The following excerpt is from an article by Bruce Parham, published in the April 10, 2012 edition of Juneauempire.com:
Many Alaskans may not have heard about the dire condition of Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museums in Juneau. The state’s treasures of records, historical photographs, and museum artifacts are at great risk in the present facilities. They are too small, technologically insufficient, outdated, and structurally deficient. The collections are not connected physically or digitally for statewide access. The State Archives building is literally splitting in two, as the rear half was constructed on bedrock and the front half on failed pilings. The front half of the archives building is sinking, with walls cracking, doors shifting, and water pipes splitting. The Alaska Historical Collections in the State Office Building are out of space. The collections are also at risk of severe deterioration as there are no temperature and humidity controls for the preservation of the materials.
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Among the priceless items are diaries of Alaska’s pioneers from the Klondike and Alaska Gold Rushes (1896-1914), the original Alaska State Constitution, 175,000 historical photographs, and more than 34,000 cataloged museum artifacts. The Alaska Native artifacts, amounting to more than 15,000 objects, are outstanding. Objects from daily life, as well as ceremonial and sacred objects, include those from Alaskan Aleut, Athabascan, Eskimo, and Northwest Coast groups. Together, the collections of the State Library, Archives, and Museums are internationally recognized by scholars of Alaska history and culture.
