line. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this new system, but I think it is an improvement over standing in lines at busy times.

10. Technology in the Library –If it has been more than a year since your last visit to the Family History Library, you won’t recognize the first floor when you enter the library. It has been totally renovated and has become the Discovery Center. Volunteers help beginners learn how to find family history information.

Upstairs, the Family History Library has equipment needed to scan images from microfilm, to produce photocopies, etc.  Don’t worry if you are technologically challenged, as there are volunteers staffing the equipment areas and all are most willing to help/teach you how to use the machines.

As you head to your research floor, you will notice a variety of machines tucked in an area to the side on each floor that allow various types of images to be created and saved.

Access to photocopy machines is by cards, which you can purchase in the library. You can choose the amount to put on the card. I recommend starting with a small amount – $5 or less – as I find so much that can be saved digitally that I am making fewer and fewer paper copies with each visit. Their new photocopy machines now have the capability to directly scan page images onto a flash drive – FOR FREE – so no paper copies are necessary unless you want them.

If you have a personal small hand scanner, you can use it in the library. (FYI: There are a few libraries that don’t allow the use of hand scanners.)

11. BSO’s: You have a research plan going into the library. What about all the BSO’s (bright shiny objects) discovered along the way? There is nothing wrong with following some new trails discovered on site. However, make sure that you are not using valuable research time going down rabbit holes that can be entered through your own computer at home!

12. Take a bit of time each day to enjoy Salt Lake City. Tours of Temple Square are available and you might be able to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practicing.  The  City Creek Center shopping mall is very close to Temple Square. It is fun to walk through and you can get some retail therapy if you need it.

Bonus Tip:  Time to Leave – All good things must come to an end. Before you know it, it will be time to head home, hopefully with lots of new research treasures. I always time my flights to be the last one out for the day so I have as much time as possible in Salt Lake City. I travel with just a carry on and take my suitcase with me to the library on the last day. Although airport transportation is often available via my hotel, I tend to pay the small amount for a shuttle, again so I can spend every last possible minute in the library. It is also possible to take the TRAX light rail system out to the airport. Consider your options and make your decision BEFORE you leave home.

To summarize all this into one tip: Plan ahead before you leave home and you will have a most enjoyable visit to a fabulous library and a top notch genealogy conference!

This two-part series has mainly focused on packing beforehand and using time wisely in the Family History Center. I hope I’ve given you a few ideas. As RootsTech 2018 draws nearer, I will share a few more suggestions for you to have the best conference experience possible, too.

If you are like me, attending RootsTech has the added draw of being a half block away from the Family History Library. I have to admit that adrenaline is what keeps me going from conference sessions to evenings in the library and back to more sessions early the next morning.

However, pre-planning will allow you to make the most efficient use of your time, particularly if you arrive early to do some library research. I always recommend having one’s ducks in a row long before walking through the library doors. How do I do it? Here is an updated list I first published in 2015 with my best practices.

1. Keep a running list of the items and call numbers you want to view in the library.

I began preparations for my next library visit as soon as I got home from my last trip to Salt Lake City. How? By starting a running list of everything I wanted to view on my next library visit. I keep a pad of paper on a shelf behind my desk. Every time I am in the midst of researching a family and come across an item – book, film or library-only computer access – I add it on the “to do” list.

2. Just before I leave, I review my list. Have any books or films been digitized since I entered the title on my “to dos”? If so, and I can view it at home, I cross it off the list. Be aware that digitized books are no longer on the library shelves!

Are any of my films in the Granite Vault? If so, I need to make sure to request them as soon as I first enter the library so there is time for delivery and viewing before I leave. Is any item on the only-in-the-library computer access arena? If so, I try complete these items early in my visit so they don’t get overlooked. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have not already heard the news, it is no longer possible (as of 7 September 2017) to order microfilms from the FHL to have them sent to your local Family History Center.

I can’t stress that enough – make a list of items to look up BEFORE you leave home. That list should include the film number or book number for each item. If it is something that has been digitized, unless it is hard to read or in a foreign language, don’t waste precious library time reading it in the library.

If you will be visiting the library for the first time in February, arrive with your list ready to go. It is fine if you start working down your list and get sidetracked because you have success and want to follow up new leads. However, if you are not successful in one search, you have the next item on your list with film/book numbers cited so you don’t have to take time to do that in the library.

3. If you have never been to the Family History Library before, check the FamilySearch website for library tips, floor plans, hours of operation, etc. so you are somewhat familiar with it. I also recommend letting the volunteers at the library reception desks, located on each floor, know that you are making your first visit so they can help you get started. It is very easy to be very, very overwhelmed by this library so taking time to get oriented is time well spent in the long run.

4. Being retired, my travel time is somewhat flexible. My travel funds are less so and I try to stretch my dollars. Obviously, reasonable airfare is the first thing I check. However, and I don’t think most people think of doing this, I am not adverse to hotel hopping. I actually do it on every visit. I am reasonably fit and figure I can easily walk a radius of about six blocks from the library. When I look for hotel rooms, I check prices day by day for the time period I plan to be in Salt Lake City. Rates vary considerably and I choose the hotel with the lowest rate per night. It isn’t a problem to get up early, check out and drop my luggage off at the next night’s hotel on my way to the library in the morning. NOTE: Rates for 2018 hotels seem to be a bit higher than in past years so be sure to find out if they have a conference rate available.

I also often time my visits for a Sunday evening arrival. That way, I am fresh on Monday morning and can build my library time stamina up with “only” an eight hour day the first day since the library closes at 5:00 on Mondays. It sets the tone for the rest of my week.

5. What to pack – When packing, I always include some granola bars, mozzarella sticks and licorice and bottled water to have something on hand in case of airport delays and need for a bite while in the library in between meals. There is a lunch room in the FHL, located on the first floor in the back. Vending machines have drinks and quick snacks.

Pack a layered wardrobe! Always wear comfortable layers of clothing and shoes as you may be walking many steps in the library as you research. Some floors in the library are warmer/cooler than others. The RootsTech convention center is huge and you will definitely be walking a lot in there. As in the FHL, some classrooms and sections of the convention center are warmer/cooler than others. Dress accordingly.

I also bring two pairs of tennis shoes, as they provide good traction with a rubber sole in case the sidewalks are wet or slippery. If one pair gets wet, I can wear the second while the first is drying out. SUGGESTION: Since the holiday season is approaching, I would recommend buying a pair of waterproof boots on sale if you live in a warm climate and don’t own any. Until last year, I only brought tennis shoes with me, which worked out perfectly. Since snow was predicted every day during last year’s conference, I found a pair of boots on sale. I was more worried about wet, icy slush than snow. Of course, because I had the boots, there was no snow, but I have them ready to go again this year, just in case.

6. Bring a couple of flash drives with a lot of memory (at least 16GB) with you. Information found on the computer can either be directly saved or screen clipped and saved. Many images can also be emailed directly home, but I prefer to have mine with me!  Also, BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME, create a file folder on each flash drive titled “If Found, Return to Owner” and put a document in there with your contact information in case you lose/leave your flash drive behind in the library. Flash drives are OFTEN left behind by library patrons. Staff loves finding one with an owner folder in it. It is also a good idea to attach the flash drives to a lanyard so you are less likely to walk off and leave it in the computer.

Come back tomorrow for six more tips + a bonus tip for having a great experience in Salt Lake City.