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Our Library Collections: Utah

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One of many color illustrations in Utah Profile
One in a series by CGS member Chris Pattillo highlighting some of our holdings at the Library in Oakland.  For a fuller listing of books, journals, and more, consult the CGS Library catalog in WorldCat.

 Our Utah books are cataloged in section F821 – 835. As I looked for this state in our library I presumed that we would have a large number of books for the state of Utah so I was surprised to see that in fact there is only one shelf of hard copy books – many fewer than for many other states.

Utah begins with thirty bound volumes of Utah & Historical Magazine covering the period 1910 to 1940. These were published by the Genealogical Society of Utah in Salt Lake City that has been in existence four years longer than our society having been organized in 1894. Each volume includes a list of articles found in the bound collection at the end of the book along with an index.
We have a three-volume set titled Utah, The Storied Domain: A Documentary History of Utah’s Eventful Career by J. Cecil Alter, published in 1932. The cover page tells us these volumes comprise “The Thrilling Story of Her People from the Indians of Yesterday to the Industrialists of Today.” Volume One has 37 chapters that cover myriad topics.
Another illustration from Utah Profile

Our Utah collection includes two of three volumes of Heart Throbs of the West: A Unique Volume Treating Definite Subjects of Western History compiled by Kate B. Carter. From the title I was expecting tales of Errol Flynn, but instead learned that the book covers twenty-four phases of pioneer life. The table of contents offers some enticing topics including “Historical Miracles of Pioneer Days,” a chapter on pioneer women and pioneer recipes.

Kate Carter is the author of Heartthrobs
of the West

Utah Profile is an unusual source for our library. It was published by American Heritage Publications and falls in the category of “coffee table books” as far as I can see. It consists of over 400 pages of glossy, color and black and white photographs covering government, education, the arts, religions, sports, film commissions and more.
Sketches of the Inter-Mountain States: Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, published in 1909, is a more typical book for our library in that it presents profiles on the leading men who were active in the development of these three states. This resource includes biographies with photographs and a wealth of information on the history and industries of each state. 

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