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How to Donate

Thank you for your interest in the Sitka Historical Museum’s collections and archives. Our mission is to preserve and promote the events, stories and artifacts of the human history of the Sitka area for the inspiration, education and benefit of the public and future generations. We appreciate you considering us as potential caretakers of your treasures.

Donating an Object

Collecting artifacts to interpret the history of Sitka, Baranof and Chichagoff Islands, and Southeast Alaska is key to our mission. We strive to prudently add to our collections with a Collections Committee, a committee of Museum staff and Board members that meets monthly to evaluate and make recommendations on proposed donations. Committee decisions are voted upon by the full Board of Directors, which has the final authority to decide whether or not to accept a donation.

Decisions about donations are made based on the history of your object, the object’s relationship to the history of Sitka and Southeast Alaska, and how the object would fit into the larger collections of the Museum.

To help us gather as much information as possible about your donation, please fill out this Temporary Deposit Worksheet and submit it electronically to the Curator of Collections & Exhibits, Jacqueline Fernandez, at sitkacurator@yahoo.com or by mail to:

Curator of Collections & Exhibits
Sitka Historical Society
330 Harbor Drive
Sitka, AK 99835.

If possible, please email or mail a photograph of your donation(s) with the worksheet.

If you need assistance, please contact the curator by email at sitkacurator@yahoo.com or telephone at (907) 747-6455. Do not worry if you are unable to answer all of the questions on the form. Please do not mail or bring any donations to the museum until after you speak with the curator.

Donating Archival Documents

The Sitka Historical Museum accepts donations of original materials related to the history of Sitka, Baranof and Chichagoff Island, and Southeast Alaska. Our archives include letters, photographs, diaries, unpublished memoirs and manuscripts, original tape recordings, original film and video tape footage and architectural drawings.

If you have questions about your materials, or are interested in donating items, please contact the curator, Jacqueline Fernandez, at sitkacurator@yahoo.com or by telephoning (907) 747-6455.