Utah Black History: Insight Into Alex Bankhead’s Life in Spanish Fork through Primary Source Records

Heidi Steed History, Research 1 Comment

Black Americans were among the first pioneer settlers to arrive in Utah, coming to the Great Basin as enslaved people. Although many lived in Utah long enough to become free, their enslaved status and later position on the fringe of Utah society have left us with incomplete versions of their stories. Secondary sources are often the only available records that …

Four members of the Local Government team standing in the State Archives Reference Room.

(Re)Introducing the Local Government Team

Heidi Steed News and Events, Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board

Here at the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service, our Local Government Team looks a little different these days, as we have welcomed a few new members. We wanted to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves and the unique work we do here at the State Archives. Over the last several years, we’ve been busy listening and learning from …

The Great Salt Fake

Heidi Steed History, Research

A copy of a black and white photo of the Saltair sits above my Grandma’s desk. I’ve been obsessed with it since I was a kid. Her father claimed to be one of the bathers featured in the center of the picture perched upon a floating tub. He’s surrounded by a group of men and women, frolicking in their old-timey …

Utah’s Emerging Record-keepers: Sydney Dahle, Cache County Deputy Clerk

Heidi Steed Records Management, Records Officer Spotlights

Sydney Dahle started as a deputy clerk in the Cache County Clerk’s office in 2021, and is assigned to work as the county’s official record-keeper. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri Sydney moved to Utah to attend Utah State University. Sydney has an interest in preserving history and helping people access government records, and recently graduated with degrees in history and …

Create a Basic Retention Schedule in 5 Steps

Heidi Steed Guidelines, Records Management

Records retention is simply a practice by which an organization maintains their records for set lengths of time, and systems in which they use to either redirect, store, or dispose of those records. The records retention schedule is the policy which guides this practice, by clearly defining how long a record must be kept and the guidelines for how records …

Preparing to Set Out On the Records Management Trail

Heidi Steed Guidelines, Records Management

Howdy! Looks like you are getting ready to depart on a records management journey. The road to a good records management program will require endurance, patience and perseverance. Here are 5 things to prepare for before you hit the trail:  1. Determine your destination: You will want to determine your destination by setting records management goals. Do you want to …

ARO Spotlight: Mandy McClellan – Central Utah Water Conservancy District

Heidi Steed Records Officer Spotlights

The Central Utah Water Conservancy District manages a vast network of water facilities in eight Utah counties. Recordkeeping for this vital resource is of the utmost importance to the organization. Records Manager Mandy McClellan offers up some insight into her role and advice for other recordkeepers.  Tell us how you got your start in records management? Is this a career …

ARO Spotlight: Brooke Smith and the Murray City Records Clean Up Project

Heidi Steed Records Officer Spotlights

Here at the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service we seek to support government agencies throughout the whole records lifecycle: from records creation, through use and access, from records storage, to destruction and preservation. So when we see a great records management project, we want to celebrate! Murray City recently shared news of their latest records clean-up project with …