Genealogists and family historians to benefit from global collaboration

Provo, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/17/2007 -- More than 4,500 FamilySearch Family History Centers throughout the world will now have free access to WorldVitalRecords.com’s genealogical records and resources, as a result of an agreement signed between FamilySearch (TM) and WorldVitalRecords.com.

“We are looking for a new breed of genealogy websites that are willing to work with FamilySearch to meet the needs and interests of record custodians and our patrons. WorldVitalRecords.com was uniquely positioned because of its rapid growth in the industry and potential for success, along with additional genealogical providers to fill this void. We are certain this agreement with WorldVitalRecords.com will greatly benefit a worldwide audience of genealogists with this free service,” said Paul Nauta, Manager of Public Affairs, FamilySearch (TM).

WorldVitalRecords.com will provide a vast collection of genealogical materials including vital, land, immigration, and military records; newspapers, international databases, and a collection of reference material.

WorldVitalRecords.com also partnered with Everton Publishers last year to provide the Everton Genealogical Library containing numerous databases, as well as 60 years of the Everton Genealogical Helper and 150,000 Everton Pedigree Files and Family Group Sheets.

“At Everton’s we are excited about the fact that for the first time, genealogists have easy access to tens of thousands of queries, family group sheets, pedigree charts, and more from the past 60 years of the Genealogical Helper,” said Leland Meitzler, Managing Editor, Everton Publishers.

In addition to making all WorldVitalRecords.com content free, each family history centers will have access to FamilyLink.com, a new social genealogical Web site that enables individuals to connect with genealogists from more than 1,600 cities.

“FamilyLink.com is a fantastic idea. My sister has hinted of a genealogical resource of this nature, and I have been chomping at the bit, waiting for this site to go live. FamilyLink.com will be great as I am looking for resources to help me find my family members throughout the world. This site is going to work wonders in the field of genealogy,” said Beth Gawthrop, Washington, DC.

Currently FamilyLink.com, a free service, has several thousands users from more than 34 countries who are connecting with individuals to further their genealogical research.

“For the first time ever, if I'm looking for an ancestor in a particular part of the world, I'll be a click away from the expert researchers who live there, and from others who have done research there," said Paul Allen, CEO, WorldvitalRecords.com. “We are very optimistic that FamilyLink.com will continue to grow and will have hundreds of thousands of people who can communicate with each other, and work together in finding data and information about their loved ones.”

WorldVitalRecords.com’s agreement with FamilySearch will benefit a broader audience and help thousands of people find connections to their loved ones.

"Our mission at WorldVitalRecords.com and FamilyLink.com is to make high value resources and tools available to genealogists and family historians throughout the world. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to fill the void left by Ancestry in the FamilySearch operated Family History Centers,” said David Lifferth, President, WorldVitalRecords.com.

About WorldVitalRecords.com
Finding your ancestors can be overwhelming, and expensive. At WorldVitalRecords.com, we’ve made it easy and affordable for individuals to connect to their families and find answers to their genealogical questions. WorldVitalRecords.com was founded by Paul Allen, who also founded Ancestry.com, one of the leading genealogy companies. WorldVitalRecords.com aims to be a top player in the genealogy industry and will offer users international record databases, references to top genealogical resources, including Everton’s Online Genealogical Helper and Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Files, a blog planet, podcasts, videocasts, Webinars, expert advice, training, and user-generated content.

About FamilySearch ™
FamilySearch.org is a non-profit service sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch.org encourage all people to find their ancestors and preserve their family histories. To help in this great pursuit, the Church has been actively gathering and preserving genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years.