19 August 2010

New Ordering System at Canadian Family History Centres

A new online film self-serve ordering system is being implemented today, Thursday, August 19th for Family History Centres in Canada.  From today all microfilm/fiche will be ordered online by patrons; film orders will no longer be taken at FHCs. That saves a trip just to place the order, a great benefit for those who live a long way from a FHC.

The procedure is that patrons will go online to https://film.familysearch.org and register for an account with your email address and a password you choose. You will be asked to choose the FHC you want your film/fiche to go to – the list also includes some libraries, like the Toronto Reference Library.  This can be changed whenever you want.  

Salt Lake will send a confirmation email -- check your SPAM folder if it doesn't appear promptly. 

All film/fiche orders and renewals will be self-serve online at the address above and will require payment online with a credit card. A hint -- before ordering any film, check with the local family history center to ensure that the film is not already available at that location.

All film/fiche will still come to the FHC and remain onsite to be viewed as before. The Family History Centre will still continue to contact you when the film has arrived at the FHC. You will also be able to track your order online.

The prices for film/fiche are as follows:
Microfiche - $5.00  (All microfiche are the same price whether there is 1 fiche in the set or more. Microfiche remain in the FHC.

Short-term film loan - $6.00  (Patrons will have roughly the same time to view them as they do now.  Films can be renewed for an additional charge of $6.00 and if the film is renewed twice, it remains in the FHC. Patrons must renew online before film due date.)

Extended film loan - $15.00  (Patrons can now order films as an extended loan.  If you know you will want to keep a particular film, this will save you $3.00.)

Payment is online with a credit card. This will require some adjustment for those who don't use computers, or won't use credit cards online.  Those folks would be well advised to cultivate a friendship with someone who does.

Thanks to Helen Billing from the Toronto FHC for this information

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