Utah Archives, Libraries, and Societies
This entry was originally written by Patricia Lyn Scott, CA and Gary Topping Ph.D. for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
Contents
- 1 Family History Library
- 2 LDS Church Historical Department
- 3 Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library
- 4 Public Pioneer'Utah State Library
- 5 Salt Lake County Archives
- 6 Southern Utah University
- 7 Utah State Archives and Records Service
- 8 Utah State Historical Society
- 9 Utah Genealogical Association
- 10 University of Utah
- 11 Utah State University
Family History Library
Genealogical Society of Utah
35 N. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
www.familysearch.org
Every researcher should know of the Family History Library (FHL), operated under the auspices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and situated in Salt Lake City. The collection, owned and maintained by the Genealogical Society of Utah, is of unparalleled importance in the field of family history and is one of the foremost accumulations of records, books, microfilm, microfiche, maps, manuscript, biographies, etc., in the world. For anyone doing genealogical research, a trip to Salt Lake City can be extremely productive since so much is available in one place. If this is not feasible, there are numerous Family History Centers operated by local LDS branch libraries in towns and cities all over the world.
LDS Church Historical Department
Church Office Building
50 E. North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
In addition to the Church's library, there is a large church archives department containing many records not at the FHL. Among them are diaries of early Utah settlers and an extensive collection of official church records. For a clear discussion of the department's holdings, see Glenn N. Rowe, 'The Historical Department and the LDS Church,' in David J. Whittaker, Mormon Americana: A Guide to Sources and Collections in the United States (Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, 1995).
Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library
Provo, UT 84601
www.lib.byu.edu/~scm
The university's Special Collections houses rare and unique publications, manuscripts, and archival materials emphasizing Mormon and Western Americana. Its holdings are listed on the library's online catalog at www.lib.byu.edu.hbll/.'Trail of Hope: Overland Diaries and Letters, 1846'1869' is a significant digital collection of the original writings of forty-nine voyagers on Mormon, California, Oregon, and Montana trails who wrote during their travels http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/.
Public Pioneer'Utah State Library
250 N. 1950 W., Ste A
Salt Lake City, UT 84116-7901
http://pioneer.utah.gov/
Public Pioneer is a virtual library created by the Utah State Library Division in cooperation with Utah's libraries. It is one component of the statewide Pioneer Project, which serves Utah's public schools and academic institutions, as well as patrons of public libraries. Public Pioneer offers a portal to carefully selected Internet sites and creates an information center for Utah researchers.
Salt Lake County Archives
2001 S. State St., Ste. 4400
Salt Lake City, UT 84190-1020
www.co.slc.ut.us
The Salt Lake County Archives was established in 1986 as a unit of the Records Management and Archives program. It preserves the historical records of Salt Lake County, provides access to researchers, and ensures that historical evidence and governmental accountability is maintained. Significant holdings include Property Appraisal Cards (1936'87) and Photographs of Historic Buildings of Salt Lake City (1936'75).
Southern Utah University
Sherratt Library'Special Collections
351 W. Center St.
Cedar City, UT 84720
http://archive.li.suu.edu
The Special Collections is a regional history collection of the southwestern Utah area. 'SUUper' Search is a full-search tool for information available in manuscript and photographic collections. Many photographs have also been digitized and are available online.
Utah State Archives and Records Service
346 South Rio Grande
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
The Utah State Archives permanently preserves and provides access to the records of enduring value created by Utah state, county, and municipal governments. Public records and documents may be used at the Research Room. Various finding aids including online research guides, catalogs, inventories, and indexes assist researchers. There is no fee for reference service; however, photocopying and mailing costs are charged.
In 1999, the state archives initiated a cooperative ongoing program to microfilm historical records in Utah's cities and towns, school districts, and selected county and court records. This microfilm is available at the Utah State Archives and designated regional centers (Utah State University and Southern Utah University). New rolls of microfilm are added weekly. The state archives and state historical society will share a reading room after December 2004.
Utah State Historical Society
300 Rio Grande
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
http://history.utah.gov/index.html
The society publishes the Utah History Quarterly and Beehive History and maintains an extensive, well-managed collection. Because of the focus of the collection at the FHL, the historical society concentrates on printed and state history, as well as maintaining an extensive manuscript collection. Two articles in Utah Genealogical Association's Newsletter (4th Quarter, 1988) discuss the usefulness of this collection for genealogists: Max J. Evans' 'Genealogy and History' and Standford J. Layton's 'Introducing the Utah State Historical Society.' The society's website contains 'Utah History To Go,' an outline course on Utah History that includes bibliographies and suggested readings.
Utah Genealogical Association
Box 1144
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
[www.infouga.org www.infouga.org]
Often confused with the Genealogical Society of Utah, which is a department of the LDS Church, the Utah Genealogical Association publishes the Genealogical Journal and a quarterly Newsletter, which contains information about new acquisitions in the FHL and articles of local interest. The association meets on a regular basis and is divided into several chapters, each with particular ongoing projects such as indexing birth and death records (see Utah Vital Records).
University of Utah
Special Collections
Marriott Library
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
www.lib.utah.edu/spc/
The Special Collections acquires and makes available books, periodicals, oral histories, photographs, films, and original materials documenting Utah history, Mormon history, Native Americans, and the West. Its holdings are listed on the library's online catalog at www.lib.utah.edu/information/unis. Significant collections include the records of local churches (e.g., Episcopal Church Archives) and Sanborn maps. These large-scale maps (1867'1969) were created for fire insurance agents and depict the commercial, industrial, and residential sections of various Utah (and other western states) cities. The Sanborn Digitization Project makes some of these maps available online at www.lib.utah.edu/digital/Sanborn/browse.html.
Utah State University
Special Collections and Archives
Merrill Library
Logan, UT 84322
http://library.usu.edu/Specol/
The Special Collections focuses on Mormon history and the Cache Valley (Utah-Idaho) region. Two notable collections include the extensive Leonard J. Arrington Collection and the Cache County Archives (1860'1939). Cache County records include probate court and property tax records. Many of these records have been microfilmed and are also available at the Utah State Archives. The Special Collections website contains a guide for genealogists and family historians.
