Preservation

Record Access

Training

The Genealogical Society of Utah has acquired important family history sources in over 100 countries worldwide. These digital imaging and microfilming projects have been successfully completed through the cooperative and supportive efforts of government and private archives, religious organizations, and scholarly institutions.

In each country the Society, with the help of record custodians, identifies those historical records that can be used to uniquely identify deceased individuals and link them together in families. Those records vary in each country according to local record keeping practices and conditions. The collections of the Society include a wide variety of primary historical documents such as civil registration records; church records; and probate, census, land, tax, and military records. The collection also contains compiled sources such as family histories, clan and lineage genealogies, oral pedigrees, and local histories. Bibliographic descriptions of the Society’s holdings appear in the Family History Library Catalog.

The Genealogical Society of Utah stores microfilmed and digitally captured genealogical information at its Granite Mountain Records Vault, located near Salt Lake City, Utah. Records stored by the Society serve as a backup for archives around the world, thus providing essential protection in the event of natural and man-made disasters. Here information from all over the world is safeguarded. The vault is in a canyon wall beneath 200 meters (700 feet) of solid granite and is climate controlled to maintain optimal storage conditions.

Record Access

People interested in learning about their ancestors need to be able to find historical information and use it effectively. Researchers can use the Genealogical Society of Utah’s collections at an increasing number of places throughout the world, including the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, an extensive network of family history centers worldwide, and other genealogical and educational institutions. As permitted by law and contractual obligations, information and records in the Society’s collection may be made available to researchers in these locations and through the Internet.

The Society also uses information from acquired records to create resources such as indexes and research aids to help people identify their ancestry. To create these resources, the Society often works with other organizations and individuals.

The Family History Library provides the first public notice of the Society's newly acquired records in the Family History Library Catalog.

Training

In conjunction with several international organizations, the Genealogical Society of Utah conducts courses in micrographics and digital imaging at its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Training is also available on a limited basis outside the United States. Inquiries should be directed to the Society’s local representative.

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