State Archivist Michael Strom is leaving Wyoming to work for the Library of Virginia as the State Archivist of Virginia and director of the Library’s Government Records Services Division. His last day at the Wyoming State Archives will be March 1.
“I’m excited about the new challenge and the opportunity to do some different things,” Michael said. “I’m also looking forward to being more closely associated with a library again, similar to my time working at universities.”
Michael has worked at the Wyoming State Archives for seven and a half years. Before coming to Cheyenne, he spent ten years in university archives, first at Yale University and then at Texas Christian University.
“The opportunity to lead an archives program is what drew me to this position and I’ll always be grateful for the chance to do so,” he said. “When I arrived in Cheyenne, I had no idea how different university archives and government archives are. My staff had a lot to teach me those first few years!”
During his time at the Wyoming State Archives, they’ve increased access to the collections and found more ways to use technology to provide that access. “I would say that establishing the digital archives is our biggest single accomplishment during my time here,” he said. “It’s a valuable service.”
The digital archives provides agencies with a way to manage, preserve, and access their electronic records. The system allows them to apply retention schedules, which means the records will be reviewed and, if appropriate, disposed of on time.
“We’ve recently opened this service up to county clerks, and it’s exciting to be expanding beyond state government,” Michael said. “It’s important to me that the State Archives be a resource to people around the state.”
He added, “Being Wyoming’s State Archivist has been an honor and this new opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the experience I gained here. I’ll always be grateful for the chance to serve in this capacity.”