The February 2022 Wyoming State Library training calendar is now available with 61 live webinars, an online conference, and four recordings to watch “At Your Leisure.” Every training opportunity on this list is free and offered online. Topics include advocacy, planning, careers, children and teens, collection development, communication, databases, managing change, fundraising, legal, management, outreach and partnerships, programming, readers’ advisory, reference, school libraries, technology, training and instruction, and volunteers.
The Wyoming Digital Archives has exceeded 5 million documents uploaded! More specifically, the digital archives have 5,619,318 documents and are growing every day. This milestone comes less than 2 years after the 1 millionth document was added in February 2020.
In 2010, the Wyoming State Archives (WSA) and Wyoming Legislature began the search for a solution to the expense of physical storage, need to increase accessibility and searchability of records, and to aid in managing records with a keen eye to laws, regulations, and best practices, while maintaining the validity and authenticity of electronic records. This journey led the archives and legislature to create the Wyoming Digital Archives to preserve and manage born digital and digitized records that tell the story of Wyoming’s government and its people.
The Wyoming State Archives added its first document to digital archives in November 2013. Since then, it has grown exponentially.
As of June 2021, the digital archives include 189 users and host records from 19 different counties. The records originate from three City Clerks offices, 12 County Clerks offices, one School District, and three County Treasurers. The most recent partner to the digital archives is the Town of Meeteetse, Wyoming.
The State Archives is located in the Barrett Building first floor, 2301 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82002. For further information, contact Sara Davis, State Archivist, by telephone at 307-777-8691 or email at sara.davis@wyo.gov.
The Wyoming State Archives is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. If you require special assistance, please contact the Wyoming State Archives at 307-777-7826.
Student Programs and Classroom Resources for Bill of Rights Day
December 15 is Bill of Rights Day. On December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states ratified the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
This Bill of Rights Day, the U.S. National Archives is offering a special preview of five new distance learning programs for students in grades K-12 over two days. The National Archives also has additional resources for teaching the Bill of Rights.
9:15-11:55 a.m. The Bill of Rights Protects You (Grades 6-12)
11:15-11:45 a.m. Make Your Voice Count: Learning About the First Amendment (Grades K-2)
12:15-1:00 p.m. The First Amendment: Five Rights in One! (Grades 3-5)
Thursday, December 16
9:15-9:45 a.m. No Conscription Without Representation: Voting Rights and the Constitution (Grades 9-12)
11:15-11:45 a.m. Voting Rights, the Constitution, & Representative Government (Grades 6-8)
Teachers and caregivers, register your students today so they can experience these new programs on the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. All events will be delivered via Zoom and participant comments will be shared only with presenters to ensure a student-friendly environment. Registration will close 24 hours before each event.
Additional Resources
As we look back at 230 years of the Bill of Rights, the National Archives offers a variety of resources to unpack the origins and legacy of this founding document. In this blog post from the U.S. National Archives, find information on:
The Bill of Rights on DocsTeach: The Amending America page on DocsTeach is a great place to find primary sources and teaching activities for exploring how we’ve changed our Constitution to protect rights, expand participation and refine government powers.
Putting the Bill Of Rights to the Test e-book: Explore some of the core concepts, or protections, found in the Bill of Rights, and how they’ve been tested throughout American history.
Congress Creates the Bill of Rights: Go back to the beginning with the Center for Legislative Archives and discover how Congress created the Bill of Rights with an eBook, iPad app, and activities for students.
Looking for even more resources on the history of the Bill of Rights? You can find videos, online exhibits, articles and more on the National Archives website.
Help Shape the Field of Maker Programming in Libraries
Natrona County Library’s “Creation Station” (pre-expansion).
In conjunction with a 2-year Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Project, The New Face of Library Makerspaces, six to seven libraries will have the opportunity to serve as charter members to help lay the foundation for a national collective and take a leadership role in the project. The libraries chosen will have their profile raised in the field and be featured on both the Makers in the Library and Nation of Makers websites. They will also be at the forefront of leading the direction the field takes on library makerspaces and help decide the priorities for this collective, the questions addressed, and ways to learn and grow together.
Charter members will receive a stipend for committing to the following through August 31, 2023:
Create systems and processes for how the collective will be run such as: shaping the mission/vision, fostering communication channels, building systems to grow the membership, etc.
Alert collective leaders to important issues that arise in the field and help to lead activities (e.g., a survey of the field) to learn how libraries have modified services during the pandemic.
Serve as a mentor for other libraries to help build their capacity to create community-centered maker programming.
An informational meeting where you can learn more and ask questions will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 5. Join via this Zoom link.
Find a wrap-up of the latest in Wyoming library news in the October 2021 Outrider newsletter from the Wyoming State Library. Subscribe today, and we’ll send the Outrider straight to your email inbox each month. You can also see past issues.
Do you know any library colleagues, trustees, advocates, or volunteers who might be interested in the Outrider? Please share the news with them and encourage them to sign up for our monthly email.
Have news you’d like included? Contact Susan Mark, WSL Outreach Librarian, at susan.mark@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5915. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too.
On September 8, Sara Davis began her new role as the Wyoming State Archivist. Prior to coming to the State Archives, Sara was the university archivist for the University of Wyoming at the American Heritage Center. Before that, she worked as a digital archivist/project manager for the National Association of Olmsted Parks in partnership with the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Other archival work of hers includes processing a photographic and manuscript collection for the Appalachian Mountain Club, creating physical and digital exhibits for the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and digitizing and processing historical materials for the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site. Sara is currently the chair of the Society of American Archivists Digital Archives Specialist Subcommittee.
Sara is a Cheyenne native with an A.A. in music from LCCC, two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wyoming (one in humanities and fine arts and the other in English with a minor in psychology) and a Master of Science in Library Science with a specialization in Archives Management from Simmons University. She also holds a Digital Archives Specialist Certification from the Society of American Archivists.
