Visit The World’s Largest Genealogy Library! For those of us passionate about genealogy, there’s nothing more exciting than an informationgathering expedition. This could be visiting distant relatives in a different country, or scouring through census records at a local library. Either way, you’re like a detective scouring for any clues you can find about your lineage. No matter what your heritage is, and no matter where your family tree leads you, your journey will undoubtedly pass through Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the world’s largest genealogy library.
What does it take to be #1 in genealogy? Try this on for size. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City contains:
2.4 million rolls of microfilm 727,000 microfiche cards 345,000 books, serials and other formats Over 4,500 periodicals 3,725 electronic resources
Every day more and more records are added to this enormous collection. The library sends out over 200 cameras with the object of microfilming records across the globe—so far they’ve gathered records from over 110 countries. With that many records available to search through, you may need to dedicate more than a weekend.
Cutting Edge Equipment and Resources The Family History Library is fully equipped to assist you with your search into the past. There are 5 floors, 142,000 square feet of space, a total of over 3 million records, and many tools to help you in your research, including:
252 computers 509 microfilm readers 36 microfiche readers 28 microfilm and microfiche copiers 4 scanners 15 regular copiers Seating for 396 in a setting that is ideal for contemplative research
The library employs a large full time and part time staff, as well as over 400 volunteers whose sole task is assisting you with your genealogy research. Also, there are regular workshops and classes, where you can learn specialized research techniques.
Before you even get to the library, you can check if records are available using their online catalogue. Visit their website for more information and to view a class schedule.
Access to all these records is FREE! The Family History Library is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but you don’t have to belong to their church in order to use the library—it’s free and open to the public. The library’s sole purpose is to facilitate genealogy research, so you don’t have to worry about being approached with any religious solicitation.
Planning your trip to the Family History Library Of all the Hotels in Salt Lake City, there is only one that specifically caters to visitors of the genealogy library. The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square is conveniently located right next door to the Family History Library, and we offer several deals for people wishing to explore their roots. Our “Research Your Family Roots” package is for 3 nights of deluxe accommodations and includes private genealogy research consultation. We are located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, which is a fairly large city with many dining and entertainment destinations. Contact us today to book your next genealogy adventure! Photo Credit: Wikipedia, Wikipedia