ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 580 / C&RL News Salt Lake City: “ This Is the P lace” B y B lain e H. Hall Humanities Librarian Brigham Young University ACRL’s 6th National Conference will be held in the “Crossroads o f the West. ” W hen Brigham Young, lying ill of mountain fever in his carriage, emerged from Emi­gration Canyon east of Salt Lake City on J 1847, he rose, looked over the grassy valley with its lone juniper tree and salty lake shining in the sun to the northwest and said, “This is the right place.” And on April 12-14,1992, Salt Lake City will be the right place for you at the ACRL National Conference. The Utah Chapter of ACRL, the Utah Library Association, and the librarians of Utah are eager to make your stay in Salt Lake City as enjoyable and pleasant as possible. Salt Lake City is a growing and thriving city with a population of over 728,000 in the greater metro­ politan area. Probably best known as the worldwide headquarters of the Church o f Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Salt Lake City is now only half Mormon. Many other faiths and nationali­ ties now call the city home and help create its cosmopolitan atmosphere. People are attracted to the state by its booming economy, its striking scen­ ery, its temperate climate, and its family-oriented society. A recent Time article, “Mixing business and faith,” suggests that “the Mormons deserve much of the credit for Utah's economic vibrancy,” while the rest of the country is bogged down in a recession. It is also a result of the “remarkable foresight” of business and government leaders who have created a development plan to create 30,000 new jobs yearly and to the fact that Utah “boasts the nation’s youngest, best-educated, and most productive work force.” Beginningin the 1960s with the Mormon Church investing $40 million dollars in the development of a downtown shopping mall with ZCMI, the oldest department store in America, as its center, a $500 million redevelopment program has helped the city to avoid much o f the blight typical of many Ameri­ uly can24, cities and to transform the downtown area, enhancingnot only business and commerce but also the arts. A new Symphony Hall, home of the Utah Symphony Orchestra, the Salt Lake Arts Center, and the restored Viennese Renaissance-style Capi­ tol Theater, home of Ballet West, the Repertory Dance Theatre, the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Com­ pany, and the Utah Opera Company, as well as other arts-related institutions have greatly enhanced Salt Lake’s cultural climate. The erection of many new office towers in recent years has changed the city’s skyline, pushing it higher and higher; the tallest building is the world headquarters of the LDS Church. But while downtown Salt Lake City is a modem business, cultural, and shopping center, the promi­ nent reminders o f its historic pioneer past give the city much of its character and charm. The city was laid out by the Mormon pioneers in a grid pattem of 10-acre squares with streets 132 feet wide— “wide enough for a team of four oxen and a covered wagon to turn around”—with Temple Square, now the most popular tourist attraction in the state, both its spiritual and physical center. This walled 10-acre city block is dominated by the six-spired granite temple and the tabernacle, home of the world- renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir and organ. The beautifully planted and groomed grounds and visitors centers are open daily, offering visitors a peaceful retreat from the bustle of the city outside the walls. Free organ recitals are performed in the Tabernacle daily at noon, and the nationally televi­ sed Tabernacle Choir broadcast is at 9:30 Sunday mornings, all free to the public. October 1991 / 581 The city is also graced by many landmarks and restored classic older buildings, such as the State Capitol, Eagle Gate, the Roman Gothic Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine (currently being re­ stored), Brigham Young’s homes—the Beehive and Lion houses—Hotel Utah (now being converted to an office building), Hansen Planetarium (formerly the Salt Lake City Public Library), the Capital Theater, and the recently restored Richardson Romanesque City and County Building. As a convention city, Salt Lake’s downtown is compact. Within two or three blocks of the Salt Palace convention center are hotels, three major shopping malls, over 90 restaurants, nightclubs, and most of the city’s major attractions, including Temple Square and the newly completed Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz basketball team. Situated at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, Salt Lake City also boasts some of the finest skiing in the world with its excellent powder snow. Only a half hour from downtown and served by Utah Transit Authority buses, some resorts will still be open for skiing in mid-April. Utah weather in April can be a bit unpredictable, but spring in the valley is gener­ ally mild and green, while the Wasatch Mountains are still laden with snow. You can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. In April the average daytime high is 61 degrees and evening lows are 37 degrees. But no matter what the weather, most visitors are impressed with the city’s safety, cleanli­ ness, and hospitality. And getting here is easy. Greyhound buses, Amtrak, and Interstates 80 and 15 serve the city. The Salt Lake City International Airport, only ten minutes from downtown, serves nine airlines with over 500 flights per day. Future articles will describe in greater detail some of the features of the Salt Lake City you will want to see and enjoy, such as its restaurants, cultural events, sightseeing, and libraries, including the largest genealogical library in the world, the Family History Library of the LDS Church, where you can search your own family tree free of charge with the expert assistance of helpful librarians. So plan to come to Salt Lake City in April as spring is coming to the valleys of the mountains and enjoy not only an excellent conference, but also this beautiful, friendly city at the Crossroads of the West. ■ ■ Salt Lake City, the “Crossroads o f the West” and gateway to spectacular recreational opportunities, borders on the Great Salt Lake and offers a unique combination o f cosmopolitan living, Western tradition, and historic ambience, blended into a superb, serene mountain environment.