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October 20-October 26, 2011

This Week We Feature Washington Archives Month

October is Washington Archives Month. As its website explains, "The purpose of Archives Month is to celebrate the value of Washington's historical records, to publicize the many ways these records enrich our lives, to recognize those who maintain our communities' historical records, and to increase public awareness of the importance of preserving historical records in archives, historical societies, museums, libraries, and other repositories across the state."

The fifth annual celebration of Archives Month is coordinated by a committee of representatives from archival and manuscript repositories across the state. Co-sponsors are the Washington State Archives, National Archives and Records Administration, Pacific Alaska Region, and the Washington State Historical Records Advisory Board.

This year’s theme is Fairs and Festivals -- just in time for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair. There have already been many workshops and other free events throughout the state where teachers and students have learned about the wonderful resources that are available locally and how to use them most effectively in classroom-related projects.

If you have not yet participated in any of these events, there is a workshop (Basics of Archives) on Friday, October 21 at the  http://www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/seattle/ |National Archives and Records Administration | in Seattle (contact mark.vessy@wshs.org) and an open house at the Washington State Archives’ Northwest Regional Archives, the WWU Archives & Records Center, and the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in Bellingham, Washington on Saturday, October 22 (contact NWBranchArchives@sos.wa.gov).

Next Saturday, October 29th, a final workshop -- The Basics of Historical Research -- will be held at the Washington State Archives – Puget Sound Regional Branch in Bellevue. This workshop will present practical advice and basic steps for gathering information needed to investigate and interpret a historical topic for a museum exhibit, class project, community celebration, curriculum enrichment, research article, History Day , classroom based assessment (CBA), or personal historical interest. The class will cover themes such as how to find and use reliable online resources and how to find and cite relevant primary sources. Seating is limited, so register as soon as possible. Contact: mike.saunders@sos.wa.gov or mark.vessey@wshs.org

This Education Resource features many valuable resources for students in the right navigational bar under For Students, including a list of study aids and a listing of museums, libraries, and other archives that identify primary and secondary sources relevant to Washington state history.

Image: Cake eating contest at Cornucopia Festival, Kent, July 13, 1956. Courtesy Museum of History & Industry.

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