Monday, March 16, 2015

Arkansas History Commission Press Release for April Events



This year marks the 110th anniversary of the Arkansas History Commission and State Archives.  The Arkansas History Commission was created during the 1905 session of the Arkansas General Assembly for the purpose of collecting and preserving Arkansas’s significant wealth of historic material.  Throughout the month of April, the History Commission will hold several events to mark this milestone for the agency and for the state.  

Each Friday in April, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the History Commission will host a digitization clinic in its conference room.  The general public is invited to bring in family memorabilia appropriate for scanning, like letters, photographs, and other documents.  AHC archivists will scan and save to CD copies of scanned material for the public.  Members of the general public who choose to take advantage of this free scanning service will be asked to share the digital copies with the History Commission for research, exhibits and publication.  

“The digitization clinic is a modern twist on the way the History Commission built its collections from the beginning,” said Commission Director Dr. Lisa Speer.  “Through the years, our collections have grown thanks to the foresight of historically minded citizens across Arkansas and US.  We still like receiving donations of historical manuscripts and records, but we recognize that not everyone is ready to donate their family papers and memorabilia.  This digitization clinic provides them with an option to share the content, while maintaining the originals during their lifetime.” No appointments are needed for the digitization clinic, and registration is not required to participate.  

On April 27, the History Commission also will host an open house and anniversary commemoration.  Members of the general public are invited to visit the research room at 1 Capitol Mall, view some of the state’s most significant historical documents, including Arkansas’s original state constitutions, preview an exhibit on the agency’s history, meet the staff and learn more about how the History Commission has been a vital part of preserving Arkansas history for well over a century.  

For additional information on the Arkansas History Commission and these events, please phone 501-682-6900 or email state.archives@arkansas.gov