Dear Bruce Crow:

Thank you,
Church History Support

If you’re requesting something that hasn’t yet been cleared for public use, there has been a form to use for making your case for access, and the answer usually comes within a day or two, sometimes longer if it’s especially tricky. When I’ve known people were coming in from out of town and want to use items that might be restricted, I’ve suggested that they contact the library ahead of time, or even have me fill out the request form, so that they won’t lose research time waiting for decisions to be made once they arrive.

The catalog is not yet available online, but they’ve said recently that they intend to do that. (The library for published materials and the archives for non-published materials have had separate catalogs, which they have been working to unite into a single catalog. I think they want to finish that before they put it online.)

I’m always willing to help people who are planning research trips by checking catalogs and indexes for them, as long as they have specific requests (“Do they have XYZ’s diary?” “Are the minutes for ABC Ward available?”) and not so general that they require research time (“What diaries do they have that might mention my grandfather who was a bishop?”)

How long does it typically take to access closed-stack information? Is it a same-day process? Is there an online catalog of the collections, or are the catalogs only available at the library?

There’s a two-step procedure for using the library. Step one is to pass the security guard. Anybody with a picture ID who isn’t on a no-admittance list (which consists, I understand, of a vanishingly small list of names of people who have created disturbances on church property or stolen/damaged archival materials) can get in to use the library. The guard either takes your picture or scans the picture on your ID to make a temporary badge which you’re supposed to while while on the premises, and which allows them to keep track of people who have entered and know that they have all left at the end of the day.

With that badge you can go into the library and talk to anybody and use any open stacks material, make photocopies, read microfilms, whatever. If you want to use materials from the closed stacks, which have to be ordered via a computer request system, you have to fill out a form to get yourself entered into the computer. The form asks for your name, address, and phone number, and a very broad indication of your purpose for researching (“dissertation” or “family history” is detailed enough for their statistical purposes in asking that question). IIRC, there’s a yes/no box to indicate whether it’s okay for them to connect you with another patron if they realize you’re working on the same topic. And then you have to sign a statement that you’ll protect the achival materials by proper use, that you’ll request permission from the church copyright office before publishing archival materials, and other typical requirements for use of any private archives.

Then they key your information into the computer, and you can start mining for gold.

I can’t believe they didn’t consult you on security procedures! What were they thinking?!

Sounds like a wonderful facility. I don’t know when I’ll get to go and see for myself. But I will definitely look forward to it.