“As a native Wyomingite, I have a keen desire in helping to preserve and make accessible the history and records of the people of Wyoming,” she said. “Working for the State Archives is an opportunity to focus my efforts more towards capturing essential records. It was also an opportunity to be more hands-on with the general public, collaborate with a broader audience on a vast array of projects, and enhance community building.”
The biggest strength she sees in the Wyoming State Archives is its ability to connect people with resources. The WSA is a role model for records management, helping guide state agencies on mitigating risks relating to keeping records too long or not long enough. It ensures that those records of permanent historical value and vital records are accessible and discoverable through long term preservation efforts and following professional standards and best practices. This includes the innovative digital archives, RIMS software, digitization, and traditional physical archives.
Sara plans to continue with the mission of the WSA to increase accessibility, preservation, and management of historic documents and vital records. Her aim is to create an inclusive, accurate, and comprehensive record of all the people who have been part of Wyoming and its ever evolving landscape.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to work with the community and our government to ensure that we can save evidence of a time, place, people, and event for current and future generations,” Sara said. “Archives help us understand where we came from and can influence how we determine to move forward.”
Find a wrap-up of the latest in Wyoming library news in the September 2021 Outrider newsletter from the Wyoming State Library. Subscribe today, and we’ll send the Outrider straight to your email inbox each month. You can also see past issues.
Do you know any library colleagues, trustees, advocates, or volunteers who might be interested in the Outrider? Please share the news with them and encourage them to sign up for our monthly email.
Have news you’d like included? Contact Susan Mark, WSL Outreach Librarian, at susan.mark@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5915. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Relocated, Newly Renovated Carbon County Library Opens
C.J. Box spoke at the Rawlins Library Grand Opening.
Last month, Carbon County Library System celebrated its newly relocated and renovated main library in Rawlins with an open house.
The event, which took place August 13, featured special guest C.J. Box, the well-known Wyoming author of the best-selling Joe Pickett series. Box spoke of fond boyhood memories of riding his bicycle to the Natrona County Library where the staff looked out for him.
The library was relocated to the first floor of its building. This allowed it to have street level entry with no stairs, making the library more accessible. The library also now provides focused activity areas for children, teens, adults, and groups.
(L to R): Wyoming State Library Library Development Manager Brian Greene, Carbon County Library System Executive Director Jacob Mickelsen, and Lincoln County Library System Director Richard Landreth in the library’s rare books area.Computers in the teen room.Richard Landreth in the children’s room.
Wyoming Public Library Histories Now in State Publications
This summer at the Wyoming State Library our intern Kate Dennis worked on a project about the histories of the public libraries in Wyoming. Kate’s last day with us was August 10.
Many of the public libraries were funded by the Carnegie foundation and later rebuilt or expanded. The project can be found on the State Publications database under the State Library Division in Public Library Histories (browse by agency under Administration and Information). Within the collection, individual histories of the county libraries can be found as well as interesting documents surrounding the community and the efforts it took to provide library services.
Because Wyoming is a smaller state it had an opportunity to create collaboration among libraries that benefits the population in ways larger states cannot. This collection shows how individual each county library is and how combined they create a Wyoming library community that provides every state resident with quality library services. The histories show the development of the counties and the state and the resources they were able to provide over time.
There are also many personal stories within the collection. The file, “Rock Springs Carnegie Public Library- Wyoming Libraries; Plus, Stories of Rock Springs, 1969” offers a unique perspective of old Rock Springs and the people who created that community. For facts about the State Library, “The Wyoming State Library and Carnegie Public Library 1943” offers a unique look into the evolution of the State Library’s services. Browse by agency under Administration and Information.
August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, observed by the United Nations. SIRS Issues Researcher has created a Leading Issue page for Indigenous Peoples, characterized as “the descendants of a land’s first inhabitants.” SIRS Issues Researcher is one of the many great resources found in GoWYLD.net.
Indigenous peoples include identified populations — such as the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, the Inuit of the Arctic, the Native American tribes of the United States, and the First Nations of Canada — and also relatively unknown or uncontacted tribes.
Indigenous Peoples. ProQuest, Ann Arbor, 2021. SIRS Issues Researcher.
From ProQuest: SIRS Issues Researcher, Indigenous Peoples Timeline, retrieved August 9, 2021.
The Leading Issue page includes a summary, Viewpoint and Critical Questions, along with a Timeline. There are links to additional resources such as an editable Research Guide for the Critical Thinker, a downloadable pdf to help with the research process. By clicking on Find More Sources, a search is launched within the database, resulting in books, magazine and journal articles, newspapers, government sources and images.
SIRS Issues Researcher can be found in GoWYLD.net using the Browse by Title. The GoWYLD resources are available in every Wyoming library and remotely with a Wyoming library card and pin. For more information please check with your local library or contact Chris Van Burgh, Database Instruction Librarian at the Wyoming State Library, chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.
The February 2022 Wyoming State Library training calendar is now available with 61 live webinars, an online conference, and four recordings to watch “At Your Leisure.” Every training opportunity on this list is free and offered online. Topics include advocacy, planning, careers, children and teens, collection development, communication, databases, managing change, fundraising, legal, management, outreach and partnerships, programming, readers’ advisory, reference, school libraries, technology, training and instruction, and volunteers.
The Wyoming Digital Archives has exceeded 5 million documents uploaded! More specifically, the digital archives have 5,619,318 documents and are growing every day. This milestone comes less than 2 years after the 1 millionth document was added in February 2020.
As we look back at 230 years of the Bill of Rights, the National Archives offers a variety of resources to unpack the origins and legacy of this founding document. In this 
