OVERVIEW
Archives Exhibit Case displaying Artifacts, Papers, and Photos from the Fred W. Fickett Col., 1985.
The Archives and Special Collections Department collects, preserves, and makes available for research, records which document the social, political, cultural, and economic development of Alaska, especially that of Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska. The department solicits papers or records of individuals, families, associations, businesses, and institutions. These may include pioneers, politicians, business leaders, and other citizens; social, cultural, and political action groups and organizations; native associations and organizations; and others that reflect the impact of humankind on the region. Special departmental solicitation efforts are directed to acquiring papers and records relating to administration, public policy, and the social sciences; the health and biomedical sciences; and the applied sciences and technology.
The holdings of the Archives and Special Collections Department are divided into two main parts: the Historical Manuscripts Collection and University Records. Currently, the department holds over 860 collections of original and copied papers and records. These include more than 2,000 reels of microfilm; over 2,000 oral history, music, and other sound recordings; and in excess of 400,000 photographic prints, slides, and negatives. A guide to the department's holdings was published in 1990. A cumulative collections list identifying the department's manuscripts collections is issued annually. The research highlights brochures was developed between 1996 and 1998, after which the staff began work on this web site.
The University Records include records of the University of Alaska Anchorage and of Anchorage Community College. The list to these institutional records is being revised and updated. The department has developed a series of topical research aids, called the Research Highlights Series. The series identifies selected sources on specific research topics. It is available in paper form and will be available on the Internet through this site. The development of a historical manuscripts and records program requires the concern and cooperation of other interested parties in addition to the archives staff. The department needs and seeks the help and assistance of the university community (faculty, students, staff, and the public) in identifying those individuals, groups, and businesses that should be contacted for possible donations of collections.