As a part of our training at the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, we were introduced to the extensive collection of genealogical materials available. The goal of the library is to help guests trace their own family history. In order to assist guests we needed to learn how to search and access the:
3.7 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records
190,000 microfiche
340,000 books, serials, and other formats
125,000 periodicals
3,725 electronic sources including subscriptions to the major genealogical websites
Learning how to use the on-line search engine, which made helping guests a lot easier.
During our on-line training we were asked questions to help us learn how to search. For example we might be asked, ‘How would you help a guest who wanted to search for an ancestor in Manchester, England in 1880?’ Then we used the search engine to find all the available resources.
As I was going through the required training, I was surprised when this question came up.
“What resources does the library have on Samburu, Kenya?”
I know Samburu, Kenya. I’ve been to Samburu many times. Very interesting question! When I searched in the on-line catalogue, this was the only resource for Samburu:
‘Samburu Secondary School, Coast Province, Kenya, Africa,Yearbook’
Now I was intrigued! I know people who attended Samburu Secondary School.
Would any of them be included in the yearbook?
I excitedly found the book and learned that it was not a traditional yearbook in the style we think of in the US. In 2003, volunteers from Choice Humanitarian interviewed each student and teacher at Samburu Secondary School to create a record with the names of each student, his or her parents and siblings, as well as information about each student’s life and goals for the future.
