JUNEAU – The Alaska State Archives and Alaska State Historical Records Advisory Board (ASHRAB) are kicking off October with activities aimed to connect individuals with historic records and learning opportunities, as well as remind government agencies about the importance of managing digital records. October is nationally recognized as Archives Month, a month when archivists make the effort to increase awareness of the value of archives. For Archives Month 2018 the State Archives has produced educational posters, is participating in an educational social media event, is offering a special collections care and research day for the public, and making awards to individuals for educational use of historic records.
In anticipation of Archives Month, the Alaska State Archives has released its Archives Month Poster. The poster features historic photographs of Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier over time and documents the glacier’s steady recession over the last century. October 10 is known nationally as Electronic Records Day, and the State Archives will release an Electronic Records Day poster for government agencies featuring Alaskan animals dialoging about managing electronic records.
On October 3 the State Archives encourages Alaskans to participate in the national #AskAnArchivist Day on Twitter where teachers, students, and the general public can pose questions to Alaskan archivists, librarians, and curators. Alaskans can view past Alaskan discussions under hashtag #AkArchivists.
On October 18, the Alaska Day holiday, the State Archives is participating in the Alaska Day Research Open House. In Juneau from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building (APK), located at 395 Whittier Street in Juneau, 2nd floor Research Center, doors will be open and staff available to demystify the research process and provide tips for caring for your own family archives. Alaskans can learn how to research collections at State Archives and Library, see treasures from the collections, and find out how to care for your family photographs, letters, and other papers.
For Archives Month the ASHRAB has also announced the winners of its Certificate of Archival Excellence Awards. The annual awards are given to individuals or organizations nominated by the public that evidenced excellent work with historic records. This year an Excellence Award has been given to William Schneider of Fairbanks for the publication of his book The Tanana Chiefs: Native Rights and Western Law (2018), which focuses on the 1915 Tanana Chiefs Conference and provides published archival sources and oral history interviews about this significant event in Athabascan history. A second Excellence Award for education with use of historical records was given to Rebecca Poulson of Sitka for her development of a place-based history curriculum for K-12 students that paired historic photographs with present-day images of Sitka.
These efforts to recognize Archives Month have been supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, as well as the labors of the ASHRAB and Alaska State Archives.
Zachary Jones
907.465.2241
zachary.jones@alaska.gov
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