The Center for Local History's COVID-19 Archives Project seeks community donations of everyday materials and objects to help document an extraordinary period in our history.
FAQs
How can I submit materials to the archive?
You can use our online form to email your donation, or you can mail a submission to Arlington Public Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington VA 22201. Materials should include either a printed and signed version of the submission form or a completed online form.
My child would like to make a submission. Do they need to sign the donation form?
If your child is a minor (under 18), you or another guardian should sign the submission form.
I cannot print from my home, but I would like to mail a donation. How can I do that?
You can either fill out the online form, email it to us, and then send your submission through the regular mail, or write the information requested on a separate sheet of paper, including the Submission Agreement, sign the paper, and mail it in with your submission.
I do not currently live in Arlington and would like to document my experience. Or I have friends or family that do not live in Arlington and I want to document their experience. What should I do?
We do not accept submissions unconnected to Arlington. If you live outside of Arlington but work in Arlington, and you would like to document your work experience, we are interested. If you work in Arlington but live outside of Arlington and would like to document your telework experience, we are interested. If you are interested in documenting your community outside of Arlington, there are several similar COVID-19 projects throughout the country. There may be one in your community.
I have been cutting out newspaper articles or saving local newscasts on the pandemic. Would you like them?
We are not collecting any newspaper articles, any local newscasts, or any materials from businesses outside of Arlington.
How is the Library’s Quaranzine and this project different? Can I contribute to both?
The Quaranzine is a place for Arlingtonians to publish and display creative and artistic works completed during this time. The Arlington COVID-19 Archives Project has a broader scope. We are collecting documents and images that reflect how the community is responding to the pandemic, including diary entries, documents from businesses or organizations, homeschool schedules, etc.
We would be happy to accept Quaranzine submissions for this project as well but donors would need to send materials to us separately and complete our form.