RIVERTON — Family history research in south Salt Lake Valley has a new look and a new location, as the LDS Church opens its Riverton FamilySearch Library.
In a consolidation effort, the new library replaces 24 smaller, limited-use family history centers that previously had operated in local meetinghouses and had served nearly 90 south-valley stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
And it conveniently duplicates nearly all the offerings of the LDS Church's larger, well-known Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake City.
"You could call it Family History Library 'Lite' and (stake) Family History Center 'Premium,' " said Paul Nauta, FamilySearch public affairs manager, during Thursday's media tours of the new Riverton library.
With extended hours beyond those of the meetinghouse centers and a full compliment of the equipment and software facilitating genealogical research, "in pooling our resources, we can provide better services and a better experience," Nauta said.
The library occupies 10,000 square feet of the first floor of the church's Riverton Office Building, the former Intel building located just off the northwest intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South.
Besides a series of training labs and training rooms, the Riverton FamilySearch Library offers 127 computer work stations, free Web and premium subscription access, and 20 microfilm and fiche readers, some which will convert information to digital images.
The library will also be home to 50,000 rolls of the most-used and most-requested microfilm. If a patron needs a microfilm not in stock, it can be ordered and delivered in as little as a day's time.
The use of library resources and access to its staff of qualified researchers and volunteers is all free, although printing, photocopying and special orders may result in nominal charges.
Daytime and evening classes are available at the library Mondays through Saturdays, with the schedule available at familysearch.org/fhc/riverton. Groups can schedule additional, specialized class as well.
Located at 3740 Market Center Drive, the Riverton FamilySearch Library will be open daily except Sundays beginning at 9 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.
An open house is being conducted this weekend, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Visitors can tour the facilities, watch presentations of the resources and participate in hands-on demonstrations in the library.
Church officials will monitor the new library as they consider similar regionally consolidated facilities in other areas, Nauta said.
e-mail: taylor@desnews.com