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The 2025 Summer Supplies Drive


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A letter from JCHS Director of Research + Collections, Ellie DiPietro:


I love working with collections because I am constantly learning. Human beings are remarkable in their ability to share information with people they will never meet. Every day I get to learn new stories.


The museum collection is how we know what we know about Jefferson County. The collections team is working hard year-round, but this is the time we peek out from behind our books and boxes and celebrate the work going on behind the scenes!


What’s Exciting Us This Year?

  • Digitizing Fragile Historic Newspapers: We’re gearing up to digitize two incredibly fragile newspapers: the Irondale News (1910–1911) and The Quilcene Queen (1891–1892). These crumbly papers have never been microfilmed, and without preservation, they risk being lost forever. Digitization is costly, but absolutely essential.

  • Expanding Our Online Collections: Earlier this year, we quietly launched our online object collection, and we’re continuing to add more records and details, including information about what’s currently on exhibit.

  • Increasing Storage Capacity: Behind the scenes, we’re increasing shelving capacity and reorganizing to better accommodate new stories and collections. This includes additional art and furniture storage and making room for a recent donation of historic newspapers from Sound Publishing. It’s a big logistical effort but critical for preserving our growing archive.

  • Annual Supplies Drive: This fundraiser is our annual push to stock up on the general supplies we need for digitizing, cataloging, and, importantly, housing new items properly and safely.


Why Do Collections Matter?

Museum collections are our connection to the past—they hold clues about how people lived, worked, solved problems, and imagined the future. In a world where AI can answer any question, the true facts come from original records and objects like those in our care. These items shape our understanding of history and ourselves.


A Look at Current Projects

  • A new company acquired Sound Publishing and decided to dispose of their historic newspaper archive. We’ve stepped in to save part of this priceless collection—about five pallets worth so far.

  • Digitizing the Irondale News and The Quilcene Queen will cost around $2,000 but will ensure these rare papers survive digitally for generations.

  • Our archive shelves need more density and better tools, including new manual handles and safer storage for fragile and hazardous items.

  • With so many new materials arriving last year, we’re still fine-tuning shelf arrangements to give everything a proper home.

  • Oral histories are a treasure trove of knowledge about Jefferson County’s past. If you haven’t explored them yet, visit our online oral history collection—it’s a window into why our community looks and feels the way it does today.

  • Our online object collection lets you peek behind the scenes from your couch. Plus, our archives collection is the go-to place for photos and documents.


How You Can Help

The Summer Supplies Drive is my favorite time of year because it lets me share this work with you. Your support is essential in making sure these resources—digitizing equipment, cataloging tools, and storage supplies—are available now and in the future.


Thank you for helping us keep Jefferson County’s stories alive and well cared for.


With gratitude,

Ellie DiPietro

Director of Research + Collections

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