Rocky Mountain Archivists

Rocky Mountain Archivists
Name	Rocky Mountain Archivists
Formation	1960s
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado
Region served	Mountain West United States
Membership	Archivists, librarians, curators

Contents

Rocky Mountain Archivists is a regional professional association serving archivists, special collections librarians, records managers, and cultural heritage professionals across the Mountain West. Founded amid a mid-20th-century expansion of archival practice, the organization convenes practitioners from institutions such as the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, Smithsonian Institution, Colorado State University, and University of Utah. It functions as a forum for standards development, training, and advocacy, engaging with entities like the Society of American Archivists, Association of Canadian Archivists, Society of American Archivists Foundation, Digital Preservation Coalition, and regional museums including the Denver Art Museum and the Utah State Historical Society.

History

Governance follows a volunteer board model comparable to the Society of American Archivists and corporate models used by the Association of Research Libraries and the American Association of State and Local History. Elected officers include a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary with committees mirroring those at the National Records Administration and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Bylaws reflect best practices found at institutions like Yale University Library, Harvard University Library, Princeton University Library, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University Libraries. The association coordinates with state archives such as the Colorado State Archives, Utah State Archives, Wyoming State Archives, Idaho State Archives, and New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.

Membership draws professionals from academic centers including University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, University of New Mexico, University of Denver, Montana State University, and Arizona State University; cultural institutions like the Denver Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Museum of New Mexico, Nevada State Museum, and Idaho Museum of Natural History; and federal repositories like the National Archives at Denver and the Library of Congress. Chapters and affiliates operate in regions aligned with organizations such as the Mountain West Digital Library, the Western History Association, the Society for American Archaeology, and state historical societies. Members include curators from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, special collections staff from the University of Utah Marriott Library, and records managers at the City and County of Denver.

Annual meetings mirror structures used by the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, the Association of Research Libraries Forum, and the National Genealogical Society Conference. Conferences rotate through host cities with venues such as the Colorado Convention Center, Salt Palace Convention Center, Santa Fe Convention Center, Phoenix Convention Center, and universities like University of Colorado Denver and University of New Mexico. Programs feature keynote speakers from institutions including the Smithsonian Institution Archives, National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, American Antiquarian Society, and American Library Association divisions.

The association publishes newsletters and proceedings similar to publications from the Society of American Archivists, the Western Historical Quarterly, and the Journal of Archival Organization. It confers awards modeled on recognitions by the Society of American Archivists, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, American Historical Association, and the American Library Association to honor contributions to archival description, preservation, and outreach. Awardees have included professionals affiliated with Yale University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, University of California, Los Angeles, and the New York Public Library.

Partnerships extend to regional and national bodies such as the Society of American Archivists, National Archives and Records Administration, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Library of Congress. Collaborations include projects with the Mountain West Digital Library, the Digital Public Library of America, the Western History Association, the Council of State Archivists, and cultural organizations like the Denver Art Museum, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and the Autry Museum of the American West. Outreach initiatives engage community archives, tribal repositories such as those connected to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal colleges, and educational partnerships with institutions like the University of Denver Department of Library and Information Science and Emporia State University.