Utah Archives and Libraries

United States Utah  Archives and Libraries

Many archives and libraries have resources such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids to help you locate information about Utah. They may have collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies. Many have record-finding aids such as guides to their own collections or inventories of records housed elsewhere in the state.

Many societies have libraries and archive holdings, with biographical and genealogical records. These collections will be listed under Utah Societies.

The following libraries and archives are helpful for research in the state of Utah. Search the wiki for the county to locate local libraries, archives, and Family History Centers.

See also United States Archives and Libraries for a more extensive list of libraries on a national basis.

State Archives and Libraries
300 S Rio Grande St Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Phone: (801) 245-7227 Email Utah State Archives Email Utah State History Open M-F 9 a.m.-4 p.m


 * The Research Center is in the historic Rio Grande building and serves researchers of both the Utah State Archives and the Utah State History below.
 * Utah State Archives 346 S Rio Grande St Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Phone: (801) 531-3848 Internet: Utah State Archives The Utah State Archives and Records Service is a state government agency that works with records created by state and local governmental entities in Utah. Records of historical value are preserved and are available for research.


 * Utah State History 300 S Rio Grande St Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Telephone: (801) 245-7225 Internet: Utah State History Records of early settlements, Great Basin colonization, Mormon pioneers, mining, and records not available at other repositories. Utah State History’s mission is to preserve and share the past for a better present and future. Services include the Utah Historical Quarterly, Library and Collections, Historic Buildings preservation, and antiquities.

Utah State Library 250 North, 1950 West, Suite A Salt Lake City, UT 84116-7901 Telephone: 801-715-6777 Fax: 801-715-6767 Internet: Utah State Library Division


 * Their collection includes almost every state, county, or local history of Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah, family histories, photographs, books, manuscript collections, telephone directories, maps, newspapers, yearbooks, and periodicals are available in the Research Center and online.

Utah Vital Records Office 610 South 200 E, Suite Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Telephone: (801) 534-4694 Internet: Vitals Records Office


 * Salt Lake City, Utah, statewide births and deaths since 1905; marriages and divorces since 1978.

Major Family History Centers
Family History Library 35 North West Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150 Telephone: 801-240-2331 Fax: 801-240-1584 E-Mail: [mailto:fhl@ldschurch.org fhl@ldschurch.org] Internet: Family History Library


 * This is the largest library devoted entirely to genealogical research in the world. It is also associated with more than 4,500 Family History Centers throughout the world. The holdings include a large collection of Utah records. Information on the hours, holidays, catalog, collection, services, key resources, and how to prepare to visit the library are on the FamilySearch web site.


 * The following guide book will help in using the library. It gives suggestions on preparing to visit the library, genealogy research tips, and helps in using the library.


 * Parker, J. Carlyle. Going to Salt Lake City to Do Family History Research. 3rd ed. Turlock, California: Marietta Publishing, 1996. ;


 * A history of the Genealogical Society of Utah was written during the centennial of the society. This book covers the beginning of the society to 1994. It contains a history of the library, of microfilming, and an overview of the Granite Mountain Records Vault.


 * Allen, James B., Jessie L. Embry and Kahlile Mehr. Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah. 1894-1994. Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, Brigham Young University, 1995. ;

BYU Family History Library Harold B. Lee Library 150 East 1230 North P. O. Box 26800 Provo, UT 84602-6800 Family History Reference Desk: 801-422-6200 Family History Librarian: 801-422-7661 Fax: 801-538-1050 Internet: BYU Family History Library


 * An excellent research library and Family History Center with genealogical material from the United States and all over the world, including immigration sources.

Logan Utah Family History Center 50 North Main Logan, Utah 84323 Reception Desk: 435-755-5594


 * Unique early Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming sources about ranching, settlers, cattlemen, farmers, trails, and railroads.

Ogden FamilySearch Library 539 24th Street Ogden, Utah 84401 801-626-1132 FAX: 801-626-1129

Riverton FamilySearch Library 3740 W Market Center Dr. Riverton, Utah 84065-8026 801-240-9601


 * Mostly computers and classrooms; almost no collection.

St George Utah FamilySearch Library 162 North 400 East 2nd Floor St. George, Utah Telephone: 435-673-4591 E-mail: [mailto:stgeorgefsl@gmail.com stgeorgefsl@gmail.com]



Church History Library
Church History Library The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints History Library 15 East North Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3800 Library Telephone: 801-240-2745 Archives Telephone: 801-240-2272 Internet: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints History Library


 * The Church History Library collection is especially strong for early Utah and Mormon pioneers. You will need to bring identification with a photograph, such as a driver's license, to use some of the records. Church History Library material does not circulate to Family History Centers.

