BE A PART OF SAVING ALASKA’S HISTORY

Archives Rescue Corps (ARC) is a new Alaskan initiative to help preserve and protect archives throughout the state of Alaska.  Currently, only 29 Alaskan archives are listed with the Heritage Health Index while the condition of many is unknown. It is ARC’s goal to help locate these unknown archives and provide caretakers with the training and tools needed to preserve their collections. We plan to do this by determining the needs of collection-holding institutions and assisting them by offering educational literature and training.

Over the next several months, ARC will be looking for volunteers to assist in the search for archival collections throughout the state.  Volunteers will work with ARC’s project coordinator Frances Field to locate, document, and assess the needs of archives throughout the state.  So far ARC has secured volunteers in Juneau, Wrangell, Wasilla, Igiugig, Anchorage and Gustavus.  If you don’t see your community listed, contact ARC today and don’t be left behind!  If your community is listed and you want to volunteer, don’t hesitate to reach us, many communities need more than one volunteer.

To find out more about becoming an ARC volunteer please contact Frances Field at frances.field@alaska.gov.  Frances will be at the Alaska Historical Society conference next and looks forward to talking with many people about ARC.   

Please visit our website to find out more about ARC.  We also ask that you participate in our quick 5-minute archival survey available on our website, http://archives.state.ak.us/arc/.

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Frances Field

Archives Rescue Corps

Alaska State Historical Library

tel. 907-465-1310; fax 907-465-2990

frances.field@alaska.gov

http://archives.state.ak.us/arc/