Policies and Guidelines
General Rules of Conduct
Because this is the library and archive for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we strive to protect important records and maintain a comfortable environment for guests.
- Food and drink are not permitted in the Church History Library. Please ask at the desk for appropriate places outside to picnic or for directions to eating establishments near the library.
- Guests are welcome to make and accept phone calls in the foyer of the library. However, in order to maintain a quiet environment for research and study, phone conversations should not be held in other areas.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult. No children under the age of 12 are allowed in the reading room.
Visitors to the Church History Library are also expected to abide by the following policies and guidelines:
The library provides guests access to public computers, all of which have an internet connection. Guests are welcome to use the computers for research but are expected to adhere to the Computer and Internet Use Policy.
The Church History Library is a private facility operated by the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Library provides access to computers, computer-based resources, and the internet for guests to use in accordance with the Library’s mission and the standards of the Church.
The Library’s mission is to collect, preserve, and facilitate appropriate access to Church history collections and online content. Use of computers in the Library which is not in harmony with these principles or is identified by Library staff as inappropriate will result in loss of computer and internet privileges.
To assist with research, the Church History Library allows a variety of methods for copying or digitizing materials in its collections. Information on the processes and what is allowed can be found in the Guidelines for Copying and Obtaining Digitized Material.
Researchers using materials from the secure stacks collections will need to be familiar with the Reading Room Policies before visiting the Church History Library and using its materials.
The improper handling of records poses the greatest threat to long-term preservation. Please familiarize yourself with the Guidelines for Handling Items to help minimize major risks while you are using items at the Church History Library or other Church history facilities.
Like many other archival institutions around the country, certain records in the Church History Library collections are not available for public research. For more information, see the Access Policy.
The Church History Library collects materials by or about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. These materials come from a wide spectrum of sources and represent numerous points of view. Users of the catalog should not assume that the Church or the Library endorses every item in the collection.
