For years, many of the library’s materials were kept in the Church Office Building’s east wing. Plans to build the current Church History Library were announced in April 2005; four years later, on June 20, 2009, the library was dedicated by then Church President Thomas S. Monson. The entire collection from the Church Office Building was then carefully moved to the newer facility, where it continues to grow.
The Church History Library serves as a preservation site and research center, housing ten main storage rooms with precise atmospheric controls to preserve archival materials. These rooms hold many original items, such as manuscripts, journals, photos, audio/video recordings, and administrative records and histories of the Church from its beginnings up to the present day. It provides public access to many of these collections for individual and academic research, including digitized items that are available for viewing online.
The large Reference Room of the Church History Library has open stacks, computers for patron use, and a reference desk. It also hosts Foundations of Faith, an ongoing library exhibit showcasing priceless foundational records from the Church’s history. Also, like many research libraries, the Church History Library has areas set aside for reading and reviewing library materials in a protected environment, such as our main Reading Room. The library also has presentation rooms and offices for Church History Department employees.
Volunteers are available to help provide access to many of the materials. The library also offers presentations for individuals and groups.
Key library collections:
- Discover thousands of early Church members within the Church History Biographical Database. This database includes information about more than 61,000 pioneers who traveled to the Salt Lake Valley between 1847 and 1868, 44,000 missionaries who served from 1830 to 1940, and over 600 men, women, and children who participated in the 1847 march of the Mormon Battalion. Sign in via FamilySearch (the “Show My Ancestors” link located to the right of the search bar) to see your early Church member relatives.
- The Church History Library archives patriarchal blessings given around the world, enabling Latter-day Saints to request a copy of their own blessing, as well as a copy of the blessing given to a deceased direct-line ancestor, child, or spouse.
