Secretary Detzner Announces Open House Event Celebrating American Archives Month

Tallahassee –

Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner and the State Archives of Florida are pleased to announce a special open house event on Tuesday, October 13 celebrating American Archives Month. The event will include a tour of the Archives’ document storage facility and staff-led workshops on preserving historic photographs and exploring creative strategies for tracing African-American ancestors. Tours of the Archives’ normally restricted stacks area will be also be offered during the event.

“American Archives Month is an excellent opportunity for Floridians to learn how to use the resources of the State Archives for researching the history of their families and communities,” said Secretary Detzner. “Locals and visitors to Tallahassee are encouraged to attend the open house being offered by our State Archives’ award-winning staff in October. For those who can’t make the trip, be sure to explore the many resources and collections made available to the public online throughout the year!”

Celebrated every October, American Archives Month is a national collaborative effort led by professional organizations and repositories around the nation to highlight the importance of records of enduring value, recognize the important contributions of professional archivists, and promote the resources and information available to the public through archives. 

Normally open to the public on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the State Archives’ facility will remain open on October 13 until 8 p.m. The extended hours are designed to give Floridians, especially those with busy workday schedules, an opportunity to enjoy using the Archives’ extensive resources for researching local and family history.

OPEN HOUSE DETAILS

DATE:                       

Tuesday, October 13

TIME:                        

The State Archives reference room will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on October 13. Tours and workshops will begin after 5  p.m. (Additional information on the workshops is provided below).

LOCATION:             

The open house event will be held in the State Archives’ reference room on the second floor of the R.A. Gray Building at 500 S. Bronough Street in Tallahassee. The tours and workshops will also begin in this location. Free parking is available in parking lot “E” adjacent to the building.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS: 

“Preserving Historic Documents and Photographs at Home”

October 13 beginning at 6 p.m.

In this workshop, archivist Adam Watson will explain the basic principles for preserving documents and photographs at home, as well as options for stabilizing especially fragile items.

Researching African-American Ancestors

October 13 beginning at 7 p.m.

In this workshop, archivists Miriam Gan-Spalding and Delbra McGriff will explore creative strategies for tracing African-American ancestors using a variety of online and unpublished records.

Media interested in attending the open house and interview opportunities should contact the Department of State’s communications office at [email protected] or 850.245.6522.

Members of the public looking for more information on the event should contact the State Archives reference desk at [email protected], 850.245.6719, or visit dos.myflorida.com/library-archives/.

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About the State Archives of Florida:

The State Archives of Florida is the central repository for the government records of the Sunshine State. It also holds a variety of private manuscripts, local government records, photographs, and other historically significant materials relating to Florida. The Archives is statutorily tasked with preserving these historic resources and making them available to the public. To learn more, visit info.florida.gov or contact the Archives’ reference staff at (850)-245-6719. The State Archives of Florida is a component of the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services.