Historical research encouraged by regional archivist, agency
by KATIE WUTZ Intern

Preparing for New York Archives Month in October are Sue Butterfield, left, project assistant, and Heidi Bamford, regional archivist. Photo by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

America's future will bring Western New York's past to life next month by researching and publishing newspaper articles on local history.

As part of National Archives Month celebrations, students will participate in designated activities that should help them become more aware of the primary sources and historical documents available in the area, and how to use them to learn about local history.

"This is an enriching experience that gives history credibility to students. Instead of just reading about it, they can discover how it may have impacted our area and where we are today," said Heidi Bamford, regional archivist at the Documentary Heritage Program and regional coordinator for the New York State Archives Celebration.

Bamford suggests that teachers use this month and this particular activity as a way to prepare students for the essay-writing portion of standardized tests.

"It's a more fun way to build skills for students," she said.

Students who choose to write feature articles for this event will also have the opportunity to polish those articles and submit them as essays to the New York State History Day Competition in March. Winners in both the junior and senior divisions will continue on to the National History Day competition in June.

Subject areas for these articles can include the civil rights movement, Native American history and the Civil War era. Another topic would be the subject of the Love Canal community, a neighborhood in Niagara Falls that was discovered to have been built on a toxic waste disposal site.

"Asking a question like who is to blame for Love Canal is more interesting than asking who is to blame for toxic waste in the ocean," Bamford said. "It's more interesting to write about than something distant."

This is the first year that the Documentary Heritage Program has held this particular celebration, though New York State Archives Week was first celebrated in 1988. This is also the first year that American Archives Month has been celebrated as a national event, rather than separate state events.

The Documentary Heritage Program has several tools designed to help teachers use this month as a way to encourage interest in local history.

The program's Web site, www.wnylrc.org/dhp, contains a list of resources the program lends out, including audiotapes and guides to conducting archive research.

The Web site contains a list of archives in the Western New York area, along with their particular specialties, in order to help students find the information they need. Archives include the Neiderlander Research Library at the Amherst Museum, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Research Library and Archives and the Niagara Frontier Folklore Archives at Buffalo State College.

Teachers and students may also consult the New York State Historical Society's Web site at www.nysha.org or the NYS Archives Web site at www.archives.nysed.gov for more information, event calendars for October and event posters. For information, call 633-0705, ext. 114.