About the Collection

The Utah Local History Bibliography represents a dynamically changing and growing bibliography of approximately 8000 printed and published local history titles. .Local history. is used broadly in this bibliography. By reviewing the genre list the researcher will see that the expected local histories and biographies are included, but that newspapers, oral histories, diaries, autobiographies, family histories, government publications, environmental studies, sociological studies, educational materials, women.s studies and more can also be found. Geographically oriented science material has been excluded unless it relates to environmental issues, water rights, or economic impacts. The compilers have also taken a broad view of what might be considered secondary printed or published resources. Some of the titles included are certainly primary historical material, i.e., oral histories, diaries, newspapers, some family histories, but because the title was printed we have chosen to include it.

To assist researchers, the libraries that own these titles are also listed. Initially when this project was begun in 1989, every public library, college and university library, and special library was searched for all counties and communities in Utah. As the work progressed, we realized the impossibility of that approach and have chosen to search for specific county and community titles within that county.s libraries and in addition all Utah counties and communities are searched in seven libraries: Brigham Young University, the Family History Library, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah State Historical Society, Utah State University, Weber State University. For example if we were gathering titles from Washington County, the Dixie College Library and all public libraries in the county would be searched, plus the seven libraries already identified above.

It is hoped that this bibliography, with its identification of libraries who own the title will more easily lead students, genealogists, historians, and anyone interested in the peoples and places of Utah to find this material more easily.

Project History and Acknowledgements

The compilers of this bibliography have long been interested and involved in the intersection and interplay of the people and places of Utah. Susan L. Fales, Curator of Digital Historical Collections, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Lee Library, began this project in 1989, as the library.s History Librarian, with a grant from the Charles Redd Center and a publishing contract with the University of Utah Press. She spent many enjoyable hours traveling and researching in the libraries of southern, central and southeastern Utah. At that time no public library had an online catalog and the universities were only beginning to bring their automated catalogs open to the public. It was the days of card catalogs. In 1991, when Susan became Assistant University Librarian for Collection Development, Beverly J. Norton, who filled the position of History Librarian, took over the project and labored on it for several years also enjoying travel within the state. With her retirement, J. Michael Hunter became the History Librarian and Susan L. Fales moved from administration and returned to her current position, permitting her to finally return to this project and for Mike to bring his expertise and enthusiasm to the initial completion of this bibliography.

We felt that the web environment would make this bibliography much more valuable to its audiences and allow the kinds of corrections and additions needed to keep a bibliography up to date and most useful. The compilers would like to express their appreciation to Jacob Jenson, Software Engineer, and David Lesue, Library Web Designer, for taking this bibliography, originally designed for the print world, and making it dynamic and .better looking. than we could have hoped to expect.

Many dedicated students have assisted in this bibliography over the past two years and we wish to acknowledge their efforts. They include Christina Anderson, Jeffrey Hardy, Britany Noble, Austin Taylor, Jenna Taylor, and Brian Warburton, researchers, and Steve Lyon, programmer.

Lastly we would like to thank all of the librarians throughout the state of Utah who assisted us as we visited their libraries and who have helped to develop their online catalogs now available for so many of Utah.s libraries. Without their dedication we would have much less to share.