LEWISTOWN — Bringing to life family history by discovering ancestral roots continues to grow in popularity.

When it comes to family, people around the Juniata Valley and nationwide just want to find out as much as they can about their ancestors and view photos, stories and other historical documents.

Now, look no further than either the Mifflin or Juniata county historical societies to make that next exciting family discovery.

Jessica Eaton Guyer, president of the Juniata County Historical Society, said the historical society is now an official Family Search Affiliate Library, which means it has access to more genealogy resources to help individuals make more family discoveries.

FamilySearch International claims to be the largest genealogy organization in the world. They are a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Visitors to our archives will now have the added benefit of exploring online resources that are restricted from non-affiliate accounts. In addition to our family library, documents, books, Ancestry.com and newspapers.com access, this added research perk just may help someone find the needed link to break down a brick wall,” Guyer explained.

The Juniata County Historical Society is located in the lower level of the Juniata County Library, located at 498 Jefferson St., Mifflintown. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and other times by appointment.

The FamilySearch Affiliate Library designation means Juniata County Historical Society patrons will have greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources available through FamilySearch. The popular web service has more than 13 billion searchable names and six billion viewable images of historical genealogical records.

“The next closest locations of other affiliate libraries are Centre Hall to the west and Millersburg to the east,” Guyer said. “Adding us in the middle means researchers who are geographically closer to us won’t have to travel as far.

The Mifflin County Historical Society, based in Lewistown, will also offer similar services once the renovations to its home in the Historic Mifflin County Courthouse have been completed, said Forest Fisher, historical society volunteer.

The Mifflin County Historical Society is expected to be closed for about three months while the Historic Courthouse is renovated.

For many, it’s all about family.

FamilySearch Public Relations Manager Paul Nauta said, “Interest in our ancestral roots continues to grow with the popularity of DNA tests, reality TV shows like “Relative Race,” “Finding Your Roots,” “Who Do You Think You Are?” and the growing access to online genealogy records from around the world.

“With the addition of the Juniata County Historical Society as our newest FamilySearch Affiliate Library even more individuals will be able to enjoy the inspiring journey of making fun, personal discoveries and family connections,” Nauta added.

Guyer said this service expands the Juniata County Historical Society’s mission to preserve, protect and interpret Juniata County’s history.

“Their vision is to inspire curiosity for Juniata’s history, create interest and support for Juniata’s history, and to preserve the past to inspire Juniata’s future,” Guyer said.

For more information about the society’s services and member benefits, visit www.JuniataCountyHistoricalSociety.org or call (717) 436-5152.