WELCOME

Washington DC Family History Center

(On the lower level on the south side of the Washington DC Stake Center)

Mail:	PO Box 49 Kensington, MD 20895 (301) 587-0042	Address:	10000 Stoneybrook Drive Kensington, MD 20895
Website:	https://www.wdcfhc.org/	Email:	info@wdcfhc.org

The Washington DC Family History Center (FHC) is a branch of the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and is open for genealogical research by both church members and the general public. FHCs provide local access to Church microfilmed family history records, family history computer resources, and internet genealogical websites.

There is no charge for using the facility and only nominal charges for use of the copying machines, purchase of some forms, and rental of microfilms or microfiche.

Patrons are responsible for doing their own genealogical research. Our all-volunteer staff is ready to answer questions about the resources available in the FHC and give limited research guidance.

Family Center Rules:
No materials can leave the FHC, including books, microfilm, microfiche or CD-ROMs. Smoking, alcohol and illegal drugs are not permitted anywhere on the premises. No food or drink (except for water) is permitted. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and must not disturb other patrons.

Website:
Our website address is: https://www.wdcfhc.org. Posted online is information about our library and its resources, and Saturday classes and conferences. Permanent films in our collection are listed under the “Permanent Films” tab on the website. Members of our staff who are specialists in particular areas of research are listed under the “Research Specialists” tab.

Newsletter: Our free monthly newsletter, Generations, is sent via email during the first week of each month. It has timely information about activities and events at our FHC as well as research tips and links. To subscribe, please send an email to: info@wdcfhc.org.

Oral History Room:
A unique feature of our FHC is our Oral History Room, which is equipped with professional audio and digital video technology. This is an easy way to capture and preserve the living history of a family member or loved one. For further information or to schedule the room, please call Carol Petranek at 301-572-4105 or email: wdcfhcfilms@gmail.com.

FHC Computer Resources:
Our computers can operate genealogy software: PAF, RootsMagic, Legacy, Family Tree Maker.
All computers have internet access. Only genealogy-related websites are to be accessed.
The FHC offers free access to several fee-based databases: World Vital Records; Footnote.com, Heritage Quest, FamilyLink, Godfrey Memorial Library, Genline, FindMyPast.uk, FamilyHistoryLink, Alexander Street Press (Civil War), The Genealogist, Historic Map Works, 19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archive.
Our computers also have direct links to hundreds of genealogical websites.

Microfilm reader/printers and scanners:
Our FHC has ten microfilm readers and three microfiche readers. We have two microfilm reader/printers, which print hard copies of microfilm pages or save them to a CD or removable drive. In addition, there are two flatbed Epson scanners to scan and edit photographs, slides, photo negatives and documents, and save them to a removable drive or CD. Software programs include: Adobe Photoshop Elements, a software editing program for photos, slides and negatives; and ABBY Reader, which converts digitized documents into text documents.

Additional FHC Resources:
1. Card Catalog - All items in this FHC are found in the card catalog, which lists microfilm, fiche and book presently onsite. Cards are arranged by Locality, Surname, and Subject.
2. Family Group Records Archives (FGRA) - This is the only FHC east of the Mississippi River to have a full set of these microfilms which represent the largest part of the Family History Library’s collection of over 8 million Family Group Sheets. There are roughly 1991 films, arranged alphabetically by the husband’s surname.
3. Books - Shelved by Locality, Subject, or Family Name. Books for each state in the U.S. are arranged alphabetically; each state has a binder containing a Research Outline and other materials. There are books on immigration, church records, census, military, and foreign countries; maps and atlases.
4. Chinese Digital Penpad - allows patrons to write Chinese characters on the computer
5. Other Aids - include research guides, handwriting guides and letter writing guides for foreign countries, magazines.

Order Microfilms and Microfiche from the Salt Lake City Family History Library:
1. Microfilms and microfiche are ordered online at: FamilySearch.org/films
2. Notification of film arrivals is by email sent from Salt Lake City.
3. All films and fiche are rented for use in the FHC only. They must remain in the FHC during the entire rental period.
4. U.S. copyright laws allow patrons to make a few copies of a portion of copyrighted material only if used for "private study, scholarship, or research". If the purpose is other than this, a patron must first get permission from the copyright owner; otherwise, there could be liability for copyright infringement.

Charges for Copies Made at FHC:

Film & fiche copies	.25 per sheet
computer printouts	.20 per sheet
Copies of printed material	Varies by Document

Directions: I-495 to Connecticut Avenue NORTH. At first traffic light outside I-495, turn right onto BEACH Drive. Follow until Beach Drive dead-ends into STONEYBROOK Drive. Turn left. Turn left again into the 3rd driveway. The FHC is on the left side of the building, half-way back.