The Manhasset Public Library has gained access to the FamilySearch Library database, an extensive catalog compiled by the Church of Latter-Day Saints. This multinational and multilingual database is now accessible to the library, making it one of 300 institutions across the nation with such privileges.
Library Director Maggie Gough expressed her excitement at the library Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night, saying, “I was thrilled. We’ve been working towards this for a long time and we’ve finally achieved it.”
To access the database, the library is going to establish a dedicated computer station on the second floor programmed with the database that patrons can log in and out of with their own account, so no research is lost over time. Patrons must be physically present in the library’s dedicated space to utilize the database; remote access is not available.
Gough commented that the database is “another valuable service we’re now able to provide.”
The FamilySearch Library database is a comprehensive repository of information gathered from around the world. Members of the church continue to contribute new data such as cemetery registers, ship manifests and various archives.
Gough emphasized the significance of digitization in the library’s mission, saying, “Archives differ significantly from standard library collections, often remaining accessible only within physical buildings. However, we have made it our mission to digitize as much as possible. We currently offer hundreds of digitized images, oral histories, and are actively working on digitizing films from the 1920s.”
In addition to providing access to the FamilySearch Library database, the library offers various other genealogy events and accessible archives, including Ancestry Library and Heritage Quest. These online services provide access to census data and unique primary sources.
