Scan and Save Old Photos with New FamilySearch Scanners

  • 23 May 2014

It takes only minutes for valuable family photographs or documents to be scanned, uploaded, and published with FamilySearch's new scanning system.

Article Highlights

  • Patrons can now digitally preserve and share their precious printed historic family photos and documents.
  • FamilySearch has equipped over 2,800 of its local family history centers in North America with new Lexmark multifunction printers.

FamilySearch International (online at FamilySearch.org) now offers free scanning and preservation of family photos and documents for patrons in thousands of its North American family history centers. Using customized Lexmark multifunction products (MFPs), patrons can now digitally preserve and share their precious printed historic family photos and documents.

“We all have them. You know, the kitchen or dresser drawers, paper boxes or plastic bags, scrapbooks or folders—all full of family photos, vital records, and other keepsake correspondence from our ancestors,” said Penney Devey, FamilySearch director of Worldwide Patron and Partner Services. “These family artifacts are constant reminders of our heartfelt good intentions to someday preserve, organize, share, or tell their hidden stories for posterity. We just don’t know where to start, how to do it—or feel we can’t afford it.”

Now, thanks to FamilySearch and Lexmark, the future is here. And there is a very convenient, free solution to each family’s need to preserve and share their photos and historic documents.

FamilySearch has equipped over 2,800 of its family history centers in North America with new Lexmark MFPs (coming soon to international centers). The Lexmark MFPs are easy to use and can scan documents and photographs quickly. The most exciting part is that software from Lexmark that runs on the MFP lets users scan their items directly into a free FamilySearch.org account, where the documents and photos can later be tagged, explained, shared with others, or attached to ancestors in a free FamilySearch Family Tree. Users can also save the files to a thumb drive and take them home.

It takes only minutes for valuable family photographs or documents to be scanned, uploaded, and published with FamilySearch's new scanning system.

FamilySearch and Lexmark have made it very easy and convenient to preserve family photos and historic documents. All patrons have to do is bring their photos and documents to a local FamilySearch family history center.

“The Lexmark solution we’ve created for FamilySearch is an example of how Lexmark MFPs and software come together to solve unique paper-based workflow challenges,” said Marty Canning, Lexmark executive vice president and president of the Imaging Solutions and Services Division. “We’ve made it faster and easier for family history center patrons to scan historic photos and vital documents right from our Lexmark MFPs into their online family trees.”

The touch screen on the Lexmark MFP is easy to use and lets patrons scan in three easy steps:

1.  Touch the FamilySearch logo.

2.  Log in to a free FamilySearch.org account.

3.  Scan family documents and photos.

It takes only minutes for valuable family photographs or documents to be scanned, uploaded, and published with FamilySearch's new scanning system.

Documents and photos scan directly to a folder on each user’s personal FamilySearch.org account online or to a thumb drive. Once uploaded, the high-quality digital images can be viewed on FamilySearch.org by logging in and selecting Memories and then either Photos or Documents. Users can label, crop, and share their historic items in FamilySearch’s Family Tree.

“By sharing links to the uploaded artifacts with family and friends, you can encourage them to add their photos and family documents for your common ancestors,” added Devey. “Don’t be surprised if you discover additional photos of common ancestors that other relatives may have already scanned and uploaded.”

Patrons can also upload digital files of their family photos and historic documents on their own at FamilySearch.org.

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