Cumberland County’s Public Libraries Become FamilySearch Affiliates 

If you want to be part of the popular ancestry search trend, look no further than your local public library. Cumberland County’s public libraries – Amelia Givin in Mt. Holly Springs, Bosler Memorial in Carlisle, Coy Public Library of Shippensburg, East Pennsboro Branch Library in Enola, Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill, John Graham Library in Newville, New Cumberland Public Library, and Simpson Library in Mechanicsburg - are now FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries. All of Cumberland County’s public libraries have access to more genealogy resources to help you make more family discoveries. FamilySearch is a world leader in family history.

Carolyn Blatchley, executive director of the Cumberland County Library System, comments, “We are thrilled to be able to bring this enhanced ancestry search program to Cumberland County. We can’t wait for our patrons to start digging in to their family’s – and extended families’ – rich genealogical history!” In addition to online training, and access to other libraries, there are approximately 400 million images that are currently not available to the public outside of an affiliate library or a FamilySearch center. "Whether our library visitors begin building their family tree at home or at their library, as they find these historical images only available at the library, they can add images to their family tree. When they go home, they can continue growing their family tree," said Blatchely.

There are only a few hundred affiliate libraries in the country. The designation means local library patrons will now have greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources available through FamilySearch. The popular web service has over 6 billion searchable names and 2 billion images of historical genealogical records—and you get the helpful assistance of library staff.

FamilySearch adds over 300 million free genealogical records and images online yearly from all over the world and manages the famous FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. FamilySearch has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land, and court records from more than 130 countries to help you discover and make family connections.

“Interest in our ancestral roots continues to grow with the popularity of DNA tests, reality TV shows like Long Lost Family or Who Do You Think You Are?, and the growing access to online genealogy records.  Adding the member libraries of the Cumberland County Library System as our newest FamilySearch Affiliates will enable patrons to make many fun, personal discoveries and family connections,” said Paul Nauta, FamilySearch Public Relations Manager.

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources for free at FamilySearch.org or through more than 5,000 FamilySearch centers in 129 countries, including the main FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.