This is the Place

Statue of Brigham Young, leader of pioneers to Utah. Photo courtesy of UpSplash.

“This is the place,” Brigham Young reportedly said when he first viewed the Salt Lake Valley. Apparently, the National Genealogical Society (NGS), said the same thing when choosing the site for their May 20-23, 2020 Family History Conference. Utah is a beautiful state, particularly in the springtime when there is still green on the mountain sides. The NGS 2020 conference is offering several pre-conference tours on Tuesday, May 19 that will be of special interest to attendees.

Brigham Young University Family History Library and Special Collections

Every genealogist has heard of and dreams of going to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, but did you know that there is another wonderful family history library just a bit south, in Provo, Utah? The BYU tour will include a visit to the Center for Family History and Genealogy, as well as the BYU Family History Library and the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library. The L. Tom Perry Special collections contains manuscript sources relevant to the Intermountain West, American Indians, western migration and Latter-day Saint history and genealogy.

Tour members are very fortunate to have Jill Crandall, MA, AG, BYU associate teaching professor and director of the Center for Family History Center, Amy Harris, PhD, AG, BYU associate professor and program coordinator for BYU’s Family History Research BA program, Joe Everett, MLS, AG, librarian at BYU’s Family History Library, and Ryan Lee, MLS, curator for Special Collections, conducting this personalized tour. They will also answer questions and give research tips for using the many offerings of BYU’s library.

A limited number of consultations with research consultants will be available! Attendees will be matched with a consultant; those assignments will be made between the close of registration in mid-April and the tour date. Transportation is provided via chartered bus. Lunch is not included, but there are a wide range of lunch options in the eateries and on-campus cafes. The closing reception to be held at Special Collections will offer light refreshments and swag bag.

Harold B. Lee Library at BYU, Provo, Utah. Photo credit: Provo Utah Guide.

More Details:

The tour is offered on a first come, first served basis, so register early. There will be plenty of free time at the library for research in the database, archive, and library collections. The tour is from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. for the cost of $30.