For Immediate Release
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Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009
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An estimated five thousand boxes of files and records gathered during Ted Stevens' four-decade career in Washington is on its way to the University of Alaska under an agreement between Stevens and UA President Mark Hamilton.
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The boxes--the lion's share from the nation's capital--will begin arriving at the University of Alaska Fairbanks over the next few weeks. In addition, over 100 boxes will be shipped from Anchorage. Roughly two dozen boxes of the senator's papers are already located in Fairbanks. The collection will be housed principally at the Rasmuson Library at UAF, which is the only facility in the UA system capable of accommodating the extensive collection.
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"The university is delighted to receive this collection. The historic value of these papers, speeches and documents is immeasurable; it's very fitting that the senator's papers come to the University of Alaska," Hamilton said.
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Stevens said he's pleased to make the deposit to the university. "Alaska is my home, and it's my hope that this collection of papers and material will contribute to the body of knowledge about the many important federal issues which have affected our state," he said.
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It will take an estimated two to three years for the university to assess and process the collection after it arrives, said Paul McCarthy, former director of the Rasmuson Library and advisor to the university on the Stevens' collection. McCarthy has extensive experience in handling large collections, and oversaw the receipt of the Elmer E. Rasmuson collection.
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"The hope is to work with the senator to get some of the material with the most public interest, for instance in the area of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, posted online through the library's current digital archive system," McCarthy said. "We'd like to use technology to make certain records and papers within the collection available to as many Alaskan and non-Alaskan scholars alike, no matter where they live."
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In accordance with Senate rules, the federal government will pay shipping costs. University officials may seek private and public funding in the future to help process the collection.
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Many items will be made available to the public as soon as they can be properly archived. Certain files containing constituent information and other confidential files will remain confidential until 50 years after they were created, or longer if covered by state or federal privacy laws. Under terms of the agreement, most of the collection will be made widely available five years after Stevens' death.
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-30-
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NR5-09
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| For more information, call Paul McCarthy at 907/322-2044. |
