Family History Library

A wonderful benefit of holding the National Genealogical Society's 2010 National Conference in Salt Lake City is the vast holdings of the Family History Library.

The Family History Library holds over 2.4 million rolls of microfilm, over 700,000 microfiche, over 350,000 books, and vast electronic resources. These records cover countries from all over the world. Because the holdings of the Family History Library are so vast it is very helpful to prepare research plans before you arrive. Know what you want to research, what you hope to learn, the microfilm, microfiche, or book number, the floor these materials are located on, and how to use them.

The Family History Library is located near the conference venue--the Salt Palace--on 35 North West Temple. The building itself is made up of five floors. The main floor houses family histories and biographies. A short orientation film is also shown on the main floor, which is a good introduction for first time researchers at the Family History Library. Above the main floor are two floors containing the US and Canada Collection. Microfilm and Microfiche are found on the second floor, while the book and map collections are found on the third floor.

International records are found on the two floors below main. The first basement (B1) contains the International Collection, which includes records from Scandinavia, Asia, Africa, South and Central America and the Pacific Islands. The second basement (B2) contains records of the United Kingdom including England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man. This floor also contains records for Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to fantastic service missionaries the Family History Library employs research consultants. These consultants can be found at the main desk on each floor. These consultants are highly educated within their area of expertise and are a fantastic resource to help break down brick walls.

More to come on the Family History Library!

Christy Fillerup