Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Alaskan Pictures

Question: How do I get Alaska Native photographs that are available for our presentation?
Answer: There are several places where you can find photos online that might be useful for your presentation. For historical photos (and other resources), you might want to try Alaska's Digital Archive, online at http://vilda.alaska.edu/. This includes digitized materials from several different Alaskan repositories, including the State Library and University of Alaska.
You can find additional resources at our website on royalty free and public domain materials, online at http://library.state.ak.us/is/free_images_sounds.html. I would recommend scrolling down the page to the Photos heading. In particular, you might try the first option, the Alaska Images Library.
Another good resource is the Alaska Photo Library from the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, online at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/dcrarepoext/pages/photolibrary.aspx. Many of these photos are licensed, so be sure to check for the license agreement to make sure that your use is allowed.
If you don't find what you want online, there are also some wonderful repositories within the state. Many participate with Alaska's Digital Archive, but have additional collections at their locations. You can find a list of participants with links to their copy policies and contact information at http://vilda.alaska.edu/ui/custom/default/collection/default/resources/custompages/faqs/index.php#answer5. To access their photos, you may need to go to their location and there may be associated fees. If you still don't see what you want, check out the Alaska Library Directory http://akla.org/publications/alaska-library-directory/.