Ten Years in a Fabulous Facility
In this post, library director Keith Erekson describes some of the benefits of the Church History Library building on its 10-year anniversary.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the completion of the Church History Library. The building was dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson on June 20, 2009. President Monson noted in that dedicatory prayer, “In this beautiful structure we have the legacy of the past, the opportunities of the present, and the brightness of the future.” With 10 years of history now behind us, I want to comment on five significant benefits of this fabulous facility.
First, the building provides state-of-the-art protection for storing the Church’s most important records. Within the building, we store the records in climate-controlled vaults that mitigate the effects of temperature, light, and humidity and help prevent fire. The building was constructed to the highest seismic standards and is LEED certified for its environmental efficiency. Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the library is a modern version of the hills Shim and Cumorah, which preserved the sacred records of the Nephites (see Mormon 1:3; 4:23; 6:6).
Second, the building provides appropriate space to carry out the work of record keeping. Within the building, employees and missionaries appraise potential acquisitions, conduct oral histories, process and catalog newly acquired materials, digitize our collections, perform conservation work to stabilize damaged items, and provide consultation and support services to patrons. The facility also provides a Salt Lake home for Church History Department staff who work with historic sites and global support as well as for the department’s researchers, writers, and editors. It also provides a home for the many other skilled employees necessary to carry out this work—administrative, financial, technical, and human resource staff.
Third, during the past 10 years, the new library facility has helped us to improve our work. In our previous location in the Church Office Building, our library and archival functions operated separately and on different floors. Now, the archive and library have become united; we host a single reading room and a single online catalog (which now also lists the holdings of materials stored in more than two dozen locations around the world). Our records can now be cataloged, digitized, stored, and accessed by staff in a single secure location.
Fourth, our prominent place on Temple Square has brought heightened awareness, which has significantly increased the number of visitors and the number of walk-in donations. We are pleased that thousands of youth visit each year as part of Youth Conference at Temple Square and that we can offer special group tours and presentations to share our documents and discuss our work.
Finally, the Library’s location across from the historic Salt Lake Temple underscores the eternal significance of the work of history and record keeping. Every time we look out our windows toward the temple, we are reminded that “whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven, and whatsoever you do not record on earth shall not be recorded in heaven” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:8).
With the blessings of a fabulous facility, our treasured collections, and a devoted staff, we look forward to a truly bright and marvelous future!