Sunday, June 24, 2012

Church History Library catalog

Excerpts of The New Church History Library Catalog By: Brett D., Juvenile Instructor
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... The Church released an updated version of the Church History Library Catalog with a new interface and additional features to facilitate historical research.  As a part of the catalog, the Church has made digital scans of many collections available, eliminating the need for historians to make the trek to the Church History Library or to spend $1000.00 for access to the Selected Collections of the Archives of the Church (2002). 
Currently all of the images from the Selected Collections DVDs, including the Journal History of the Church up to about 1930, are available on the catalog.  ... Additionally, the catalog includes opportunities for historians to request digitization of various collections (providing approval is granted).  ...
One very positive aspect of the catalog is the inclusion of a small amount of information for formerly unlisted collections like Heber J. Grant Collection ....  Although the entry for the Grant Collection lacks a register and is very scanty in its description of the contents, the inclusion of formerly unlisted collections on the catalog is an important step forward in terms of historical openness ... other collections like Spencer W. Kimball's journals and the John A. Widtsoe Collection remain unlisted on the catalog. ...