At the Archives, our interns, volunteers, and Archives staff members recently celebrated the culmination of a year of research, learning, and giving.
Keeping the Lights On
“These are the people who helped keep the lights on. They should not be forgotten,” Robert Kirby said. Kirby was speaking to a group of archivists at a workshop for regional repositories held November 1, 2012, at the Utah State Archives. His topic was how records keepers can serve researchers in accessing records in various collections throughout the state. Kirby, …
The ten-hour day
Most government offices in Utah are now open from 8-5 Monday through Friday. Though some state employees have retained an option to work four ten-hour days, staff members at the Archives look back with nostalgia at the three-day weekend. Others think a ten-hour day is way too long. With diminished budgets and staff, government offices are attempting to do more …
Simplifying Access to Government Records
Simplifying Access to Government Records One duty of a records officer is to provide public access to government records. To help simplify the records request process, records officers and the public should be clear about the records or information requested. Records retention schedules can be used as a tool to accomplish this. Some questions to ask are: Where are the records kept? …
Unusual Records from Ogden City Police Department
“The Tall & Short Man” is a tale of extortion, deceit, robbery, and crime. The story involves crimes against the highest echelon of Ogden society by a shadowy figure under multiple names that eluded the police for eight years.
Federal Records Management Audited
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit completed in October shows that nearly 80% of government agencies are at risk of illegally destroying public records and that there are hefty volumes of records needing preservation and care before they are permanently lost or damaged. Prompted by the loss of the Wright brothers’ original patent, as well as maps for atomic bomb …
Job Fair at the SLC Library
Brooke and Tyson, two of our Archives volunteers, signed up a lot of potential new volunteers last Thursday. The Utah State Archives had a table at the teen oriented job fair held from 3-6 p.m. downtown at the Salt Lake City Library. A lot of the attendees stopped by (we were right near the snack bar) to see what happens at …
Duplicious/Duplicitous/Duplicative
Duplicious: [etymology: duplicate + delicious.] This is a word. It can mean so good it should be shared by all. (“I sent that duplicious tune to all my friends on facebook.”) Duplicitous can mean two-faced or deceptive. (“Watch out! He is one duplicitous hombre!”) Duplicative can mean repetative or the same again, again. [etymology from Late Latin duplicitās a being …
Volunteers at the Archives
In September, 2010, the Archives sent out a call for volunteers to help us accomplish a major project of cataloging microfiche that had been stored at the Archives since the Archives were on Capitol Hill. In our new building on Rio Grande Street, they were taking up storage space and not being used. With the help of volunteers and a full time …