Traveling to Salt Lake--Archives and Libraries

Besides the Family History Library, here are 7 other Archives and Libraries you shouldn't miss while you are in town (with thanks to Russell Lynch for his article in the March 2010 issue of Crossroads).

• The Utah State Archives holds Utah historical records back to 1850. It includes Utah vital records, land record, mining claims and government documents. The Research Center is at 300 South Rio Grande Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Tel. (801) 533-3535 Fax (801) 533-3504 and they are open Mon. - Thurs. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• The LDS Church History Library is a new facility on the corner of 15 East and North Temple Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84150. It houses over 260,000 books, 500,000 historic images, and 150,000 journals and diaries. They cover immigration to Utah, and territorial information for the early pioneer settlements covering much of the western United States. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m, Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m, and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The library is hosting an open house for the conference on Wednesday April 28th from 5:30 to 7:30.
• The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Archive has already been talked about on the NGS blog by Christy Fillerup. The facility is being renovated, but has portions open to the public. They have over 100,000 histories on file with an extensive collection of artifacts and photographs covering the people who arrived in Utah prior to 1869. It is open Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm (you need to arrive by 3) and is located at 300 North Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1699. Phone: 801-532-6479
• The Marriott Library at the University of Utah is home to the Western Americana Collection that covers western United States history from 1550 to 1900. It also has large collections of microfilmed British newspapers and published federal documents. The library is accesible from the University Trax line, and is located at 295 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860
• (801) 581-8558. Library hours are 7 am to midnight. (Don't you love college libraries :-)
• The Salt Lake Public Library is a beautiful facility located not far from the Family History Library along the main Trax line. It houses indexes and microfilms of the two main Utah newspapers, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News as well as city directories and other regional documents. It is located at 210 East 400 South Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 524-8200 and is open on Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-9 p.m, Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m, and Sunday 1-5 p.m.
• And the Lee Library at Brigham Young University actually houses the BYU Family History Library, the second largest family history facility in the world. It has more than 200,000 duplicates of microfilms from the Salt Lake Family History Library as well as outstanding map and newspaper collections and as well as one of the largest county history collections in the United States. I have found many an elusive ancestor in the county history collection at the Lee library. The Lee library is a one hour drive south of Salt Lake in the center of the BYU campus in Provo Utah. Hours are Monday–Friday: 7:00 am–12 midnight and Saturday: 8:00 am–12 midnight.
• There is also the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Library located on 3301 East 2920 South, Salt Lake City, UT and is open Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They house a collection of thousands of manuscripts, biographies and family histories of Mormon pioneers, as well as the many Utah pioneers of other faiths and religions who came to the region before 1869.

And FYI, the Everton Library a collection of 60,000+ books, manuscripts, records, pedigree charts, newletters, photographs and family histories was one of the largest privately held genealogical libraries in the United States. It was started by the Everton family in 1945 publishers of The Everton Genealogical Helper. Upon the decline of the Everton company, the collection was donated to the Logan City Library, about a 1 1/2 hour drive north of Salt Lake. The collection has been processed and will be open to the public sometime in the summer of 2010.

And FYI #2 The Salt Lake County Library System is a collection of 19 libraries that circulates over 15 million items a year and has a wealth of programs and exhibits running constantly. It is one of the best funded library systems in the country with strong voter support and a high patron participation including over 25,000 participating in the summer reading program. In fact, 79% of the population of Salt Lake County is registered for a county library card.

Presenter Profile: James P Sweany

James Sweany has worked at the Library of Congress for 20 years, all in reference services. His career at the Library began in 1989 with the Congressional Research Service. He has also served in the Hispanic Division, the Humanities and Social Sciences Division, and as acting head of the Congressional and Interlibrary Loan Section. James has extensive reference experience with the Library’s microform and machine readable collections. He has been responsible for developing the Library’s American Indian collections, particularly Native American genealogical resources, and serves presently as head of the Library’s Local History & Genealogy Reading Room.

URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/

NGS Class: Friday, April 30, 2010 at 11:00 am on the "Research" track. It is titled: "The Library of Congress: Pursuing Your Family History in the National library"

Librarians' Day and Filby Award

I have just received the following Press Release from NGS.

Contact: Gayathri Kher
Phone: (703) 525-0050 ext. 221
9:30 AM EST, 4 December 2009

The National Genealogical Society's 32nd Family History Conference, "Follow Your Ancestral Trail" will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, 28 April - 1 May 2010. A special Librarians' Pre-Conference Program, sponsored by ProQuest, will be held on 27 April 2010. All librarians who work with genealogical and family history patrons are welcome. There is no charge for the program, but advance registration is required.

Librarians attending this program will hear several excellent talks. James P. Sweany, head of the Local history and Genealogy Reading Room at the Library of Congress, will talk about how the Library of Congress can help you serve your family history patrons. Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, executive director at the Plymouth Historical Museum in Plymouth, Michigan, will explore creative ways to fund projects, both large and small. Two conservators, Chris McAfee and M. Scott Simkins, will share methods for storing, mending, and preserving your library materials. Participants will also be treated to behind-the-scenes tours of the Family History Library and the new LDS Church History Library. Lunch will be provided free of charge. Further details and registration information are available on the NGS website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/preconference_events.

ProQuest and the National Genealogical Society will honor an outstanding librarian during the conference. The Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship of $1,000 is sponsored by ProQuest and is awarded to a librarian who has made significant contributions in the field of genealogy. If you know a librarian who is worthy, please submit a nomination today. Individuals may nominate themselves. The nominee need not be an NGS member but must be a full-time librarian whose focus is in genealogy and local history, with at least five years' experience in the field, and must be employed in a public, academic, or special library. The deadline for nominations is 31 January 2010. The criteria for judging along with complete directions for submitting a nomination are available online at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/the_filby_prize_for_genealogical_librarianship/nomination_form. Nominations may also be sent by mail to: National Genealogical Society, Attn: Filby Award, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22204-4304.

Librarians attending Librarians Day may also want to consider attending the entire NGS conference. Registration details and the conference program can be found online at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration.

Librarian's Program

It's time for your pilgrimage to the Family History Holy Land!
NGS in Salt Lake City--April 2010

NGS’s special pre-conference meeting for librarians, sponsored by ProQuest, will be held Tuesday, 27 April, 8:45 am – 4:00 pm in the Empire Room at the Joseph Smith Building.

Librarians attending this program will hear several excellent speakers. ProQuest will provide lunch for librarians and will be available to answer questions about their products. All librarians who work with family history patrons or general reference questions will benefit from this special event.

How the Library of Congress Can Help You With Your Family History Patrons
James P. Sweany, head of the Local History & Genealogy Reading Room at the Library of Congress.

Funding Projects Large and Small
Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, is the executive director at the Plymouth Historical Museum, Plymouth, Michigan.

Collection Care for Your Library
Chris McAfee works for both BYU and the LDS Church History Department conserving and preserving books,documents, photographs, and other artifacts. M. Scott Simkins is the head conservator at the Family History Library.

Behind the Scenes tours of the Family History Library and the new LDS Church History Library.


See you soon!
Christy Fillerup