Using LDS FHCenters #5 SPECIAL COLLECTIONS I & II Revised Aug 1997 Every LDS Family History Center (FHC) in the US & Canada is equipped with a core collection of microfiche which the main Family History LIbrary (FHL) has determined is essential for each FHC to have on hand. Some centers refer to them as the "200 most used reference works." The research outlines accompanying them are called: FAMILY HISTORY CENTER COLLECTION: United States Microfiche Reference Collection, Part I FAMILY HISTORY CENTER COLLECTION: Microfiche Reference Collection: Part II. Each set contains about 1,200 microfiche, copies of about 100 books in print. These are among of the FIRST resources a researcher might consult to determine if there have been any works already compiled to assist them in their family tree climbing. I was helping a patron with German ancestry learn how to begin. In the first collection we found A GENEALOGICAL HANDBOOK OF GERMAN RESEARCH by Larry O. Jensen. All 205 pages fit on 3 fiche! (FHL 6000366-8). The description of the manual states it is a basic guide to genealogical research in Germany. Includes descriptions and examples of records, handwriting and research strategies. We used the alphabet samples to decipher a microfilm of a German church record my patron had ordered but could not understand. The reference collections include many other topics including gazetteers of various My dear friend Elsie wrote anb article for the Cracker Crumbs, the newsletter of the Manasota Genealogical Society here in Bradenton, Florida. She took the time to type in each topic found in these collections. With her kind permission, I am encluding them in this article. (Thanks, Elsie!) SPECIAL COLLECTIONS PART I THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS -History CANADA -Directories, Gazetteers, Military Records, ONTARIO Vital Records, QUEBEC -Census DENMARK - Genealogy (Handbook, Manuals, etc.), Handwriting, Postal and Shipping Guides ENGLAND - Census, Gazetteers FRANCE - Postal and Shipping Guides GERMANY - Emigration and Immigration, Gazetteers, Genealogy- Handbooks, Manuals, Baden-Church Records, Bayern, Pfalz - Church Records, Mecklenburg Church Records IRELAND - Gazetteers NORWAY - Genealogy-Handbooks,Manuals,Etc., Handwriting, Postal and Shipping Guides POLAND - Gazetteers SCOTLAND - Gazetteers SPAIN - Postal and Shipping Guides SWEDEN - Genealogy-Handbooks, Manuals, Etc., Postal and Shipping Guides SWITZERLAND - Names, Personal UNITED STATES - Archives & Libraries, Census, Gazetteers. Genealogy, Historical Geography, Land & Property, Military Records, Postal and Shipping Guides, New England Genealogy. CALIFORNIA - Genealogy CONNECTICUT - Military Records GEORGIA - Vital Records ILLINOIS - Archives & Libraries, Gazetteers, Land & Property, Vital Records INDIANA - Gazetteers IOWA - Postal and Shipping Guides, Military Records KENTUCKY- Land & Property; (COUNTY) Land and Property MAINE - Genealogy MARYLAND - Probate Records MASSACHUSETTS - Archives & Libraries, Gazetteers, Genealogy MICHIGAN - Gazetteers; MISSOURI Bible Records, Gazetteers NEW HAMPSHIRE - Gazetteers,Genealogy NEW JERSEY - Gazetteers NEW YORK - Gazetteers, Probate Records, Vital Records NEW YORK CITY - Genealogy-Handbooks, Manuals etc. NORTH CAROLINA - Military Records, Probate Records OHIO - Genealogy- Handbooks, Manuals, Etc., Probate Records PENNSYLVANIA - Gazetteers, Philadelphia Historical Geography SOUTH CAROLINA - Probate Records; Charlestown Probate Records, TENNESSEE - Church Records, Vital Records TEXAS - Census, Military Records-Pensions UTAH - Census, Genealogy VIRGINIA - Church Records, Gazetteers, Genealogy, Periodicals-Indexes; WISCONSIN - Church Directories, Gazetteers. WALES - See also England WALES - Gazetteers, Historical Geography SPECIAL COLLECTIONS PART II BELGIUM - Gazetteers CANADA - Genealogy CZECHOSLOVAKIA - Gazetteers DENMARK - Gazetteers ENGLAND - Census-Indexes FRANCE - Gazetteers GERMANY - (STATE)-Gazetteers HUNGARY - Gazetteers POLAND - Genealogy-Handbooks,Manuals,etc. SWITZERLAND - Gazetteers YUGOSLAVIA - Gazetteers UNITED STATES - Archives and Libraries, Census, Emigration and Immigration, Gazetteers, Genealogy-Handbooks,Manuals,etc., Genealogy-Indexes, Land and Property, Military Records, Native Races. ARIZONA - Church Directories CALIFORNIA - History CONNECTICUT - Church Records DELAWARE - Church Directories FLORIDA - Church Records, Gazetteers, Vital Records GEORGIA - Land and Property, Probate Records. Taxation IDAHO - Church Directories ILLINOIS - Gazetteers INDIANA - Church Records, Land and Property, Vital Records IOWA - Church Records KENTUCKY - Military Records LOUISIANA - Archives and Libraries, Bible Records, Church Records, Vital Records; MAINE - Archives and Libraries, Gazetteers, Genealogy, Probate Records, (COUNTY) Genealogy MARYLAND - Genealogy, Vital Records MICHIGAN - Archives and Libraries MINNESOTA - Genealogy MONTANA - Church Records, Vital Records NEBRASKA - Gazetteers, Vital Records NEW HAMPSHIRE - Church Records, Genealogy NEW JERSEY - Archives and Libraries, Gazetteers NEW MEXICO - Church Directories, Genealogy- Handbooks,Manuals, etc, Vital Records NEW YORK - Church Records, Genealogy, Genealogy Bibliography NORTH CAROLINA - Church Records OHIO - Archives and Libraries, Church Records OKLAHOMA - Church Directories OREGON - Church Directories, Land and Property. Vital Records PENNSYLVANIA - Church Records RHODE ISLAND - Vital Records SOUTH CAROLINA - Court Records, Military Records, ABBEVILLE Probate Recs. TENNESSEE - Church Records TEXAS - Archives and Libraries, Land and Property UTAH - Archives and Libraries, Church Records, Vital Records, SALT LAKE Bios. VERMONT - Archives and Libraries, Church Directories, Gazetteers VIRGINIA - Church Records, Genealogy, Names, Geographical WASHINGTON Archives and Libraries, Church Records, Vital Records WISCONSIN - Biography.