A new photo scanning system will make it easy for people to upload photographs and documents onto their FamilySearch genealogy accounts within seconds.
According to a press release by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church now offers this new service at 2,800 of its North American family history centers. The church also plans to make the service available at international family history centers soon.
“It’s a game changer,” said Terry Dahlin, family and local history librarian at the BYU Harold B. Lee Library. “It’s the next big thing for family history research.”
According to Dahlin, the LDS Church has been trying to get people to focus on “hearts, not charts” in their family history research. “These aren’t just names,” he said. “They’re your family.”
The new photo scanning system will make it easier for people to upload meaningful photos and documents. It will give people a “personal, emotional and also spiritual experience,” Dahlin said. It is an important way to “add life and interest to cold, hard records.”
According to the press release, people can scan their photos and documents using a customized scanner called a multifunction product (MFP). The MFP scans the photos and documents and uploads them directly online. The system makes the process of uploading files quickly and easily.
