National Archives at Seattle

Alaska Digitization Project

In order to make NARA’s holdings from the former Alaska Region more broadly available to the public, we are digitizing the most in-demand records.

The National Archives began this process by requesting input from stakeholders, including the public, on which records should be prioritized for digitization. In 2014, NARA combined this feedback with historical reference activity, access restrictions that prevent public release (including the existence of Personally Identifiable Information), and preservation concerns to create the first digitization priority list.

Beginning in 2017, the National Archives focused the list to the most popular records based on what records had been requested in 2015 and 2016. During this period, NARA also received specific input from the Alaska Department of Transportation, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Newly identified access restrictions also prevent NARA from digitizing some of the records from the original list. 

Digitization Process and Updates

Digitizing the records from the former Alaska region is a top priority of the National Archives. In order to maximize available resources in terms of staff and equipment, the records are being temporarily moved to the National Archives at College Park. Approximately 3,600 cubic feet of records will move in FY 2021 in three shipments:

  • Shipment 1 - Arrived at the National Archives at College Park on May 27, 2021
  • Shipment 2 - Arrived at the National Archives at College Park on June 25, 2021
  • Shipment 3 - Arrived at the National Archives at College Park on July 22, 2021

 

 

Digitizing the records from the former Alaska region is a top priority of the National Archives. In order to maximize available resources in terms of staff and equipment, the records are being temporarily moved to the National Archives at College Park.  The records will be returned to the National Archives at Seattle for long-term storage after digitization.  Approximately 3,600 cubic feet of records were moved in FY 2021 in three shipments:

During the time the records are located in College Park, records will not be available for viewing in the Research Room and reference service will be limited to emergency requests (e.g. requests involving rights and interests, looming court dates, or significant congressional matters) and remote requests for scans, handled on a case-by-case basis, from the National Archives at Seattle. Furthermore, responses to reference inquiries may be impacted during the prep and scanning process.  The National Archives at Seattle will provide in-person reference service to the records that currently remain there.

You may send reference inquiries regarding the affected records by email to seattle.archives@nara.gov or by postal mail to 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98115-7999.

 

Progress on the project can be tracked below, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available here.

As Alaska records are digitized and made available via the National Archives Catalog, we will update the list below with links to the scanned images. Where digitization is listed as upcoming, links go to the corresponding Catalog series description which provides background information on the records in that series. All series from the former Alaska Region can be viewed in the National Archives Catalog regardless of their digitization status.

In addition to NARA digitization, our partners at FamilySearch have also digitized over four hundred thousand pages from Alaska and made these available via their website.

 See the list of Alaska records digitized by FamilySearch

Recently Digitized 

Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2008 (RG 022)

Records of the U.S. Coast Guard (RG 026)

Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007 (RG 029)

Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1826 - 2009 (RG 048)

Records of the Bureau of Land Management, 1685 - 2006 (RG 049)

Records of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1839 - 2008 (RG 057)

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999 (RG 075)

Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006 (RG 079)

Records of the Forest Service, 1870 - 2008 (RG 095)

Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985 (RG 111)

Records of U.S. Attorneys, 1821 - 1994 (RG 118)

Records of the Office of Price Administration, 1940 - 1949 (RG 188)

Records of the Federal Aviation Administration, 1922 - 2008 (RG 237)

Records of the Federal Highway Administration, 1956 - 2008 (RG 406)

Records of the Alaska Power Administration, 1949 - 1996 (RG 447)

Enhanced Discovery

NARA has added additional metadata to several high-interest records This additional metadata supports improved discovery of the material in the National Archives Catalog. Digital images from these records may be added over time.

Records of the Bureau of Public Roads, 1892 - 1972 (RG 030)

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999 (RG 075):

Upcoming

Donated material from the Anchorage Museum that was transferred to the National Archives in 2010. 

Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2008 (RG 022)

Records of the Bureau of Land Management, 1685 - 2006 (RG 049)

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999 (RG 075)

The following two series created by the Bureau of Indian Affairs are being digitized but due to personal personal identifiable information (PII) in the records, they will only be made available to the public after staff reviews and redacts PII.

Records of the Forest Service, 1870 - 2008 (RG 095)

Records of the U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations, 1900 - 2003 (RG 342)

Records of the Alaska Power Administration, 1949 - 1996 (RG 447)

Digitized in 2020

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999 (RG 075)

Digitized in 2018

Records of the Army Air Forces, ca. 1902 - 1964 (RG 018)

Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2008 (RG 022)

Records of the U.S. Coast Guard, 1785 - 2005 (RG 026)

Records of the Weather Bureau, 1735 - 1989 (RG 027)

Records of the Bureau of Public Roads, 1892 - 1972 (RG 030)

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999 (RG 075)

Records of the Forest Service, 1870 - 2022 (RG 095)

Records of the Naval Districts and Shore Establishments, 1784 - 2000 (RG 181)

Digitized in 2017

Records of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2008 (RG 022)

Records of the Bureau of Land Management, 1685 - 2006 (RG 049)

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs1793 - 1999 (RG 075)

Records of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, 1946 - 1972 (RG 368)

Records of the Federal Highway Administration, 1956 - 2008 (RG 406)

Digitized in 2016

Records of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2008 (RG 022)

Records of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1839 - 2008 (RG 057)

Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs1793 - 1999 (RG 075)

Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006 (RG 079)

Records of the Federal Aviation Administration, 1922 - 2008 (RG 237)

Records of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, 1929 - 1988 (RG 435)

Digitized in 2015 

Records of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2008 (RG 022)

Records of the U.S. Coast Guard, 1785 - 2005 (RG 026)

General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1939 - 1940 (RG 056)

Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, 1789 - 1999 (RG 077)

 

     

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