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25 years ago
The Church's Family History Library in Salt Lake City was to be dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency, on Oct. 23, 1985, according to the Oct. 20, 1985, Church News.
The article stated: "For the first time in more than nine decades of existence, the [then called] Church Genealogical Library occupies a building specifically designed as a library."
Speakers at the dedication besides President Hinckley were Elder Richard G. Scott, then a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and executive director of the Genealogical Department and David M. Mayfield, library director.
According to the article: "Two and a half years under construction, the $8.5 million facility is 'undoubtedly the largest, most modern and best-equipped genealogical library in the world,' Brother Mayfield said.
"Housed in the five-story building is the world's largest collection of genealogical records, gathered from some 100 countries. The collection includes 1,450,000 catalogued reels of microfilmed records and 160,000 printed volumes of family and local histories, plus microfiche, maps, atlases, gazetteers and reference works."
With 136,000 square feet of floor space, the new library, across the street west of Temple Square, could seat 963 patrons at a time.
The article reported: "The library exterior was designed as a mirror image of the new Museum of Church History and Art, located across a plaza to the north."
