Kay Shelton, Alaska State Librarian and Director of the Alaska Division of Libraries, Archives, and Museum from 2005 – 2008, passed away at her home in Juneau today following a long illness. Kay graduated from Randolph-Macon Women’s college in Lynchburg, VA and earned an MS in Library Science from Simmons College in Boston and an MA in American Studies from the University of Minnesota. She did non-degree work at a variety of institutions, including the National Archives in Washington DC; in addition to her library credentials, she was a certified archivist.
Kay’s early library work was at the Minneapolis Public Library and at Carleton College’s Library. While at Carleton, she met and married Jev. In 1970 they came to Alaska, like many others, just for a couple of years of adventure. Like many others, they stayed and here they raised three children, Kirsten, Martin and Ole. Jev became a commercial fisherman and fishermen’s advocate and Kay pursued her library career.
Kay began her Alaskan library service in 1970 as Head Librarian at the University of Alaska Juneau, then set up the Department of Environmental Conservation Library with the Alaska State Library, was a reference librarian for Legislative Affairs Agency, an archivist at the Alaska State Archives and Head Librarian of the Information Services section of the Alaska State Library. In 1987 she became Head of Historical Collections for the Alaska State Library and held that position until 2005. Kay served as State Librarian and Division Director from 2005 to 2008. Kay had an active retirement, enjoying her family, traveling, and finally finding time to remodel her kitchen in the family home overlooking Gastineau Channel.
No services are planned. Condolences can be sent to the family at 1670 Evergreen Avenue, Juneau, AK 99801. An organization and address for donations in Kay’s name may be forthcoming.
Many libraries in Alaska incorporate the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights into their collection development policies. ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) publishes Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights. These interpretations are intended to serve as guidance concerning the application of the broad principles of the Library Bill of Rights. At the ALA annual conference this summer, an interpretation on meeting rooms was passed that has generated press and controversy. The interpretation reads in part (bolding ours):
Public libraries are bound by the First Amendment and the associated law governing access to a designated public forum. A publicly funded library is not obligated to provide meeting room space to the public, but if it chooses to do so, it cannot discriminate or deny access based upon the viewpoint of speakers or the content of their speech. This encompasses religious, political, and hate speech.1 If a library allows charities, non-profits, and sports organizations to discuss their activities in library meeting rooms, then the library cannot exclude religious, social, civic, partisan political, or hate groups from discussing their activities in the same facilities. Allowing religious groups to use the library’s meeting rooms and spaces does not constitute a breach of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.2
As of today, the Intellectual Freedom Committee has formed a working group to revise this hotly-discussed interpretation. A revised version of this language is expected by September 4 with the final version of the interpretation to go to ALA Council by October 1. We share this information in case you get questions or comments from your patrons, city council, or funders. We encourage all libraries to review their own collection development policies referencing the Library Bill of Rights and its interpretations and to include your boards and patrons in discussions about your policies. What you decide to change (if anything) is up to you and your communities.
The Division is excited to announce that as part of her national tour, U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith will come to Juneau to read her own poetry and selected pieces from the new anthology, American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time, and will engage the audience in a discussion of the poems. The anthology will be distributed free of charge at the event. The reading will take place in the Fr. Andrew P. Kashevaroff building on August 29th from 6-7pm.
The Sheldon Jackson Museum’s July 2018 Artifact(s) of the Month are three Yup’ik combs for preparing sinew (SJ-II-B-118, SJ-II-B-126, SJ-II-H-26). All three of the combs were collected by Sheldon Jackson in the late 19th century. Two are identified as coming from Andreafski; the third is documented less specifically as being collected “from the Lower Yukon River” area. All three artifacts feature slender bone teeth and wooden handles decorated with carving and red ochre paint. Combs like these were an important part of the traditional Yup’ik woman’s sewing kit and were indispensable for making garments.
For more about these artifacts, visit the July 2018 Artifact of the Month page.
Testing your source document before publishing can save you and your users many headaches. Fortunately, recent versions of Excel (2013, 2016) have made it easy for you to perform automated accessibility checks. It’s not a perfect system, but it’ll help you maintain an accessibility-first mindset.
The Alaska State Archives recently digitized some historic records relating to famous historical figure and Arizona lawman Wyatt Earp. After his career as an Arizona lawman, Earp opened a bar in Nome named The Dexter. With the Nome gold rush bringing thousands to the region, Earp and partner Chas Hoxie operated The Dexter from 1900-1903. Records digitized include liquor licenses for The Dexter and civil and criminal cases involving Earp. Thanks to Zach Jones for this item.
The application period for the 2018-2019 Grant-in-Aid program is fast approaching! The deadline for applications is July 31 at 11:59 pm.
Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to assist eligible museums and museum-related organizations improve services and promote professional museum standards and practices. Grant categories include regular grants of up to $10,000 for primary collections care and exhibit development, and mini-grants of up to $2,000 for projects and equipment purchases.
To apply, a museum must be open to the general public on a regularly scheduled basis for at least 120 days a year; publicized; and be an organized, non-profit institution or government entity. It must also employ at least one person, paid or unpaid, who devotes time to the acquisition, care and exhibition of its collection. Requirements for a museum-related organization are that it be organized and operated for the benefit of the general public, be a non-profit agency, and exist to augment and enhance museum services and practices.
Applications are available online (https://museums.alaska.gov/gia.html) and can be submitted through Survey Monkey or by email to Addison Field (addison.field@alaska.gov) or Amber Glen (amber.glen@alaska.gov). Please let us know if you have any questions or technical difficulties.
