Microfilm Retirement

The FamilySearch Library has announced that as of December it will cease in-person microfilm, microfiche and CD lookups at the library. Previously, patrons could request any reel from the site vault to be transferred to the library for research.

Does this mean you should not plan a stop at the library in the future? Of course not! Although all of the microfilm in the collection has been digitized as of September 2023, many of those records cannot be viewed unless you are at the library (or a FamilySearch Center) in person. The volunteers at the library also continue to be a valuable resource for any genealogist.

Vista Grande Library Classes

Mark your calendars! The genealogy meetings at Vista Grande Library are moving to Mondays. Classes will be held at 10 AM on the first Monday of each month from October through April. We encourage you to attend while you are at Palm Creek.

Google Lens

Here is another Google option to play with during your research. My cousin and I have been examining some old psalm books, hymnals, etc. from our Norwegian collection. Her daughter used Google Lens to translate pages from those books. When you open a photo in Google Photos, one of the choices at the bottom is "Lens." That choice will allow a translation of a photographed record. (Although we all know that Google isn't perfect.) Here is a small snip from one of the books. Give it a try!