Church History Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church History Library |
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| LDS Church History Library | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Religious library |
| Scope | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Established | 2009 |
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Coordinates | 40°46′20″N 111°53′25″W / 40.7721°N 111.8904°W |
The Church History Library (CHL) is a special building in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's like a giant memory bank for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here, you can find old books, pictures, and stories that tell the history of the Church. It opened in 2009 and helps people learn about the Church's past.
Contents
History of the Library
Why a New Building?
Back in 1960, there were plans for a big, tall building. It was meant to hold offices and libraries for the Church's history and family records. But new ways to save old papers came along. Also, the Granite Mountain Records Vault was finished in 1963. This vault had lots of space for family history items. So, the need for such a huge building changed.
After the Church Office Building was finished in 1972, the Church's history department moved there. They used four floors in the east part of that building.
Building the CHL
In April 2005, new plans were shared for the CHL. It was going to be built on a parking lot near Temple Square. This was the same spot that was thought of in 1960. The new building would hold the Church History Department and all its old records.
The building was officially opened on June 20, 2009. It opened its doors to the public two days later, on June 22, 2009. With the new building came longer hours, better technology, and more help for visitors.
What's Inside: Collections
The CHL keeps materials that tell the story of the Church. This history goes all the way back to the 1820s in upstate New York. It continues to today, with millions of members around the world.
The items here have lots of information about both Church history and how the western United States grew. These collections include:
- 270,000 books, small booklets, and magazines
- 500,000 old photos, posters, and maps
- 23,000 audio and video recordings
- 120,000 local histories for Church groups
- 150,000 journals, diaries, and handwritten papers
- 20,000 rolls of microfilm (tiny pictures of documents)
- 3.5 million special blessings for Church members
Building Features
Keeping Records Safe
The new building is very large, about 230,000 square feet. It has special controls for temperature, humidity, and air quality. This helps keep the Church's historical items safe. Most storage rooms are kept at 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 35 percent humidity.
There are also two very special rooms. These rooms are kept at minus four degrees Fahrenheit. They are used for color movies, photos, and other very important records.
Working Behind the Scenes
The building has areas where old items are fixed and new items are added. Each year, about 300 to 500 books and documents are repaired. Also, 3,000 to 4,000 audio and video recordings are cared for. Staff members also find and add 500 to 700 new collections each year. This includes about 6,000 new publications. Other staff in the building work on books, historic places, and online content.
An Eco-Friendly Building
In 2005, the CHL aimed to get a special award called LEED certification. This is a national standard for buildings that are good for the environment. In 2009, the CHL received this certification. This means it was designed and built in a way that helps protect our planet.
How to Use the Library
Visiting and Online Resources
All parts of the library that are open to the public started welcoming visitors on June 22, 2009. Some of the library's resources are also available online. One example is the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel database. This is a very full list of Church pioneers who traveled to Utah between 1847 and 1868.
Digital Collections
In September 2010, the CHL started putting some of its digital collections online. They worked with the Internet Archive to do this. The library is still working to digitize many of its older collections (from before 1923). These items are available to people all over the world through the Internet Archive and Brigham Young University's digital collections.
