State, FamilySearch works with local officials to preserve important documents

The Commonwealth of Kentucky announced a partnership with FamilySearch to digitize and preserve tens of thousands of primary records, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, that are currently on microfilm.

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) and volunteers from the Kentucky Genealogical Society (KYGS) are now contacting county clerks, the official custodians of these records, to notify them of the opportunity to digitize their records free of charge through FamilySearch.

They can take advantage of this opportunity by simply informing KDLA that their records can be digitized using the Records Release form.

In return, officials and the KDLA will receive copies of the digitized records, and FamilySearch will publish a copy in its free online database.

“Local records are among the most indispensable sources of documentation for the people of the Commonwealth. Records such as those of marriages, inheritances and land ownership were created based on the origins of each county, resulting in some of the most continuous sources of state history,” said Rusty Heckaman, KDLA state archivist.

“Together, they are invaluable to both the genealogist and the researcher because they can help paint a picture of the lives of our ancestors. FamilySearch’s participation in the digitization of these records represents a tremendous opportunity to make these records more accessible to the public. Their increased use can only further promote the value of these records and increase awareness of the wealth of resources in repositories like KDLA and in courthouses across our state.”