The following announcement was written by the Society of American Archivists:
CHICAGO — Sycamore, Illinois, genealogist Julie Dresser is one of eight finalists in the I Found It In The Archives! contest, which is part of a national campaign sponsored by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). SAA asked archives users to submit essays or videos detailing their “discoveries” in the archives. Dresser’s essay, which was submitted to the contest by the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, describes how a trip to the Benjamin F. Feinberg Library at SUNY–Plattsburgh helped her discover priceless letters from her fourth-great grandmother.
“I’ve discovered wonderful things in many different archives across the United States, but these letters, with their first-hand accounts of different events, are my greatest of the great,” Dresser writes.
Dresser’s entry, along with those of the seven other finalists in the contest, has been posted on SAA’s website at http://www2.archivists.org/initiatives/i-found-it-in-the-archives/i-found-it-in-the-archives-2012-national-competition. Voting is open to the public. Help spread the word about the contest—and Dresser’s involvement—through social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter (Twitter users should use the hashtag #FoundArch). Voting is open through May 15.
The winner of the national contest will be announced in June and will receive complimentary airfare to SAA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego this August and two nights stay at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront.
The I Found It In The Archives! campaign is part of SAA’s efforts to raise awareness about the importance of archives. Members of SAA held local contests in the fall and winter to kick off the campaign, reaching out to individuals who have found their records, families, heritage, and treasures through their collections. Contestants shared their stories of discovery, and the winning essays and videos in the local competitions then moved on to the national competition.
For more details about SAA or to vote in the contest, visit www.archivists.org.
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