Last month, Claire Imamura blogged a wrap up of this past year’s Youth Art Activities programs. These programs are partially funded by the citizens of the City and Borough of Juneau through sales tax revenues and are sponsored by the Friends of the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum.
This past year, we offered 13 workshops to 356 Juneau youth with Alaskan artists from around the state. We made books, sculpted clay, constructed collages, drew dog portraits, painted landscapes, decorated masks, made hats, and learned about Alaska.
We love the youth activity program here at the APK and are excited to announce that the Friends have received a grant for FY19 to continue the program. We look forward to bringing you more fun art opportunities for kids starting in October 2018! To get notifications about these workshops, visit Youth Art Activities at the APK and sign up to receive e-announcements.
Please see Claire’s post at Since You Asked for more information and a lot of great photos of kids doing art!
Thanks to staff at the Alutiiq Museum for passing along this great news!
On Saturday, July 7, the Alutiiq Museum received a shipment of rare ancestral objects from France’s Musée Bolougne-sur-Mer. Two ceremonial masks and a set of beaded regalia arrived in Kodiak, accompanied by Musée director Mrs. Elikya Kandot. The pieces are part of the Pinart Collection, an assemblage of late nineteenth century Kodiak Alutiiq objects. They will visit Kodiak for five years. They replace two ceremonial masks, also from the Pinart Collection, scheduled to return France this week with Mrs. Kandot.
The loan is part of a long-term, cultural exchange between the French and Alutiiq peoples. For more than twenty years Alutiiq culture bearers and museum leaders have been visiting Bolougne-sur-Mer to study the Pinart Collection and share cultural traditions and contemporary artwork. The collection, made in 1872 by French anthropologist Alphonse Pinart, includes many rare pieces of Alutiiq ceremonial gear. Masks, drums, headdresses, and a feast bowl provide a rich record of traditional arts, ritual practices, spiritual beliefs, and the Alutiiq language. Pinart collection vocabulary, songs, and legends with the objects.
Elders, culture bearers, tribal leaders, Kodiak Mayor Pat Branson, and Alaska State Senator Gary Stevens gathered at the Alutiiq Museum this morning to greet the masks and beaded items. Prayers and songs in Alutiiq welcomed both Mrs. Kandot and the ancestral items, which were uncrated while those assembled watched with excitement.
“We are so very grateful to the French for recognizing the value of these piece to the Alutiiq community, and for their willingness to share them on long-term loan,” said Alutiiq Museum Executive Director April Laktonen Counceller. “We are particularly excited to borrow a complete set of beaded regalia—a headdress, a belt, and a pair of cuffs. These pieces are one of just a handful of complete sets in the world and our artists can learn a great deal from their design and construction.”
In September, the objects will be incorporated into Alutiiq Spirituality, Alutiiq Museum displays that explore traditional beliefs and ceremonial practices. They will also support arts education. The museum plans to assemble a group of beaders to study and recreate the regalia. This will help artists learn directly from the work of an ancestor and provide the museum with replicas to share when the historic set returns to France.
Generous support for this phase of the cultural exchange was provided by Koniag, Inc., Old Harbor Native Corporation, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Perry Eaton, E/P Roofing, and Betsy Lawer.
The Alutiiq Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history and culture of the Alutiiq, an Alaska Native tribal people. Representatives of Kodiak Alutiiq organizations govern the museum with funding from charitable contributions, memberships, grants, contracts, and sales.
The Library of Congress is constantly digitizing its collections and making them available to the public. Recently they added several collections we think will be of interest to your visitors:
Documenting his work as diplomat, publisher, scientist and inventor, Franklin’s papers include correspondence between him and notable people of the day including John Adams, George III – King of Great Britain, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, George Washington, Antoine Lavoisier, and Joseph Priestley. Also included are some of his diaries, notes on experiments, and copies of some of his scientific writings.
Engage the baseball fans in your classroom! The Branch Rickey papers include scouting reports on noted baseball players including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and Harmon Killebrew.
Selections from the National Film Registry
This collection provides access to a number of the films that have been considered to be “works of enduring importance of American culture” and earmarked for preservation by the Library of Congress. See Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor, The House I Live In featuring Frank Sinatra, Master Hands, a film that documents the activity on an automobile assembly line, and a film documenting the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
This collection features diaries and scrapbooks assembled by Anthony’s sister that documented their work on suffrage and the activities of New York state and national suffrage organizations, and correspondence from the noted suffragist. Included is a draft of her first public address, letters documenting the activities of the National Women’s Suffrage Association and speeches she made against slavery.
Hat tip to the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog for highlighting these items.
From our friends at the Government Publishing Office (GPO):
The U.S. Government Publishing Office and Oklahoma State University’s Edmon Low Library have partnered to make the digital versions of Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties, available on GPO’s govinfo.
This eight volume publication (commonly called Kappler’s after its original editor) was digitized by the Edmon Low Library and contributed to govinfo through a Digital Content Contributor partnership.
Kappler’s is a compilation containing U.S. treaties, laws, and executive orders pertaining to Native American Indian tribes. The volumes cover U.S. Government treaties with Native Americans from 1778-1883 (Volume II) and U.S. laws and executive orders concerning Native Americans from 1871-1970 (Volumes I, III-VII). A supplement compiling Code of Federal Regulations related to Native Americans was published in 1975.
According to Freya Anderson, Federal Depository Coordinator for the Alaska State Library, this older publication has some Alaskan content.
Of likely interest to libraries, archives and museums staff, ALA-Allied Professionals Association has launched a wellness web site. The focuses on eight aspects of wellness:
There are also wellness stories, reading lists and other resources on this site.
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