FamilySearch Labs' Full Text search has been available since they announced the new development at last year's RootsTech conference, but I still run into people who have yet to give it a try.
As the old commercial used to say, "Try it; you'll like it." That, at least, is what I think about this resource. After putting the service through its paces on several ancestors last year, I'm certainly excited to see what else I can find, especially now that I'm stuck with the thought that perhaps my second great-grandmother Sarah Catherine Laws Davis might not be the family member I thought she was. I'm seeking a bit more firm footing, documentation-wise, in climbing this woman's 1838 to 1893 timeline in northeastern Tennessee.
Recently, the FamilySearch blog put out an article on "What to Expect From FamilySearch in 2025." Among the many anticipated upcoming developments, the article included a section on Full-text search. The January 6 article referred to how the FamilySearch Labs' Artificial Intelligence is "unlocking incredible discoveries hidden in unindexed, handwritten historical records that have never been searchable before now." Precisely why I want to use it to check for any connections between Sarah Catherine Laws, wife of Thomas Davis, and Catherine Laws, daughter of William Laws, the shoemaker from North Carolina.
The way the FamilySearch Labs is set up allows them to offer signed-in users a test drive of not just the Full Text search, but several other experimental features. All they ask in return is that researchers provide them with feedback on their user experience. As they note on the Labs' website, "You can influence important decisions on potential FamilySearch features and improvements."
The projects available have changed over time. Right now, the featured tools include options to apply as an early tester for an "enhanced tree feature," as well as an AI-assisted search on the FamilySearch.org website, and making "unforgettable memories" with "Together by FamilySearch."
When I first found out about the Full Text Search capability, I did test it out and provide feedback. I could see where it might be cumbersome for some search terms—I think at the time I was looking for more information on my ancestor John Carter, a name which doomed me to overload on possible hits. But I also realized its value in locating possible parents' names for some of my brick wall ancestors.
I'll be spending the weekend putting the program through its paces once again. Hopefully, William Laws will not be as overwhelming a search term to choose as was John Carter. At least in William's case, I already know some sons' names—Wiley, Larkin, and Pine Dexter—which couldn't possibly be among the most popular given names of his century. They will come in handy as keywords in this search for Sarah Catherine's presumed father, William Laws.
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