Staffing a Family History Center

(last updated 01 Mar 2003)

Before the Director can create an administration to actually run the FHC, he must find staff members to simply keep the place open.  Even if staff members and patrons alike are frustrated with the staff's initial lack of training, the FHC must be opened as soon as there are bodies to staff it.  An open FHC invites usage by patrons, and active patrons often evolve into volunteers.  Thus, the FHC's volunteer base will increase in proportion to its hours of operation.

Although volunteers are vital to a budding FHC, a new or long-dormant FHC will not glean enough volunteers to sufficiently staff the Center.  The Director will have to find other ways to complete the FHC's staff requirements. 

How to build a complete staff:

• Get the stake to call staff members.  Use the ideas from the Support lesson to persuade stake presidents and bishops to issue callings.  Ideally, four Family History calls should be issued per Ward:
  • One Ward Family History Consultant, who trains ward members in genealogy, usually during Sunday School.
  • One Extractor, who becomes part of Salt Lake's Extraction program.
  • Two Family History Center Staff members, who man the FHC and train patrons in genealogy research.
• Ask for a small time commitment from many people rather than a huge commitment from a few.  You'll get more volunteers this way, and called staff members will defect less often.
• Call a meeting for all local genealogists, members and nonmembers alike.  Use the meeting to accomplish the following:
  1. Find out what their needs are.  Ask each person to make a wish-list of tools and services he wishes the FHC had.
  2. Survey their experience.  Have them fill out a questionnaire that will indicate which ones might make good staff members and officers.
  3. Brainstorm.  Invite them to share ideas and goals with you as to what they want the FHC to be.
  4. Tell them your goals.  Put a fire in their bellies.  When I told my stake's genealogists that we were going to get six FamilySearch computers and a film/fiche reader/copier, they looked at me like I was from Mars.  Then they all volunteered to help.
  5. Convince potential staff members and the Stake High Councilman that you mean business.   If they need a kick-start, this meeting will do the job.  Inspire them, and make them understand that they can be part of a winning team. 
  6. Ask for volunteers to get the center open.
  7. Schedule the volunteers in pairs.  Ask them to fill two-hour shifts.  Don't worry; the shifts can be stretched to three hours later as needed, but for now, ask for only two hours per week.  That way, the FHC will get more initial volunteers.   Once they get started and get excited about the great strides the FHC is making, they'll start asking you if they can stay longer.
  8. Schedule a staff meeting for the next week.  This will be the meeting in which you form an administration.  For details, see the Administration lesson.