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Changes to Online Learning

In order to focus resources more on the in-person experience for students, the BYU Library Family History Center will discontinue its live webinars and virtual classes. The last live virtual classes will be taught August 30, 2026 and the last webinar will be September 2, 2026.

Background

The BYU Library Family History Center offers family history help and resources for students, faculty/staff, and the broader community. This includes in-person and online learning resources. The Library began offering live webinars in 2015 and live virtual classes in 2020. Recordings of these are available on our website and YouTube channel, which has over 2 million views. Virtual classes have been taught primarily by BYU Library family history missionary volunteers. Webinars have been taught by faculty, students, and missionary volunteers at the BYU and professionals from the broader genealogical community. They have covered a wide range of family history topics.

Why this change?


Helping students with family history at BYU is our our primary responsibility. In recent years, we have been steadily increasing in-person experiential learning opportunities for students on campus. With limited resources, it is necessary to prioritize. While the webinars and virtual classes have made a valuable contribution to learning about family history, there are other providers of this type of instruction. We will continue to provide help and resources for the general public in-person and online, but our primary teaching focus going forward will be on in-person students.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still access the recordings of past webinars and virtual classes?


Yes, the recordings of past webinars and virtual classes will continue to be available on our YouTube channel and our website in the "Learn Online" section. Some may be eventually removed as they become outdated.

What other online learning/help will be provided?
We will continue to offer other online learning and other help resources. Beside the archive of webinar and virtual class recordings, our online learning library also includes additional instructional video recordings. The virtual help desk will continue to be open for one-on-one help. And we will continue to offer online Q&A sessions with volunteer specialists on various topics. There is also other information on the website that you can read, as well as links to additional resources.

What if I want to keep learning from the same presenters?


Most, if not all, of the presenters for the BYU Library family history webinars and virtual classes are also presenting in other platforms/venues, including FamilySearch.org, RootsTech online, The Family History Guide, and others, and/or their own websites. You can search on YouTube and elsewhere online for presenters by name to find more.

Our two most popular and frequent presenters have provided links to their own sites and welcome contact from those interested in their ongoing teaching:

Is the BYU Library Family History Center still open to the public?

Yes! While our primary focus is on students, we welcome the community to visit us in person. Individuals can walk in or make an appointment. Youth and adult groups (including young single adult and others) can make an appointment to come for fun and engaging family history learning and discovery activities.