The State Library's Alaska Digital Newspaper Project reports:

Since our last update post on March 21, we have added over 40,000 pages of Alaskan newspapers to Chronicling America! These pages contain over 6000 issues from 34 newspaper titles over a period of more than 50 years of Alaska’s history.

The Alaska State Library Internship Project brings one intern who has recently completed, or is near completing, their Master's degree in Library or Information Science to work in an Alaskan public library for two months in the summer of 2022.

My name is Juliana Clark, and I am an intern this summer with the Kuskokwim Consortium Library in partnership with KYUK Radio in Bethel. I received my MLIS in 2021 from the University of California, Los Angeles with specializations in Archival Studies and Media Archival Studies. I've spent most of my time interning and volunteering at community archives and museums.

I am currently working on an archival project writing metadata and designing a controlled vocabulary for some of KYUK's video collections that contain really valuable and unique Yup'ik/Yupiit cultural information. I'm into my second week now and really loving it out here on the tundra. I'm from San Diego, and it's been nice to experience a new type of landscape, cooler summer weather, and living in a small town! You can watch some of the videos in KYUK's collection that I am working on.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced 24 grants totaling $2,194,142 to support Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. IMLS received 29 applications through the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program requesting $2.7 million in funds.

Four grants were awarded to Alaskan institutions:

• Koniag, Inc. will develop a comprehensive, community-informed plan for a new set of Alutiiq heritage exhibits for their museum, the Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository. $94,376
• The Ilanka Cultural Center and Museum of the Native Village of Eyak will create high-definition 3D scans of 15 artifacts held in the Ilanka Museum and Cordova Museum collections. $98,258
• Ninilchik Village will implement a planning project that supports the development of the Tribe’s new cultural institution, the Q’eschił Heritage Center. $100,000
• The Sealaska Heritage Institute will enhance digital preservation practices and expand digital storage capacity to increase access to their Indigenous archives. $96,250

The Kodiak History Museum’s board of directors approved a 23% pay increase for museum employees last week. The wage increase will cost the museum $121,000 next year. It goes into effect next month for all six staff members.

Kodiak History Museum Executive Director Sarah Harrington says the increase in wages will be cost-effective for the museum in the long run.

“Staff members are the biggest assets we have at the museum in serving our community. And by hiring, by attracting and retaining staff, who are well qualified for their positions, and can basically give the museum more bang for its buck in terms of the services that we offer, we can show that that investment is well worth it,” Harrington said.

"Kodiak History Museum raises all staff wages 23 percent to address pay equity and competitiveness" by Dylan Simard, June 23, 2022. KMXT.org.

The Alutiiq Museum is one of six Alaska organizations set to receive a share of a $12.5 million grant from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. The funds will be split between six organizations that are part of a collaboration called the Community Organized Restoration and Learning – or CORaL – Network.

The network includes the Alaska SeaLife Center, which is leading the partnership, Alaska Sea Grant, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, the Chugach Regional Resources Commission, the Prince William Sound Science Center along with the Alutiiq Museum.

“We are thrilled to receive EVOSTC support for this innovative multi-year proposal. There is immense potential for an active, collaborative, cross-sector network to positively impact ecosystems and communities that continue to be affected by the 1989 oil spill,” said Wei Ying Wong, Ph.D., Chief Science and Education Officer of the Alaska SeaLife Center.

"Alutiiq Museum to receive funding through CORaL Network collaboration" by Kirsten Dobroth, June 29, 2022. KMXT.org.

CORaL Network Brings Together Six Alaskan Conservation Organizations, June 24, 2022. Alutiiqmuseum.org.

Children of all ages turned out for the Ketchikan Public Library’s first-ever drag queen storytime after city leaders declined to cancel the controversial event...

Twelve-year-old Kailani Clevenger says it was her first time ever seeing a drag queen.

“I loved how open they were in how you could be anything you want to be,” she said.

Kailani’s younger brother, 10-year-old Kinyon Clevenger, was also a fan.

“My favorite part was how everyone was saying they don’t want people going there, and then she ends up having to do the storytime three times,” he said. “That was my favorite part.”

"After weeks of heated debate, a drag queen read a book to children at Ketchikan’s public library for the first time" by Eric Stone, June 18, 2022. KTOO.org.

With the influx of smoke, some have expressed interest in the air quality. The Delta Community Library has an air monitor that is available to get local readings on air quality.

The sensor, which is part of the Purple Air network, displays air quality online at PurpleAir.com. On Wednesday the website was displaying a 2.5 particulate matter reading of 157. The reading reached a high of 269 Tuesday evening.

"Air quality concerns" by Michael Paschall, June 29, 2022. Delta Wind.

The Bunnell Arts by Air radio series features Alaskan and visiting musicians in all genres, and is co-produced by Bunnell Street Arts Center and KBBI to support local artists and musicians and celebrate our community. Initial funding came from a Coronavirus Non-Profit Relief grant from the Alaska Community Foundation, and continues with support from the Alaska Community Foundation’s AKCanDo grant and a Quick Response grant from the Homer Foundation.

This fall the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) will be offering free Alaska Native Language classes with no tuition or fees. Classes are offered in Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages at all levels — beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The free classes are for our non-credit courses, but credit can be received if a student chooses to pay tuition and fees.   

A full list of classes available can be found at uas.alaska.edu/schedule, along with their descriptions...

UAS will offer a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies starting this fall...

One of the coordinators of the program is Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, who shared the following thought on offering free language course options: “Education in America for Native American peoples has long been a vehicle of oppression, genocide, and assimilation. Our goal at UAS is to transform education into a vehicle of opportunity, equity, and healing. As one of our elders, Kaséix̱ Selina Everson said: haa wsineix̱ haa yoo x̱ʼatángi (our language saved us). We intend on honoring the work and words of those who came before us, and look forward to doing all we can to help move our language communities to places of safety.” 

"UAS to offer free Alaska Native Language classes this fall" by Keni Campbell | UAS, June 28, 2022. Alaska Native News.

Alaska Economic Trends is a monthly magazine from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development that covers a range of economic topics.

The July issue, The Cost of Living, looks at inflation, how Alaska costs compared nationwide, and how costs varied within Alaska in 2021 and early 2022.

From the article "The costs of living in Alaska" by Neil Fried:

By April 2022, food was 11.3 percent more expensive than the previous April, with meat and eggs the biggest culprits. Transportation continued to register some of the largest cost increases among categories in 2022, running over 20 percent higher. After housing, transportation carries the second-largest weight in the overall index — 18.2 percent — meaning the typical household spends about 18 percent of its monthly income on transportation. Many expenses in transportation went up substantially: car rentals, airline tickets, used cars, and fuel. Gasoline prices jumped by over 50 percent.

What might be considered good news, from the article “How Alaska’s costs stack up nationally” by Sara Teel:

Over the last 20 years, Alaska cities have moved from being among the highest-cost cities in the United States to farther down in the rankings. In early 2022, Anchorage placed 18th, Juneau 19th, and Fairbanks 22nd.

Wednesday, July 20, 10–11 am AKDT

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been developing mobile mental apps for Veterans since 2011. These apps address issues such as PTSD, substance abuse, anger, and insomnia and can be used by veterans or anyone else who wants to improve their health and well-being. Join us to learn about the apps and get ideas about how you can promote the VA mobile mental health apps to veterans, veteran family members, library patrons, and the community.

Webinar Series: Gov Docs 101 is a series of introductory subject webinars on frequently-requested Government information topics. The webinars are designed for newer depository coordinators, however anyone with an interest in the subject may attend.