FamilySearch Library

10/05/2026

"I'm from a big, long line of Dutch people. I remember looking at this picture of all my great-grandpas in a row. It's like six of them, and they're all really tall Dutchmen. I started looking at all their stories and getting to know them. It taught me more about what it meant to be a VanDrimmelen—people that are strong and trustworthy.

“I remember reading this story about my great-grandpa VanDrimmelen. He was a teacher...There's a million stories about the impact he had on students' lives. There's one that I love about kids that would get sent to his office because they were misbehaving.

"Instead of punishing them, he made deals with those students that if they didn't get sent to the office for a certain amount of time, he would make that student their own tether ball pole. He would go deliver it in this old pickup truck to this student who, at the end of the year, developed into a well-behaved kid.

“I love learning about the people that [came] before me, and I love learning about what makes me a VanDrimmelen. It's important to record things like that on FamilySearch. Great-Grandpa VanDrimmelen is just a name until I get to read these stories and I get to know him as a person."—Kay VanDrimmelen

Connecting names in your family history with their stories offers more to learn and discover.

Click the link to add names and stories to FamilySearch!

https://www.familysearch.org/en/campaign/page/add-what-you-know-get-started?cid=SO-00064920

10/01/2026

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Festival Latinoamericano in Provo, Utah, or wherever you're watching from!

Explore the music, food, traditions, and family stories of Hispanic and Latino communities, and find simple ways to honor and preserve the heritage in your own family:

https://www.familysearch.org/es/latam/merecen-ser-recordados?cid=SO-00065206

¿Cómo estás celebrando el Mes de la Herencia Hispana? How are you celebrating?

09/30/2026

Discover your story. Connect with your people. Let’s celebrate together. 💙
Join us at RootsTech 2027, March 4–6, in Salt Lake City or online from anywhere.
Register today at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/?cid=SO-00064989

09/24/2026

Whether you're just starting to explore your roots or you've been climbing the Family Tree for years, RootsTech by FamilySearch is for YOU.

Click the link to register for RootsTech today and find out what discoveries are waiting for you. https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/registration?cid=SO-00064384

Learn directly from experts at MyHeritage and other leading organizations in the family history world. Get hands-on help with the latest tools, hear inspiring stories, and connect with a global community who is just as excited about genealogy as you are.

Whether you're just starting to explore your roots or you've been climbing the Family Tree for years, RootsTech by FamilySearch is for YOU.

Learn directly from experts at MyHeritage and other leading organizations in the family history world. Get hands-on help with the latest tools, hear inspiring stories, and connect with a global community who is just as excited about genealogy as you are.

Click the link to register for RootsTech today and find out what discoveries are waiting for you. https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/registration?cid=SO-00064384

09/24/2026

Your ancestors' story may begin somewhere you never imagined.
Join us to discover genealogy research tips for tracing family lines across unfamiliar countries, languages, and records.

Get personalized help with your genealogy here:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/genealogy-help?cid=SO-00065004

09/23/2026

09/17/2026

Historical records reflect more than names and dates. They reflect the societies that created them.

Explore how Mexico's colonial caste system shaped historical records and what those records can reveal about identity, ancestry, and family history.

Gain valuable context for interpreting genealogical documents and understanding what this history means for Mexican Americans' ethnic heritage today.

Want to learn more? Check out the handout and additional video resources here.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/el-sistema-de-castas-in-theory-and-in-practice?cid=SO-00064746

Ready to trace your Mexican roots? Discover the records that bring your heritage to life.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/mexican-genealogy?cid=SO-00064746

Take the next step in your family history journey and discover more about your familia.
https://www.familysearch.org/es/wiki/Recursos_de_genealogía_hispana?cid=SO-00064746

08/31/2026

FamilySearch's impact continues to grow thanks to volunteers worldwide like Lynne and Mark Hamp.

The Hamp's have been in New York digitizing select books from the New York State Library. Lynne said, “I have always felt a connection with American History, so being in New York is a delight. I love working with these old, historic books and have developed an appreciation for strangers who recorded their family histories because they understood the importance of preserving this information for future generations. Mark and I are truly blessed to do this work.”

These rare and deeply rooted New York genealogy collections are more accessible than ever before. They include records like

—Published family histories
—Local and county histories
—Genealogy periodicals
—Colonial deeds and wills
—Land grants to Revolutionary War veterans
—Records related to British loyalists

These primary sources can unlock detailed information about ancestors, and many are available online for the first time. Click the link to learn more about these collections. https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/familysearch-and-the-office-of-cultural-education-collaborate-to-expand-access-to-genealogy-records?cid=SO-00064068

08/28/2026

"I am a storyteller. I specialize in Polynesian legends, and I have a love for Marquesan legends and histories. Back in about 1989 or 1990, I started getting into Marquesan genealogy because I'd been studying the stories and histories. My way to thank those who handed down the stories or who were in the stories is to gather up all their names and introduce them to their descendants. It is a token of my love for them.

"I went to the Bishop Museum in Hawaii to look through their archives. While I was there, they pulled out a collection of photographs that had been taken in 1920 of about 120 people from the Marquesas. I thought what I could do was create a genealogy project. I went through all the available birth, marriage, and death records and built one huge community genealogical tree. Then I started matching the photographs to the genealogies. I had some great successes. For example, I have a friend whose mother passed away two years ago. I was able to show him a photograph of both his mother and father that had been taken in 1920. They both died around 1960, so it was a very special experience.

"Every two years, I go back to the Marquesas. I'll walk down the street, pull out my phone, and say, 'Hey, I've got your genealogy on my phone. What's your name?' Within about a minute, I'm showing them four, five, or even six generations of their family. After I show them their genealogy, I take a picture of them holding their family tree with their finger pointing to their name. That way I can remember who they are. I'm introducing people to their own ancestors, and that brings me a lot of joy." —Daniel Longstaff

You can help others discover their family history too. Check out FamilySearch's Get Involved program. Click the link to get started. https://www.familysearch.org/en/getinvolved/?cid=SO-00063918