 Tyler was a member of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and looked to the organization for guidance on how to establish a university archive.As early as the year he was appointed library director, Tyler was having informal conversations with university administrators about the importance of establishing a university archival system.On 26 March 1956, BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson sent out a university directive that stated, "The director of libraries is also designated historian and archivist for the Unified Church School System."