You might not know this, but these are pretty trying times for Alaskan archives and those who research in them. A lot of the Alaskan archives have cut access hours, are under hiring freezes, are facing additional budget cuts. We’re grateful for our friends and colleagues who are part of the advocacy effort on behalf of Alaskan archives started by the Alaska Historical Society recently. One of the ideas they’ve been working on is to produce short video interviews with users of archives on what archives have meant for them.
Just recently, students at the University of Alaska Anchorage have finished one of those videos about students in the UAA ENGL A476: History of English Language class. We’re incredibly thankful for their efforts on our behalf. Thanks to Dr. Ian Hartman, Erika Coker, and Joseph Longuevan for creating the video. Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Stone, Rose Kruger, and Hollis Reddington for sharing about their experiences with archival research. Working with the students in this class over the past several years has been a complete joy for us and we’re glad to see that the feeling is returned!