At the Family History Library I was able to work with original and published records from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Wurttemberg and Hessen all in the same week. Records available vary by location but can include vital records, probate records, land records, court records, compiled genealogies, cemetery records, histories, maps, coroners records, and more.
In addition to the film and published records, the Family History Library has subscriptions to many websites that aren't available to us from home. One researcher found info on the unit her ancestor served in during the Civil War on the Alexander Street site. I found newspapers from St. Louis, Missouri that included an account of the death of one of my ancestors at the BYU digital newspaper collection.
On the international floor there are translators available to help you understand and read the records generated by your ancestor in non-english speaking countries. You can easily save the images from the microfilms or books in digital format on a thumb drive, or you can print paper copies, or both. Other than being able to interview your ancestors, pretty much all you can ask for to do your research is available.
All this in the company of other Gen Friends members - it has been a great week. Think about joining us in 2011.
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