Information for LDS Family History Centers

Patrons can now work on a PAF file in any language. If you have patrons that wish to use a PAF-like program in a language other than English, you can take advantage of a special capability to provide this. This page will explain this option.

PAF 5 is essentially an older version of Ancestral Quest, with a few modifications. (While the Church has never publicized this, in 1999, our company gave our Ancestral Quest code to the Church so that they could make the adjustments they required, and then give it away as PAF.) Ancestral Quest can work directly with FamilySearch Family tree and allows for ordinance reservations and printing of cards. Ancestral Quest has the ability to be translated by anyone into any language.

What this means for non-English speaking patrons of Family History Centers, is that with a little bit of effort, they could use a PAF-like program (Ancestral Quest) to edit PAF data in their own language, which can then be used to work directly with FamilySearch for temple work.

We estimate that someone conversant in both English and another language, could translate the few screens that are used most often within just a few hours. Once this is done, this translation file could be used both at the Family History Center, and also given to patrons to take home, and be able to use the program in their own language at home.

Some of the screens we expect should be translated include:

• The Family View
• The Individual Entry Screen
• The Marriage Entry Screen
• The Main Menu

With these screens translated, 90% of the day-to-day use of the program will be available in the user's native tongue. As you work with the program, you may find it advantageous to translate a few other screens, and possibly a few of the reports. You could translate the entire program, but that would take a long time. By translating just the essentials, you can allow users to work on this PAF-compatible program in their native tongue in a very short time.

For more information on this capability, please call us at 1-801-280-4434. You can e-mail us at support@ancquest.com. And please visit this page for more information on the translation: www.ancquest.com/translate.htm

Copies of Ancestral Quest are FREE to Family History Centers. If you do not already have a copy of Ancestral Quest for your center, please send an e-mail request to ancquest@ancquest.com and we will provide you with a copy.