By Alyssa Munguia
The Utah Valley Regional Family History Center in the Harold B. Lee Library is where students and members of the community work side by side towards the common goal of learning more about their family history.
As technology progresses, researching genealogy is becoming quicker and more organized, but it can also be more confusing.
The Utah Valley Personal Ancestral File (PAF) Users Group is a local group dedicated to helping people with their family history.
The PAF Users group holds a monthly meeting, and the response has been very good. They expect 150-200 people at the meeting, according to Donald Ostler, secretary of the PAF Users Group.
Technology has made family history so much easier. Copies of family history files can be made by simply copying a disk, which is a lot easier than writing it out or using a copy machine, he said.
Leola Helvin, a consultant at the Utah Valley Regional Family History Center, agrees that the technology helps immensely.
'It is faster than it used to be, we used to do it by hand, but we only have to put it in the computer now,' she said. 'It is easier, faster, and more accurate now.'
Students who want to learn more about family history can take the family history class offered by the religion department. This class features workshops on the different sources that can aid in family history work.
Margaret Chesley, a junior from Pittsburg, Kansas, and a TA for a Family History class, enjoys teaching the workshops.
'We let students know what''s available and how easy it is once you get started,' she said.
The new technology also brings family history to people who speak different languages. PAF is available in both English and Spanish.
The latest version of PAF also has the ability to type characters in different languages such as Chinese, Greek, and Indian, according the Chesley.