Pioneer Memorial Museum
Daughters of Utah Pioneers 300 N Main Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84103 Telephone: 801-532-6479 Fax: 801-532-4436 E-mail: [mailto:info@isdup.org info@isdup.org] Internet: Daughters of Utah Pioneers


 * Houses many records pioneers brought with them including Bibles, photos, diaries, journals, and letters. Also has compiled genealogies on nearly every pioneer that arrived before 1869.

Public Libraries
Brigham City Library 26 East Forest Street Brigham City, UT 84302 Telephone: 435-723-5850 E-mailL [mailto:brighamlibrary@gmail.com brighamlibrary@gmail.com] Internet: Research Center - Family History]


 * Good genealogy collection for Utah settlers.

Logan Library 255 North Main Logan, UT 84321 Telephone: 435-716-9120 Internet: Logan Library


 * The library has received the collection from Everton Library. The Everton collection had around 80,000 genealogical volumes.

Salt Lake City Public Library 209 East 500 South Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Telephone: 801-524-8200 Fax: 801-524-8289 Internet: Salt Lake City Public Library


 * The Salt Lake City Public Library has a good heraldry collection, and better than average Western Americana collection including books about Mormon and other ethnic pioneers. They participate in inter-library loan service. Their noteworthy genealogically related databases include: HeritageQuest Online, The Pioneer (Utah's online library), Utah Digital Newspapers, Digital Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1865-1970, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and the Biography Resource Center.

University Libraries
University Libraries may have unique collections useful for history and genealogy. These may include oral history interviews, family collections, and doctoral dissertations, to name a few.

Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library P.O. Box 26800 Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602-6800 Telephone: 801-422-6200 E-mail: Ask a Librarian Internet: BYU Harold B. Lee Library Internet site


 * An outstanding research library including county and local histories, LDS Church records, diaries, journals, periodicals, newspapers, government documents, maps, and computer databases.

Marriott Library University of Utah 295 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, UT 84112 Telephone: 801-581-8364 Fax: 801-585-3464

Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University 3000 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322 Telephone: 801-797-2678 Fax: 801-797-2880


 * Best western "mountain man" collection anywhere.

Gerald R. Sherratt Library Special Collections Southern Utah University 351 W. University Blvd. Cedar City, UT 84720 Telephone: 435-586-7945 Fax: 435-586-8152 Email specialcoll@suu.edu

Dixie State University Val A. Browning Library Special Collections 225 South 700 East St. George, Utah 84770 Tel. 435-652-7714 Email: [mailto:library@dixie.edu library@dixie.edu]


 * A large manuscript collection for early Utah pioneers, and a big genealogy collection with many records about out-of-state people.

Stewart Library Weber State University 2901 University Circle Ogden, UT 84408-2901 Telephone: 801-626-6515 Toll Free 877-306-3140 Fax: 801-626-7045

Outside Utah
Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 Telephone: 510-642-6481 Reference desk Fax: 510-642-7589 Website: The Bancroft Library


 * Good early Utah collection. Premier Western Americana, and Latin Americana collections, including Native Americans, Spanish encounter and colonial settlement, exploration of western America, maps and atlases, the Mexican War, westward migration, the Gold Rush, mining, land surveys, religious and Utopian communities, and ethnic communities. This library has more about western North America than any other site.

National Archives at Denver 17101 Huron Street Broomfield, CO 80023 Telephone: 303-604-4740 Fax: 303-407-5707 Internet: National Archives at Denver


 * Archival  holdings consist of Federal records from the mid-1800s to the late 1900s received from over 100 Federal agencies and courts in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Includes Utah plural marriage cases, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and federal naturalizations. The Federal Records Center  maintains non-current retired Federal records.

Online Resources

 * The Mountain West Digital Library is a search portal for an aggregation of digital collections from more than 50 universities, colleges, public libraries, museums, and historical societies in Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. It is in partnership with 60 academic libraries, public libraries, museums, historical societies, cities, counties, and state agencies from Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Hawaii (coming soon: over 60 new partners in Arizona!)


 * Pioneer: Utah's Online Library includes Centennial county history series; Utah historical serial publications; Utah Session Laws from 1851 (requires a [Utah] library card).

Directories
To locate libraries in Utah, the state library maintains an updated site to public libraries.


 * Utah State Library Directory The directory has links to each library web page, provides addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps.