The FamilySearch Newsroom has published an article explaining plans for the coming year. In 2023, you can expect free access to more of the world’s genealogical records, new search capabilities, more free help, and more localized discovery experiences.
The following is a summary of points from the article “What to Expect from FamilySearch in 2023.”
RootsTech 2023
The RootsTech family history conference will be March 2–4, 2023, and will include a live, in-person event in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a great way to make new family connections, learn helpful tips for expanding your family tree, explore innovative new products and services, or be inspired by wonderful keynotes and speakers. The online experience is expected to attract millions of attendees worldwide, and thousands are already registered to participate in the in-person event. The online event is free, and the in-person event is only $98 for the jam-packed 3-day experience. Learn more or register at RootsTech.org.
More Free Records
FamilySearch adds up to 1 billion new online genealogical records from around the world each year to help you make new family discoveries. FamilySearch is focusing on significantly increasing its online records from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, Uganda, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In early 2023, it will finish publishing the complete 1950 US Census online—including territories and schedules. It will likely be the most searched US genealogical collection online for the next decade.
FamilySearch is preserving oral genealogies from 18 African countries. Since 2003, it has conducted over 1 million oral genealogy interviews and constructed family trees from those interviews. In the coming year, the searchable trees will be available for the first time in a new search experience at FamilySearch.org.
Get Involved Initiative and Handwriting Recognition Technology
FamilySearch will expand its handwriting recognition technology and new “Get Involved” volunteer initiatives onto millions of native Italian records in 2023. Currently records are available in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. This will make them text and name searchable. Online volunteers who are native speakers of the language content help edit names from the computer-aided indexes to increase the overall accuracy of the user search experience.
New Family Tree Features
In 2023, FamilySearch will offer Chinese patrons the ability to create printable, decorative tree designs from their Family Tree data.
Read the full article “What to Expect from FamilySearch in 2023.”
