Digital Collections at the Church History Library

The Church History Library is located just east of Temple Square and about a long block and half from the Family History Library. The Church History Library (CHL) is not at all the hive of activity you might experience in the Family History Library. The CHL does have a significant collection of books and other records on open stacks, but most of the documents held by the CHL are archival in nature and are kept in closed stacks. You have to visit the CHL to gain access to most of the records and sign in as a registered researcher. However, during the past few years, there has been an effort made to put some very significant collections online.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also produced a series of church history websites. These include the following:

• Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database
• Joseph Smith, Prophet of God
• Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Prophets of the Restoration
• Revelations in Context

There are also a number of history related sites on LDS.org.

• Gospel Library
• Media Finder
• Newsroom - History of the Church
• Church History Maps
• Photographs of Church History Sites

It is not obvious from a visit to the CHL website that there are also quite a few resources available. If you click around long enough, you might find the following:

• Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1844
• Brigham Young Letterpress Copybooks, 1844–1877
• Church Historian's Office. General Church Minutes, 1839–1877
• Church Architect's Office. Salt Lake Temple Architectural Drawings, 1853–1893
• William Weeks. Nauvoo Architectural Drawings, circa 1841–1846 - (MS 11500)

There is also a page of Featured Collections, the current collections are as follows:

• Scandinavian Mission photographs, circa 1903-1906
• Physical Facilities Department photograph collection, circa 1890-1988
• Snowflake, Arizona, glass plate negative collection, circa. 1890-1915
• Charles W. Carter glass negative collection, circa 1860-1900
• Susa Young Gates Papers, circa 1870-1933
• A collection of sacred hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints selected by Emma Smith

It is interesting to me that several years ago, I offered the Church History Library an extensive collection (approximately 4000 photos many on glass negatives) from Eastern Arizona with photos dating back to the 1860s and they expressed absolutely no interest and so the collection went to the University of Arizona. It looks like they may have expanded their interests more recently.

There may be more digitized collections but that is all I could find.